Definition
 The
semicolon [ ; ] marks a long pause in a sentence.
It
is half way between a comma and a colon.
Examples
- Neither of us spoke; we merely waited to see what would happen.
- He usually took great care; even so he made
a few errors.
- Four objects lay
on the desk: a large
book; a spiral-bound
notepad; a glass vase
containing flowers;
and a silver propelling
pencil.
Use
Semicolons
are used between clauses which could stand
alone, but which are closely related.
They
are also used to punctuate lists in
continuous prose writing.
The
semicolon marks a pause which is longer than a comma,
but not as long as a colon. This is a
subtle distinction.
It
is most commonly used between clauses which could be
expressed as separate sentences, but
which have some logical connection.
For
instance, in the following example there could be a full
stop after 'England':
Rutland was formerly the smallest county in England; no other area in the land
was famous for so little.
The
semicolon is used to avoid ambiguity in sentences composed of phrases of
different length and a mixed content:
The Chairman welcomed the President, Dr Garvey; the Vice-President Mr Barncroft
and his wife; several delegates from the United States; and members of the
public who had been invited to attend.
Because
the semicolon may be used instead of a full
stop, some people use it without discrimination. They connect
clause after clause with semicolons where no real link exists between
them. This creates grammatical confusion and very poor style. |
