Comma vs. Semicolon in Compound Sentences: Exercise 2

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Each of the following sentences needs either a comma or a semicolon. Choose the correct punctuation mark from the drop down list. Click on the button at the bottom of the page to check your answers.

1. Jack worked overtime to pay off his education debts , ; at least, that was his explanation for his long hours.

2. Katherine has given up smoking about five times , ; but she cannot seem to break the habit.

3.His work may be almost totally forgotten , ; but he would certainly be surprised to see how much current scholarship simply echoes his ideas.

4. Our dog seems to have a built-in alarm clock , ; he wakes us up at exactly the same time every morning.

5. The passengers on the plane were initially alarmed by the loss of altitude , ; but the pilot and the crew kept them calm.

6. I realized at once that something was wrong , ; I was not, however, the only person who was concerned.

7. I had to complete the assignment by Friday , ; otherwise, I would have failed the course.

8. Ralph decided to be a chemist , ; but he changed his mind after taking Chem. 121.

9. I finished reading The Nation , ; and then I went to bed.

10. We always go to the mountains in the fall , ; they are at their prettiest at that time of year.

11. Tim went to the candy store quite often , ; the clerk even knew his name.

12. Criticism of capitalist expansionism does not surface in most discussions of the worldwide ecological crisis , ; indeed, proposed solutions rarely deviate from a basic message of further technological "progress."

13. The president has pledged to cut taxes repeatedly , ; and the public has responded enthusiastically.

14. The office was closed , ; consequently, I could not pay my bill.

15. The air was beautifully clear , ; it was a lovely day.