Pontifications on Semicolons

Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and I’ve been thinking about semicolons. That’s weird, you’ll say, and you would be right. All I can say in my defense is that thinking about them and not using them is better than not thinking about them and using them. Here’s what I mean. Semicolons are used to join two independent clauses; that is, they’re used to join two phrases that could stand on their own as sentences. I could have put a semicolon between the previous two sentences, for example. The problem is that if you’re writing clearly and concisely – as you should – each sentence should convey at maximum one or two connected thoughts. A semicolon is an abrupt and rather ugly way to join two thoughts that are so disconnected they can’t be joined by a conjunction, like “and” or “but.” If you could separate your independent clauses with a period without sounding abrupt, err on the side of not using a semicolon. This is easier on the eyes, and easier for a reader to understand. That’s your Grammar Minute! Visit the grammar minute.com for more tips and tricks.