Phrases, Clauses, and Sentences
Commas, Semicolons, and Colons
Except when used to separate items in a series, a semicolon must be followed by an independent clause or you create a sentence fragment.
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I expected to win the debate ; even if my opponent had more experience. (sentence fragment)
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I had studied the subject thoroughly ; and researched even the minor points. (sentence fragment)
These sentences could be corrected either by changing punctuation or by making the second clause independent.
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I expected to win the debate, even if my opponent had more experience.
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I had studied the subject thoroughly; I had researched even the minor points.
