Semi colon

[jmousseau]

Can anyone explain the proper way to use a semi colon?

[veinglory]

Basically, as I understand it, if you have two complete statements that are too separate for a comma but too linked for a full stop.

Jessy was thirsty; it was hot.

But they are out of fashion.

[maestrowork]

It's like a full stop/period, but the two sentences are closely related (as in V's example). It's also used in a series that include commas:

There are four cities with the highest population of immigrants: New York, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Chicago, IL; and Houston, TX.

(it's just an example -- I don't know the actual data)

[RLB]

But they are out of fashion.

Say it isn't so!
The semicolon is my favorite punctuation mark; there is no substitute for its effect.

[Saundra Julian]

I will do almost anything to avoid a semicolon, hate'em, hate'em, hate'em!

[Silver King]

Semicolons are sexy and should be used with the utmost care, lest they seem promiscuous.

You'll find some decent usage illustrations here (http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/semicolons.asp).

[Arkie]

Google up the Purdue University Online Writing Lab. You will find answers to most of your writing questions.

[veinglory]

I agree that semi colons used in moderation are totally sexy.

[maestrowork]

Semicolons are sexy and should be used with the utmost care, lest they seem promiscuous.

You'll find some decent usage illustrations here (http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/semicolons.asp).

Yup.

For rule 2 and 4, I would suggest using a full stop instead. For rule 1, I would only use a semicolon if the two sentences are closely related. For rule 3, I would definitely use semicolons.

[joetrain]

sexy, yep. sexy's never out of fashion.

[maestrowork]

,;:

That's erotic...

[Devil Ledbetter]

I agree that semi colons used in moderation are totally sexy.Thank you for redeeming yourself.

[veinglory]

Hey, fashion is fashion--most people grow out of being a slave to it but it pays to be aware.

[Christine N.]

I saw the title of the thread and had a different idea altogether.

I can't see the use of a semi colon - having one makes digestion difficult.


:D

[jmousseau]

YOU ALL RULE!
Thanks so much.

[Medievalist]

Say it isn't so!
The semicolon is my favorite punctuation mark; there is no substitute for its effect.

You can try to pry my beloved semicolon from my cold dead fingers, and even then, if you should happen to succeed, I'll haunt you and steal 'em back.

The semicolon allows you to emphasize the connections between important ideas in a way that nothing else does.

[ErylRavenwell]

The semicolon allows you to emphasize the connections between important ideas in a way that nothing else does.

True. But it's just that the majority of the readership is clueless about the functions of the semi-colon. The reason why I'm no longer a semi-colon addict. I've devolved into a scholar of the Humble Comma and the Simple Period. I'm still a emdash zealot, though.

[Silver King]

Ha! I use semicolons in posts even. That'll teach folks to think it looks unsightly.

[RLB]

Here's a geeky grammar link for everyone. Noah Lukeman wrote a great bit about the semicolon, supported by examples from literature. You can find it here (scroll down to chapter three):

http://www.bksp.org/secondarypages/articles/agentseditors/NLukeman2.htm

We use the semicolon for the same reason we replace cement floors with marble: cement floors are equally functional but not as elegant, not as aesthetically pleasing as marble. The semicolon elevates punctuation from the utilitarian (from punctuation that works) to the luxurious (to punctuation that transcends). Business memos do not need semicolons; creative writers do.

[Silver King]

...We use the semicolon for the same reason we replace cement floors with marble: cement floors are equally functional but not as elegant, not as aesthetically pleasing as marble. The semicolon elevates punctuation from the utilitarian (from punctuation that works) to the luxurious (to punctuation that transcends). Business memos do not need semicolons; creative writers do.
That's one of the most beautiful descriptions I've ever read...about anything.

[Birol]

I :heart: semi-colons.

[Bufty]

I think they're beautifully expressive little creatures.

Funny - in crits, one never sees anyone complimented on their use of semi-colons. Probably because if they're used right they're effective and unobtrusive.

[Jamesaritchie]

I do my best to avoid using semi colons in fiction, but they've hardly fallen out of favor. The problem, I think, is that too many writers have no clue how to use them properly. Then again, most writers have equal problems with commas.

[Hillgate]

Could someone please invent a new punctuation mark so I can replace my keyboard?

[Cassie]

Semicolons are odd: aren't they?

I believe they can be used arbitrarily, without many rules.

Semicolons are not periods; they are not commas.

(Errrr - I guess some people who are guilty of using comma splices should take a lesson in semicolons.)

A semicolon is less than a dash and less than a hyphen. A semicolon is a piece of punctuation that ties together two thoughts (usually in a compound-sentence way); sometimes there's a conjunction, sometimes there isn't. But always, if statements are united by a semicolon, there must be some close relation.


Exs.
I like to write about this topic; many others don't.
The cats are all sleeping now; and I am thinking of my own bed.

[seppuku05]

Semi colons aren't out of fashion, people use them all the time, in text messages, on the internet as so on, to make winking smilies. ;) I don't think I can live without a semi-colon, it would mean I would have to change my language in other ways to make it work. As it is dying out, please pledge £5 to the Semi-colon Survival Fund today and help the poor semi-colon won't become extinct by negligent writers. By pledging £5 we will restore our great writing pieces with the colour and excitement it surely deserves. :)

[rugcat]

Exs.
I like to write about this topic; many others don't.
The cats are all sleeping now; and I am thinking of my own bed.I think your second example doesn't work; you have the conjunction "and" linking the phrases and thus it should take a comma, or preferably, no punctuation at all.

[FennelGiraffe]

I believe they can be used arbitrarily, without many rules.


Uhhh, no. There's nothing at all arbitrary about semicolon usage.

Instead, what I think you are referring to is that the rules have a strong subjective component. Most grammar rules are objective--they always apply the same way. Many of the rest can be partitioned into two (or a few) discrete cases--if the meaning is A, do this; if it's B, do that. For any specific instance, most people will agree which meaning applies.

The most common usage of semicolons, on the other hand, depends on how related two ideas are. The rule describes a rather fuzzy interval on the scale of relatedness. Deciding whether a particular case falls in that interval is purely subjective. There's no objective way to determine it. There's no certainty that different individuals will make the same judgment.

[maestrowork]

I believe they can be used arbitrarily, without many rules.


No.

I like to write about this topic; many others don't.


This is fine because the two sentences are related.

The cats are all sleeping now; and I am thinking of my own bed.

That would be a wrong use. Either a full stop or a comma should be used here.

[Literary Device]

I think I shall have to do my best to ignore this thread and the detractors of semi-colons whose posts lie within; I am completely, utterly and hopelessly addicted to semi-colons and I am certain I use them far, far too frequently.

[jennifer75]

I do my best to avoid using semi colons in fiction, but they've hardly fallen out of favor. The problem, I think, is that too many writers have no clue how to use them properly. Then again, most writers have equal problems with commas.

OH I'm bad with commas.