A semicolon is a punctuation mark that people love and fear. Considering that the Latin language itself is full of drama, it is not surprising that such punctuation marks are present in this language. I vividly remember when I was a child, my teachers used to sigh and get frustrated when we were taught to use semicolons.
Of course, many students will use it incorrectly, and as a result, they will be reprimanded by the teacher. This punctuation mark makes students anxious because of this, at least in the public school I attend, and it even gives me nightmares.
While even native English speakers are intimidated by semicolons when they write, it's actually not that scary. There are indeed some rules to master, but they are not complicated.
Avoid overusing semicolons
First of all, if you don't want to use a semicolon, you can avoid it altogether. It's like remembering some historical anecdotes – while telling them at a party will make you look cool, it's useless in today's world of smartphones.
Similarly, people who prefer to use semicolons are often not right because they use semicolons, but because they are right. However, just as people are often taught to "don't split your infinitives", it's best to avoid semicolons as much as possible except in formal writing.
Therefore,The first suggestion was that semicolons should be kept to a minimum in the usual text. The overuse of semicolons can confuse the reader and give the impression of being too restrained, which is the exact opposite of what we are meant to do when communicating directly.
Semicolons should be used carefully and consciously when using them. Think of a semicolon as being hidden behind a layer of "glass" and only breaking the glass and taking it out for use in an emergency.
Use a semicolon to separate two closely related independent clauses
example: my mother likes ice cream; strawberry is her f**orite fl**or.
This is a common usage. Of course, it is also possible to use a full stop instead of a semicolon here, but using a semicolon between two closely related independent clauses can better express the connection between them. It is also possible to reframe sentences with commas and conjunctions, but this ultimately depends on the individual's style and preferences.
In complex lists that contain commas, use semicolons to separate items.
example: the conferences will take place in chicago, illinois; san francisco, california; and miami, florida.
This is one of the most reasonable uses of semicolons to separate complex lists and avoid confusion. In the sentence above, since each place uses a comma between the city name and the state name, a different punctuation mark is needed to further distinguish the places. If semicolons are not used, the reader may mistakenly believe that there are six sessions.
Use a semicolon before a conjunctive adverb that connects two independent clauses.
example: i am afraid of flying; however, i board planes when visiting family.
While full stops can also be used here, it mostly comes down to personal preference.
When you need to use a coordinating conjunction to connect a long independent clause, if a comma is already used in the clause, then using a semicolon can provide a clearer separation.
example: some people enjoy going to clubs, restaurants, and theaters; but others, for different reasons, prefer staying home to play board games.
Such a sentence is perfectly acceptable. However, in simple terms, it is perfectly possible to divide the sentence into two sentences without using semicolons.
Incorrect usage of semicolons
Make sure you don't mistakenly capitalize words after semicolons, unless the following words are meant to be capitalized. Capitalizing words after semicolons is a bad habit, grammatically incorrect, and should be avoided.
Another common mistake is to use a conjunction immediately after a semicolon to connect two independent clauses. Let's rephrase the first example:
my mother likes ice cream; strawberry is her f**orite fl**or.(My mom loves ice cream; Strawberry is her favorite flavor. ）
my mother likes ice cream; and strawberry is her f**orite fl**or.(My mom loves ice cream; and strawberry is her favorite flavor. ）
my mother likes ice cream, and strawberry is her f**orite fl**or.(My mom loves ice cream, and strawberry is her favorite flavor.) ）
See the difference? It is worth noting that there are cases, especially in complex lists or clauses that already contain commas, it is appropriate to use conjunctions.
That's it for the basics of semicolon usage. Over the years, I've occasionally broken that layer of "glass" to use a semicolon. There is no doubt that although semicolons are often misused, it is a versatile punctuation mark.
Remember, it's more important to use a semicolon correctly than to use it frequently. To emphasize this, note that semicolons are not used in this article except for examples!
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