Today’s episode is all about an often-misused piece of punctuation.
Writers have strong opinions about it. Kurt Vonnegut calls it a college show-off. Cecelia Watson says it’s style meeting rules. Lynne Truss, British author of the widely popular grammar book, Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, states it deserves respect.
In this vlog, we cover the three uses of this punctuation mark: linking independent clauses without conjunctions, connecting clauses with conjunctive adverbs, and clarifying complex lists. Here are examples:
My grandmother loved soap operas; she watched them every day.
My grandmother loved all soap operas; however, General Hospital was her favorite.
My grandmother loved Lee Baldwin, a well-known lawyer; Luke Spencer; Laura Webber, Luke’s wife; and Dr. Steve Hardy.
Using this punctuation mark isn’t tricky if you know these rules.
But always remember, whether you rely on this punctuation mark or not, the only way to do this wrong is to not do it at all!
There are still two open spots for writers on the Writing the Waves cruise. Check out the cruise page for all the details.
I use semicolons routinely. I write in the format I hear in my head as if I was speaking the sentence. I believe that all punctuation should serve the purpose of clarifying what you are trying to say. My writing contains all three uses of the semicolon.
I get the usage of semicolons as in the first two examples and I have used them in those instances. I don’t quite get the third example though. I would never use semicolons like the lawyer sentence though; I thought it made the sentence a bit confusing, at least for me.
Somewhere I got the idea the semicolon was outdated, and I started making two sentences where it would normally have taken the place of the conjunction. Not sure where that came from?
I love semicolons almost as much as I love Dave’s concept of advanced punctuation! I use them in all three ways listed in your vlog, though more often the first two than the last. I’ve never thought much about semicolon rules or whether I should limit my use of them. They show up and I let them stay, unless a rewrite uncovers a more succinct way of expressing the thought. I disagree that they are only used to flaunt a college education; I believe they are the instinctive result of reading a great many books in which semicolons are a… Read more »
All punctuation rules seem to be clearly established. What is not so clear is why many writers—even big names—use their own ideas for their own purpose. I have seen many incomplete sentences for emphasis, e.g.. I have seen commas where they seem superfluous, and I have seen missing commas where the reader would be helped if there were one. And I have also seen where yesterday’s rules are no longer valid. Maybe we should revisit the subject day after tomorrow?
I am confused by what I call advanced punctuation, such as semicolons and especially em dashes. I do have a prejudice against an article of punctuation named after a body part, and not even a nice body part. I try to stick to the simple things — like commas, which also get me in trouble —and periods. <<— Grammarly added that em dash, but I have no idea why. I get colons, but wonder why a person can’t just make a new sentence.
Your presentation helped, although I’m gonna have to listen again and probably reread the elephant book section.
I am comfortable using semicolons as in the first two examples, but not the third one. I use semicolons in my writing sparingly.
Semicolons; thank you for showing us the differences. I say this smiling, as your topic adds to my list of education.
Thanks for clarifying the use of the semicolon. Your presentation has helped me see the difference between the em dash and the semicolon. It is my understanding that the semicolon is used instead of a conjunction when joining independent clauses; joins clauses using conjunctive adverbs; and separates items on a list.