Semicolons and colons are punctuation marks that are often used interchangeably, but they serve different purposes. A semicolon is used to link two independent clauses that are closely related but could stand as sentences on their own. For example, "I finished the report; I'll present it tomorrow." Here, each clause is a complete sentence, but the semicolon shows they are closely related. A colon, however, is used to introduce a list, a quote, an explanation, or a conclusion. It often signals that what follows is directly related to the preceding clause. For example, "I need the following items: butter, sugar, and flour." The colon introduces the list that elaborates on the items needed. Remember, the clause before a colon should be a complete sentence. Learn More: Colon vs Semicolon