human
I'm having trouble understanding the difference between a comma and semicolon. What are the differences?
assistant
A comma is used to separate independent clauses in a sentence, while a semicolon is typically used to separate two related independent clauses. For example, “The cat sat on the mat; it was wet.” The first clause describes an action of the cat, while the second clause explains why the mat was wet. In contrast, a period can be used to end a complete thought or sentence.