Question

which sentence uses the semicolon correctly? the man was wet; he was standing in the rain without an umbrella. the man was wet he was standing in the rain; without an umbrella. the man was wet; for he was standing in the rain without an umbrella.

Explanation:

To determine correct semicolon use, recall that a semicolon separates two independent clauses (complete thoughts) or can be used in lists with internal punctuation. Let's analyze each option:

• First option: "The man was wet" (independent clause) and "he was standing in the rain without an umbrella" (independent clause) are separated by a semicolon. This is correct as semicolons can join two related independent clauses.
• Second option: "The man was wet he was standing in the rain" is a run - on (missing punctuation between independent clauses) before the semicolon, so incorrect.
• Third option: "for he was standing in the rain without an umbrella" is a dependent clause (starts with "for"), and semicolons should not separate an independent clause from a dependent clause (a comma would be better here), so incorrect.

Answer:

The man was wet; he was standing in the rain without an umbrella.