Job Discussion Forums

[Jack Walker]

Does anyone out there actually use this form punctuation when writing?

I just use the old comma instead, even though the semicolon is an option at times.

I believe it was the great Mr.Charles Dickens,a notorious hater of semicolons,who said something to the effect of semicolons being commas with dead fleas on top. ;

[Blasphemer]

I do from time to time, mostly when I am typing out some business letter or a legal agreement.

[Richfilth]

ma favourite piece of punctuation, the semi-colon. Partly because it has the word "semi" in it, hur hur hur.

i get my students to use it by pointing that that using more than one hyphen in an email marks you out as a single-celled imbecile who can't hold more than one thought in your head at any one time.

[Harry from NWE]

[dynow]

semi what?

[ayahyaha]

Brits use what they tell us in North America to be comma splices, in places where I would use a semi-colon.

Generally I adore semi-colons, for their semi-dirty connotations as well as their usefulness. I teach them, too, because a semi-colon pause is different from a comma pause when reading aloud, for one. But I am a total geek about punctuation, so you know...

[Richfilth]

[renrats]

I love the semicolon. It connects two complete and related sentences. Using a comma in its place is wrong. At least there are options:

- use the semicolon
- use periods for the independent clauses (this can be choppy)
- join the independent clauses with a comma and a conjunction (sometimes this doesn't convey the relationship)

I like what Strunk and White say about the semicolon in The Elements of Style. Wait... I like everything they say in The Elements of Style.

[Harry from NWE]

[wildphelps]

I tell my writing students that semicolons are used when a stronger break than a comma is needed but not as complete a full stop as a period or colon.

I use these four examples:

1. To join independent clauses that are similar in thought but not joined by a coordinating conjuction (BOYFANS - but, or, yet, for, and, nor, so)>

The house stood empty for years; no one would buy it.

2. To join independent clauses with a conjunctive adverb (therefore, however, etc).

The cat survived its three-story fall; however, it was never the same again.

3. To join independent clauses that contain internal commas.

Tomek, the one with the tatoos, read his story in class; everyone thought it was excellent.

4. To separate items in a series if the items have internal punctuation.

The speakers include George Bush, jackass; Dick Cheney, super jackass; and Tom Jones, Welsh singer.

I might be odd, but I love talking/teaching/arguing punctuation. I am lucky that most of my students are advanced enough to realize that good punctuation in their writing is just as necessary as good pronunciation is for speaking. For business and academic writing, I think we do need to bring these things up to the students.

Should we start a thread about commas? The Oxford (serial) comma anyone? I do not understand why most Brits ignore the Oxford comma when Oxford recommends using it. Is there anything more British than Oxford (just kidding here)? You might also notice that I used a hypen (not a dash) in one of my examples.

[Harry from NWE]

[Blasphemer]

[Great Teacher Umikun]

[chengdu619]

I just did a lecture on semi-colons, commas and conjunctions, and comma splicing today. I'm scared to say I found is half interesting.