Semicolons

"The least you need to know"

The first way to use a semicolon is to show a direct relationship between two sentences.  The semicolon should be screaming, "Hey, pay attention!  There is a direct relationship, usually case and effect, between these two sentences!"

Annie had a complete makeover including clothes, hair, and makeup; Wayne seems more interested in modern clothing, and is always seen wearing the more fashionable trends these days.

(It looks like love is on the way when we punctuate it correctly.  By the way, we only need one space after the semicolon and the first letter of that sentence doesn't need to be capitalized.  It is capitalized here only because we used a person's name.)

The next way we use a semicolon is with Commas in a Series

  Jillian purchased clothes, a suitcase, and a one way ticket to Oregon. 

(Separate three or more items with commas.)

Jillian purchased a wide variety of clothes from Hollister and Hot Topic; a genuine Coach suitcase from the Wrentham Outlet store; and a one way ticket to her family’s hunting lodge in Oregon.

(Use a semicolon when the items in the series are longer.)