Question

Which of the following sentences correctly uses a semicolon?

1.Someone totally messed up my room; my sister looked very guilty.
2.I tried to move the desk to find my fallen paper; but it was too heavy.
3.Ellen changed the light bulbs in the lamps; washed the car; walked the dog; and swept the garage.
4.It was hard to find our way through the house; for the lights were dimmed and the sun was down.

Answer 1

The correct answer is number 1.

Answer 2

Your answer would be 1.

Step-by-step explanation:

The sentence that correctly uses a semicolon is sentence 1. A semicolon can be used to link in a single sentence two independent clauses that are closely related in thought. Moreover, when a semicolon is used to join or more parts in a sentence, these ideas are given equal rank. In 1, the first clause states that the speaker has found his room totally messe up and then the second clause is about the person who might have messed it up (her/his sister). As you can see, the two clauses are related in thought.