semicolons

[LukeW]

I've got a confession to make. I don't really know how to use the semicolon properly.

What are some easy to remember, effective rules for using them correctly?

I know I could do a Google search on this, but I learn better when there is a back and forth flow of information.

Thanks

 

[BookStop]

Semicolons are super easy to use; they connect 2 or more very closely related complete sentences. If in doubt, use a period. ( Semicolons are super easy to use. They connect 2 or more very closely related complete sentences.)

You can also use a semicolon in place of a comma when you are making a list and a number of items in the list have commas of thier own to deal with.

BookStop went to the store and bought bananas; orange juice, freshly squeezed from the machine; coffee, that also came from a machine, but one that ground the beans and didn't actually squeeze the coffee out in liquid form or anything; and a wrench.

See. It would've been hella confusing if I'd only used commas

 

[Culhwch]

This may also help: How to use a semicolon - The Oatmeal

Incidentally, I love semicolons.

 

[Mouse]

Ah, Cul beat me to it! Thought of the Oatmeal as soon as I saw the thread title.

I think I'm getting better with semicolons... They still confuse me though.

 

[HareBrain]

BookStop went to the store and bought bananas; orange juice, freshly squeezed from the machine; coffee, that also came from a machine, but one that ground the beans and didn't actually squeeze the coffee out in liquid form or anything; and a wrench.

I was taught that when using semi-colons to separate items in a list, the list should begin with a colon:

BookStop went to the store and bought: bananas; orange juice, freshly squeezed from the machine; coffee, that also came from a machine, but one that ground the beans and didn't actually squeeze the coffee out in liquid form or anything; and a wrench.

It makes sense too, as otherwise, in the above example, it could seem that "orange" begins a related sentence:

BookStop went to the store and bought bananas; orange juice, freshly squeezed from the machine, also went into her bag (making everything else rather soggy).

 

[LukeW]

Cool, think I understand now.

Ta

 

[The Procrastinator]

Crank the bottom lever until the device is directly underneath the uppermost sun icon - in other words, the sun icon should be in the noon position. When enough semicolons are activated in this manner, worldwide literacy will be achieved. Plus something will explode but the myth isn't specific about what.

 

[Toby Frost]

On receiving an interrupt, decrement the counter to zero and add a semicolon. Isn't that how it works?

I was once taught that when reading aloud, count one for a comma, two for a semicolon, three for a colon and four for a full stop. Apart from the list example above, the semicolon indicates a pause bigger than a comma and smaller than a colon. It does what a lot of people do (wrongly) with commas. So "I bought an orange, it tasted foul" is technically wrong, but could be "I bought an orange; it tasted foul". There was a famous writer who was sure that he never needed semicolons, but I can't remember who it was. H.G. Wells, maybe.

 

[Culhwch]

I was taught that when using semi-colons to separate items in a list, the list should begin with a colon:

BookStop went to the store and bought: bananas; orange juice, freshly squeezed from the machine; coffee, that also came from a machine, but one that ground the beans and didn't actually squeeze the coffee out in liquid form or anything; and a wrench.

It makes sense too, as otherwise, in the above example, it could seem that "orange" begins a related sentence:

BookStop went to the store and bought bananas; orange juice, freshly squeezed from the machine, also went into her bag (making everything else rather soggy).

Yep, me too.

 

[RVM45]

In High School, I just couldn't grasp punctuation. I was in a group of about thirty students that they put in a special remedial punctuation class during our seventh semester.

The teacher was brilliant,and I never struggled too much with punctuation afterward.

Thing is, the teacher ordinarily taught Journalism, and edited the school paper--been years since he taught any General English courses.

When I got to Purdue University, I was told several times that I obviously had a strong background in Journalism--since I used Journalism-Style punctuation so naturally--and I've yet to take a Journalism class.

Its been over forty years since anyone has complimented my "Journalism-Style punctuation". I think I've lost much of it. I know I have.

Remember--I never understood regular punctuation. I wrote like an early Jack Kerouac (No attempt at punctuation at all) up until I took remedial English.

But I think that the old style Journalists used to promote many punctuations one step higher.....

And I believe that they did that, to let a word-cutting editor know where he could cut with relative impunity.

Anyway, back when I was firmly in command of my grammar rules, I remember being scandalized by the number of comma splices and fragments that Hemingway got away with.....

.....RVM45

 

[Stephen Palmer]

Tim Holman, my first editor, lambasted me for using far too many semicolons - my excuse was that I pinched the technique from Mary Gentle...

 

[chrispenycate]

I use too many semicolons, building sentences into massive architectural constructs, loaded with parenthetical detail and subordinate clauses; I consider them much more elegant than the conjunctions that would otherwise be needed.

I know Kurt Vonnegurt (Jr.) claimed semicolons were inessential, nay detrimental, to writing, but that assumes your conceptual structure is in neat, bite-sized lumps, while my ideas tend to overflow the 'run, spot, run' structure; for that, the semicolon is an extremely powerful, if not entirely essential, tool.

But I also get some creeping in where, strictly, a comma would suffice, but the sentence demands a bit more breathing space.

 

[BookStop]

I was taught that when using semi-colons to separate items in a list, the list should begin with a colon:

BookStop went to the store and bought: bananas; orange juice, freshly squeezed from the machine; coffee, that also came from a machine, but one that ground the beans and didn't actually squeeze the coffee out in liquid form or anything; and a wrench.

It makes sense too, as otherwise, in the above example, it could seem that "orange" begins a related sentence:

BookStop went to the store and bought bananas; orange juice, freshly squeezed from the machine, also went into her bag (making everything else rather soggy).

Harebrain, I thiink you are correct. That's what I get for trying to answer questions past my bedtime, ha.

 

[Ursa major]

What of those folk who start lists, often with bullet points, thus:

Functionality comprises:-
▪ ---
▪ ---

* Feels like shuddering, though doesn't really know why. *

 

[Culhwch]

In that case, Ursa, I'd use a semi-colon at the end of each point, and '; and' on the penultimate point, and a full-stop at the very end of the list.

 

[Ursa major]

It's the hyphen** that makes me grit my teeth (no more so when, at work, someone tries to add them to my perfectly-all-right-on-their-own colons). I wasn't trying to query the use of semicolons.



(As it happens, I use commas, semicolons and full stops to help reinforce the differences between bullet point levels, on top of the different bullet points and degree of indentation. Sometimes belt-and-braces is not enough. None of this applies to my fiction, though.)



** - They may have been dashes.

 

[Culhwch]

I recall at university learning about outdated forms of puncuation, like the commash ',-', the colash ':-', and the semi-colash ';-'. I always wanted to find an excuse to use the former or latter, but the opportunity has sadly never eventuated...

 

[LukeW]

Can someone tell me if I have it right here? This comes from my thread in the critiques section. Originally I had:

"Her hair had a golden tint that shocked Dig and he was immediately drawn to the soft features of her face."

R. M. Tobias suggested I write:

"Her hair had a golden tint that shocked Dig. He was immediately drawn to the soft features of her face."

But then I thought about the semicolon and thought I would write it thus:

"Her hair had a golden tint that shocked Dig; he was immediately drawn to the soft features of her face."

Right or wrong? Good or bad?

 

[BookStop]

My instinct would be to go with the full stop since it doesn't seem a completely natural segue to go from hair color to soft facial features.

I think the sentences should be more directly connected to make a semicolon worthwhile. Here is an example*:

'Her shockingly golden hair made a perfect frame; soft facial features were mirrored in her curls.'

See how the hair's description is used in bothindependent clauses to draw attention to her face?

*i didn't say it was a good example

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

No, I don't think the semicolon is the best solution (although in general I am a big fan of the semi-colon). The one thought simply does not seem to follow on the other. It seems to me that the two features -- shocking on the one hand, soft and attractive on the other -- contrast.* Dividing it into two sentences isn't quite sufficient. I would write it:

"Her hair had a golden tint that shocked Dig, but he was immediately drawn to the soft features of her face."

or

"Although her hair had a golden tint that shocked Dig, he was immediately drawn to the soft features of her face."


*However, this is my reaction on seeing the sentence out of context. Perhaps in the context of the story it is obvious that he is simply surprised by the color of her hair, or even delighted by it. In that case, the problem may be with the word "shocked" rather than with the punctuation.