Difference Between Colon & Semicolon

·         Semicolon  is a mark of punctuation ( ; ) used to connect independent clauses and show a closer relationship than a period does.  It acts as a linking punctuation between two complete sentences which are not connected by a conjunction.

Example:

1.      I'm going to the stationary shop; I need to buy a sketch book.

2.      "There are the children who make those delightful, hilarious, sometimes astonishingly grave overtures of friendship in the unpredictable fashion of children; other children, having been taught that the devil is a black man, scream in genuine anguish as I approach. Some of the older women never pass without a friendly greeting, never pass, indeed, if it seems that they will be able to engage me in conversation; other women look down or look away or rather contemptuously smirk."

 (James Baldwin, Stranger in the Village. Notes of a Native Son. Beacon Press, 1955)

·         Colon is an important punctuation. It introduces the reader to sentences. The presence of a colon hints towards something important being stated. After reading the sentence before the colon, the reader anticipates some amount of useful information. A mark of punctuation ( : ) used after a statement (usually an independent clause) that introduces a quotation, an explanation, an example, or a series.

Example:

1.      Writing is much more than mere arranging of words: it is an expression of the deeper voice within us.

2.      "A liberal arts education creates citizens: people who can think broadly and critically about themselves and the world."

                         (William Deresiewicz, "Faulty Towers." The Nation, May 23, 2011)