Editor’s Note: A semicolon primer; Twitter’s name change

Let’s talk about semicolons!

 

The semicolon is a piece of punctuation that often confuses people. There are several uses for it; we’re going to explore just a few here, specifically the ones that are more to do with editing than writing style.

 

 

One primary purpose of a semicolon is to separate two related clauses. If you have two related clauses in one sentence, you can use either a semicolon, or a comma paired with a conjunction (e.g., and, but, or). Note that you do not use a semicolon with a conjunction.

 

I’ll use as an example my sentence above.

 

Option A: There are several uses for it; we’re going to explore just a few here.

Option B: There are several uses for it, and we’re going to explore just a few here.

But never: There are several uses for it; and we’re going to explore just a few here.

 

Semicolons should not be used in this way when the two clauses aren’t related to each other. In that instance, you’ll want two separate sentences.

 

 

Conjunctive adverbs are words like however, therefore, and thus. When words like these separate two clauses, they are always used with a semicolon.

 

An example: Semicolons are not used with conjunctions; however, they are used with conjunctive adverbs.

Or: She did not make it to the dinner, however; she ended up with a flat tire.

 

Note that when a word like however or therefore is not separating two clauses, you do not use a semicolon—such as in the subhead above.

 

 

A complex list is when you list three or more items that in themselves have commas. A common example of this on campus is naming several people along with their job titles. In cases like this, you use a semicolon to separate each item, so that you can still use commas within each item without confusing readers.

 

An example: Speakers at the Fall Staff Town Hall were Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., University president; Shannon Cullinan, executive vice president; and Heather Christophersen, vice president for human resources.

 

Note that when you use semicolons in a complex list, you will always use a semicolon before the last item (where a serial comma would go). If you didn’t use semicolons in a list like this, readers may struggle to understand which title goes with which name. Using semicolons here helps to clear that up.

 

Also note: Many people like to set off complex lists like this with a colon after were. There’s no grammatical need for that, and I delete those where I see them.

 

Semicolons are versatile, and there’s plenty more that can be said about them. If you’d like to read more, I recommend the following:

 

The Oatmeal: How to use a semicolon (This one is silly but effectively gets the point across.)

 

 

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