Semicolons in a Complex List
Question
The conference featured speakers from Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon, and Madison, Wisconsin.
Answer choices
- :
- ;
- NO CHANGE
B Correct answer: B) ;
The three items in the list are "Austin, Texas," "Portland, Oregon," and "Madison, Wisconsin." Each item already contains a comma between the city and the state. To prevent confusion about where one item ends and the next begins, a semicolon is required between items.
The other options either introduce a grammatical error or change the intended meaning. The ACT consistently rewards the most concise, grammatically correct option.
Read the sentence with each option substituted in. The version that preserves meaning while obeying the underlying rule is the correct answer; on the ACT, that is almost always the shortest option that still works.
The underlying rule
When a list contains items that themselves contain commas (here: city, state pairs), the major separators between items become semicolons, not commas.
Why each wrong answer is wrong
- A) : : A comma here creates ambiguity in a list whose items already contain internal commas. Standard usage requires a semicolon between such items.
- C) NO CHANGE: A comma here creates ambiguity in a list whose items already contain internal commas. Standard usage requires a semicolon between such items.
- D) : A comma here creates ambiguity in a list whose items already contain internal commas. Standard usage requires a semicolon between such items.
Study tip
Whenever you see a list whose items already contain commas, the separators between items must be semicolons. This is the only situation where the ACT requires a semicolon inside a list.
More Medium Punctuation
- Comma Before a Coordinating ConjunctionThe hike was long and exhausting, but the view from the summit was worth every step
- Apostrophe with a Plural PossessiveThe students' projects were displayed in the auditorium for the science fair.
- Colon Before a ListThe recipe called for three simple ingredients, flour, butter, and salt.
- Commas Around a Nonessential PhraseMy oldest brother who lives in Toronto is flying down for the holidays.
- Comma Before a Coordinating ConjunctionThe hike was long and exhausting, but the view from the summit was worth every step