Writing for Business - A Whatis.com Blog » independent clauses http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business Is your grammar as good as your code? Sat, 18 May 2013 18:30:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Independent clauses and semicolons http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/independent-clauses-and-semicolons/ http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/independent-clauses-and-semicolons/#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:43:09 +0000 Ivy Wigmore http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/independent-clauses-and-semicolons/ typing Which is correct?
Sequential logic has _____ combinational logic does not.
a. memory;
b. memory,

Answer: a

Explanation: Because both clauses are independent (they could stand by themselves as complete sentences), use a semicolon here. If you use a comma, that’s an error known as a comma splice.

You join the clauses with a semicolon instead of having two separate sentences to indicate that the clauses are closely related.

Grammar Girl has an entry about semicolons.

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]]> http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/independent-clauses-and-semicolons/feed/ 1 Independent clauses and punctuation http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/independent-clauses-and-punctuation/ http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/independent-clauses-and-punctuation/#comments Thu, 07 May 2009 20:09:41 +0000 Ivy Wigmore http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/independent-clauses-and-punctuation/ typing Which is correct?
In the future, marketers won’t ask for consumers’ __________ just read their minds.
a. opinions: They’ll
b. opinions, they’ll

Answer: a

Explanation: If a sentence consists of two independent clauses (clauses that could stand on their own as sentences), they can only be joined by a semicolon or a colon. A semicolon is used to join two independent clauses that are more closely related than would be indicated by separate sentences. A colon is used if the second independent clause explains the first one. (If you use a comma instead, you’re making an error called a comma splice.)

]]> http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/independent-clauses-and-punctuation/feed/ 0 Colons and semicolons http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/colons-and-semicolons/ http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/colons-and-semicolons/#comments Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:24:12 +0000 Ivy Wigmore http://itknowledgeexchange.techtarget.com/writing-for-business/colons-and-semicolons/ typing Which is correct?
There are three major areas of __________ network virtualization, storage virtualization and server virtualization.

a. virtualization;
b. virtualization:

Answer: b

Explanation: A colon is used to introduce a list of items after an independent clause. You would use a semicolon in that spot to introduce another independent clause that was closely related to the first one.

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