In general, do not use semicolons in text. Even when two clauses are closely related, you can usually improve the clarity of the sentence if you use two separate sentences. Note that semicolons can be difficult to distinguish online.
Preferred |
Discouraged |
Use numbers for the month and the day of expiration. For example, type 1008 for October 8. |
Use numbers for the month and the day of expiration; for example, type 1008 for October 8. |
When a button is available, the label for the button is black. When a button is unavailable, the label is gray. |
When a button is available, the label for the button is black; otherwise the label is gray. |
A DS1 ISDN trunk uses a separate channel to signal. This mode of operation is known as out-of-band signaling. |
A DS1 ISDN trunk uses a separate channel to signal; this mode of operation is known as out-of-band signaling. |
