The Semicolon: Hits & Misses
The semicolon often presents a challenge for writers because its use today is confined primarily to academic prose. As a result, when encountering this mark of puncutation in reading and, especially, when needing to use it in their own writing, students can benefit from instruction on the semicolon's uses. As you see below, these uses have not changed much since introduced by Italian printer Aldus Manutius and first used in English in 1591 by writer Ben Jonson.
Student - Teacher Conference
Student:
I have a question about this punctuation mark we're studying: the semicolon.
Why
are we studying the semicolon if I never see it used?
Teacher: Fair question. And you're right, you rarely see the semicolon
in popular writing such as magazines, newspapers, on the web, on TV.
That's because of sentence length. In consumer writing,
sentences are rarely long enough to need a semicolon. But there are
other types of writing where the semicolon is useful and common.
Student: Like school?
Teacher:
Very much so. Academic writing is usually more complex because of its
subject matter and its analytic approach.
Student:
So that means you have to use semicolons?
Teacher:
Perhaps, if the situation fits one of the three common uses of the
semicolon in academic writing.
The Internal Period
Teacher: The first use is called an “internal period. “ It's the same as a period except you don't capitalize after it. Here's an example.How many independent thoughts do you see there?
Student: Two--one about slam dunks, one about three-point shots. So why a semicolon between them and not a period?
Teacher: That's the question, isn't it? If two sentences have a close relationship you want to highlight for the reader, a semicolon works. Do these sentences have a close relationship?
Student: Yeah, they're giving a back-to-back comparison of slam dunks and three-pointers.
Teacher: Right. And the semicolon lets the reader see that comparison better than a period would because a period requires the reader to pause longer. Also the capital letter for the next sentence signals more of a separation between the two.
Student: Couldn't you put in a word like "but" to join them?
Teacher: Yes, you could. But what if you've already used that construction close by and now you need a different way of doing it? The semicolon gives you another option, while also lending variety and interest to your writing.
Signaling Relationships
Student: Definitely could use more of those in my writing. But how do I know when to use a semicolon and when to use a real period?
Teacher: It depends. Punctuation marks like the semicolon let you, the writer, add your voice to the writing because punctuation guides your reader. It tells the reader where to pause and for how long, what parts of a sentence are related and how closely. So, if you, the writer, want to show that two ideas are more closely related than a period would let you, use a semicolon. Here, look at these pairs of sentences:
At
age 62, Georgette earned a bachelors degree. Everyone in her family was
inspired to work harder.
Now,
which pair of sentences would benefit more from a semicolon?
Student:
Definitely the first pair. Both have the same order: first the
date, then the word "everyone," then what everyone had to get. They're
closely related in a way the second pair isn't.
Teacher: Excellent. Some people might also say the first pair would "flow better" with a semicolon. However you describe it, the semicolon helps bring the two ideas closer together than a period would allow.
Transition Words & Phrases
Student:
What if I want to put some kind of transition between the two
sentences. Can I still use a semicolon?
Teacher: You sure can. There’s a group of words called
conjunctive adverbs that are placed after the semicolon to indicate a
relationship between two sentences. “Conjuctive" is Latin for "join
together," but you can call them transition words. I bet you already
know most of them: however,
consequently,
therefore,
nevertheless.
Sometimes you see connective phrases like as a result, for example, or in fact. Any of
those sound familiar?
Student: You're right, they do. What's the rule for using them with
semicolons?
Teacher: A simple rule, really: When a transition adverb or phrase is
used between two
sentences, place a semicolon before it, a comma after it. Here’s an
example:
A
semicolon comes before therefore
and a comma after it.
Student: So a comma always goes after the transition?
Teacher: Usually. Keep in mind, these are not coordinating
conjunctions like but,
and, yet, and so forth.
If you use a coordinating conjunction, it’s not followed by a comma.
For example:
The word and is a coordinating conjunction so a comma comes before it, not after.
The Complex List
Teacher: There’s one other time when the semicolon comes in handy. It's called the complex list, which means that each item on the list already has its own comma, so you need semicolons between the items. Let's say you wanted to provide a list of cities and states in a sentence, you would write:Student: So put a semicolon after each pair?
Teacher: Exactly. Now the list is much easier to read. The semicolon does some important visual work for the reader.
Common Misuses
Student: OK, I'll give it a shot. Anything else I should watch out for?
Teacher: One of the common mistakes in using a semicolon is confusing it with a comma. The semicolon has very specific uses and can rarely substitute for a comma. For example:
What should come after “basis”—a comma or a semicolon?
Student: Comma. Those aren’t two complete sentences so you can't put an internal period between them. “Internal period” is just another name for the semicolon. Any others?
Teacher: Another common mistake is not using a semicolon when it’s required. Look at this example:
Teacher: What should come after the word “plants”—comma or semicolon?
Student: Semicolon. The word “however” isn’t a coordinating conjunction. So a semicolon has to come before it, not a comma.
Teacher: Right. In academic writing, put a semicolon in front of transition words or phrases like however, as a result, and so on.
Student: OK, great. I think I'm ready to give the semicolon a try in my own writing!
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http://polaris.umuc.edu/ewc/captivate/semicolon/semicolon.htm