Final answer:
Semicolons do not join an independent clause with a dependent clause; they are used to connect two independent clauses, join clauses with a conjunctive adverb, and separate items in a complex serial list.
Step-by-step explanation:
Semicolons serve specific purposes in English grammar and are primarily used in certain situations involving independent clauses and lists. The correct answer to the question of what semicolons do not do is Option 1: Join an independent clause with a dependent clause. This is because a semicolon should be used to join two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning or to separate items in a complex list, particularly when those items contain commas.
Examples where semicolons are appropriate include using them before conjunctive adverbs (Option 2), such as 'however' or 'therefore', when they connect two independent clauses. Semicolons can also be used to join items in a complex serial list where individual items of the list contain commas themselves (Option 4).
To clarify, independent clauses are sentences that can stand alone because they contain a subject and a verb and express a complete thought. Here is an example of a semicolon joining two independent clauses: 'He loves to swim; he goes to the pool every day.' In this sentence, both clauses could stand as separate sentences, but the semicolon connects them to show they are related. However, semicolons are not used to connect independent clauses with dependent clauses. Dependent clauses cannot stand alone as a sentence and are typically introduced by subordinating conjunctions such as 'although', 'because', 'if', 'when', etc.