Question

What purpose does the semicolon serve in the following sentence?

Leticia has to leave early this afternoon; she has a doctor's appointment.

1. The semicolon separates the words in a series.

2. The semicolon joins two related independent clauses.

3. The semicolon introduces a quotation.

4. The semicolon summarizes the information that come before it.

Answer 1

I think the answer would be B, since both sentences in this one are both independent clauses, and the semicolon separates them.

Answer 2

The purpose of the semicolon in the example is to join two related independent clauses (option B)

In this case, the semicolon is used instead of a conjunction. They are generally related however, the second part might not be an explanation or clarification.
the semicolon could have been replaced by BECAUSE perfectly well.

- Leticia has to leave early this afternoon because she has a doctor's appointment.