A few days ago
JD

Should I use a comma or a semicolon between these two phrases?

My difficulties continued into middle school. Only now the nightmare of social anxiety accompanied my learning problems.

Please don’t offer a suggestion as to how I could improve the two phrases grammatically and/or stylistically. I am strictly interested in knowing whether the comma or the semicolon is appropriate in this case. Or, alternatively, should I just leave the phrases the way they are?

Top 10 Answers
A few days ago
picador

Favorite Answer

One justification for the use of a semi-colon is that it separates two grammatically complete sentences. The second sentence relies for its meaning on the first but it is nevertheless grammatically a complete sentence. Therefore, use a semi-colon or a dash; it is consistent with the dramatic style which probably caused you to use a period in the first place.
0

A few days ago
insidethebox
“Use a comma after the word “school,” because the second part is not a sentence, and could not stand on it’s own. -LL”

Lady Lynn has the correct answer.

The second part is not a sentence, so you cannot use a semicolon, as the semicolon is for joining two complete sentences of related thoughts.

0

A few days ago
siobhan_23
Okay, ignoring inconsistency in tense, I’d go with a comma. Semicolons generally work best in cases of parallel constructions and require two sentences that are complete on their own.

Cheers.

0

A few days ago
Anonymous
Use a comma after ‘school’. ‘Only now the nightmare of social anxiety accompanied my learning problems’ is a fragment so it should be joined to the previous sentence. Neither a semi-colon nor a fullstop (period) is appropriate for this purpose.
0

A few days ago
?
The two sentences can be left as they are without placing any comma or semi-colon to connect the two sentences. They are grammatically correct. Only that, i think you need to place a comma or add THAT between ONLY NOW and THE…

semi-colons: can be used to correct run-on sentences; to connect 2 dependent clauses

for the first place, they are not phrases–they are complete sentences…so neither commas nor semi-colons are needed.

hope this helps!;)

great day!!!

0

A few days ago
Anonymous
Use a semicolon. The semicolon sometimes substitutes a period between sentences.
0

A few days ago
?
Use a comma after the word “school,” because the second part is not a sentence, and could not stand on it’s own. -LL
0

4 years ago
?
Fish searching can not be finished huge-unfold. there’s a particular era while fish are greater straightforward. by utilising that factor Juana knew that they don’t have lots time to maintain their infant. Juana prayed to a divine power that Kino could discover pearl so as that they could hire a doctor and treatment their son.
0

A few days ago
I love Yahoo! answers
I think it would be best to leave it the way it is

But you could but a semicolon

0

A few days ago
?
I think a comma is best.
0