The semicolon is-hands down-my favorite punctuation mark, and I REALLY, REALLY hate to see it abused. Let's all vow to end semicolon abuse!!
A semicolon has two very specific uses. It is never the substitute for a comma or a colon. EVER.
Semicolon Rule #1
A semicolon is used to separate two independent clauses that are very closely related. (An independent clause is a complete thought. It could be a stand-alone sentence.)
Semicolons, when used sparingly and properly, create memorable sentences for your reader. Use them when you want to show a stark contrast or when you really want a detail to stand out. Using them SPARINGLY is key here. They are very special punctuation marks and should be reserved for very special sentences.
Here are some examples:
The cops weren't looking for a person anymore; they were looking for a corpse.
Kara was an individualist by genetics; she had reached six foot one by age eleven.
You make people show up; I make them disappear.
Notice that the semicolons above could all be replaced with a period and they would still be correct!
Semicolon Rule #2
Use semicolons to separate complicated elements in a list. Typically, these elements are long and may require the use of commas within them.
Here are some examples:
She had lived in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; and Emerson, Georgia.
We have three dignitaries on our list: General Wallace Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Admiral James A. Winnefeld, Jr., Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and General Frank J. Grass, Chief of the National Guard Bureau.
She had successfully restrained herself from contacting him all the times before: when she first left town, deeply sorry for walking away; when she graduated from college, and he was the person she wanted to share it with the most; and even when her mother sent his engagement announcement, and she cried for three solid days.
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This chapter is dedicated to one of my new FAVORITE AUTHORS, @KellyWilliams701.
I finished reading her Civil War novel, Blue Honor, in just two days! Do yourself a favor and check her out!
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How to Write Fiction
Non-FictionThe advice you will find here follows the Chicago Manual of Style which is widely used by American publishers. There are some variances in style from country to country (and even from American publisher to American publisher.) **It may be easier to...
