Which punctuation marks correctly join two independent clauses, and what is required for their use?

• A. A colon to join two independent clauses.
• B. A dash can join any two independent clauses.
• C. A semicolon or a period; a semicolon connects closely related independent clauses without a conjunction.
• D. A comma with no conjunction.

Answer: (C)

Two independent clauses are complete sentences, each with its own subject and verb. When you want to show a close connection between them without using a conjunction, the best punctuation is a semicolon. It links the two thoughts into one sentence and signals they’re closely related. You can also use a period to make them two separate sentences; the relationship is still clear, just a bit more separated in tone. A colon isn’t used to join two independent clauses in standard writing, and a comma by itself creates a comma splice—usually incorrect in formal writing. A dash can be used for emphasis in some styles, but it’s more of a stylistic choice than the normal way to join two independent clauses. So the correct approach is to use a semicolon or a period, with the semicolon specifically showing the two clauses are closely related without a conjunction.