Writing With Semicolons

More often than not, when I edit manuscripts, I notice that people no longer use semicolons. Those who do seem to be confused about their use. According to the Chicago Manual of Style, a semicolon most often joins two independent clauses. For example:

The dog chased cars; he never caught one.

The two clauses are independent, meaning each could stand alone and make sense. The semicolon creates a pause, much as a comma does. Because the two clauses are joined in one sentence; however, the semicolon's function is more like that of a full stop, a.k.a. in the U.S. as a period. This use holds true even if a transitional adverb is used to introduce the second clause:

The dog chased cars; indeed, he caught one, but didn't know what to do with it.

Another semicolon use that I seldom see is to take the place of a serial comma when punctuation appears within items in the series:

The dog, in an effort to appear mighty, chased cars; ran after cats, sometimes several at the same time; and caught no cars, a few cats, birds, and insects. This use is often found in long, complex sentences. Breaking down the example: the dog chased, ran, and caught. This is a series of actions. Within those three active verb elements are modifying phrases containing commas; hence, the need for a serial semicolon.

All right (notice it's not 'alright') all you other nitpicking editors, find the mistakes in this post and tell the world in a comment.