COLON VS SEMICOLON

Dear Dr English,

Could you tell me the difference between the colon (:) and the semicolon (;)?

Jasleen Kaur

There are a few rules concerning the use of the colon (:). They are;
- colon after introductory headings
Time: 16.00 hrs - 20.00 hrs
Venue: The Loots Restaurant
We sometimes see this usage in news headlines such as:
Castro gravely ill after three failed operations: paper
- colon in front of a list or explanation
A few herbs are needed to prepare tom yam: lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and galangal.
We need to look closely into this case: what is the real motive of the bomber?
- in formal writing, a colon is used between two main clauses that are connected
The photo makes me feel sad: how can somebody brutally abuse young children who have no chance to defend themselves?
- in front of a second part of a book title
Working From Home: How to separate working hours and family time

Regarding the semicolon (;)
-In formal writing, the semicolon is used to separate clauses that are closely related and could be written as separate sentences, or that are linked by ÔandÕ, ÔbutÕ or ÔyetÕ.
John is running out of time; the construction contract will finish in a couple of days and he has yet to find somebody to complete the house.
The princess inquired about the tragedy; she is obviously concerned.
The officials were very cooperative; but the person in command was reluctant to give instructions.
- You may sometimes find semicolons used between items in a list.
Here were the new districts of Ban Dok Mai, for those who made firecrackers; Ban Chang Loh, for the moulders and casters of Buddha images; and Ban Bu, for masons and the makers of stone bowls.
Hope this helps.

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DEVICE OR MACHINE?

Dear Dr English,

What makes the difference between a device and a machine? Please give some examples of each object.

Somsri Sirithaworn

A device is usually a small machine; they are often complicated or unusual with some powered by electricity. A Òsmall-talkÓ piece is an example of a cell-phone device; a distance sensor for a car is also a device.
A machine is a piece of big equipment that runs by electricity or other form of energy, petroleum; coal; natural gas. Lawnmowers, food processors, and automated teller machines are examples of machines. The list goes on to large machines in factories.

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