Wait a second. Did you just hear that?
Pick meeeee . . .
There it is. You heard it, too. Don’t try to tell me you didn’t.
That was the sound of a semicolon in the throes of a self-esteem battle.
Why Most Writers Don’t Know When To Use a Semicolon
Sadly, many writers have a confused relationship with the semicolon, not really sure how or when to use semicolons in their lovely sentences.
Some have rejected it outright, including Kurt Vonnegut, who said that the only reason to use a semicolon would be “to show you’ve been to college.”
Don’t worry, little semicolon. Your virtues will not be lost on this audience as long as I have a say in it.
When To Use a Semicolon (Examples)
In all seriousness, the semicolon is probably the most misunderstood button on a keyboard (except for maybe whatever the heck the little hat over the 6 is). When semicolons are used properly, however, the semicolon can connect clauses in a beautiful and sophisticated way. For example:
Martin squinted as he read over his news brief; he was in need of a good pair of glasses.
The semicolon in this sentence connects the two independent thoughts without bringing the narrative to a full stop in the way that a period would. A comma is completely inappropriate here because that would lead to a comma splice, and as we have previously discussed, comma splices are evil.
Semicolons can also be used as a kind of supercomma, and should always be used in a list when separating objects that also have commas. Take the following sentence:
Diana included Athens, Greece; Paris, France; and Vienna, Austria, on her list of honeymoon cities that were not to be confused with their American counterparts in Ohio, Texas, or Virginia.
See?
2 Tips to Use Semicolons Correctly
In order to use the semicolon properly when you’re not making lists, it’s important to remember a few things.
1. Each clause of the sentence needs to be an independent clause.
You know what an independent clause is, right? You’re writers! Sometimes, however, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of the semicolon, and you’ll want to use it everywhere. Don’t.
If you’re going to use it, make sure that each clause can stand on its own as a fully formed sentence. If it helps, mentally separate the two clauses with a period to test their independence.
Justin didn’t walk; he ran. Justin didn’t walk. He ran.
2. Use them sparingly.
It can get exhausting for your reader if there is too much going on in one sentence. If there is too much going on in each sentence for a full paragraph, that may result in reader mutiny, and you’re going to have trouble bringing them back. Use the semicolon to connect ideas that are related, but don’t try to connect every single idea in a paragraph. Periods are your friends (at least in this context).
Ellie subtly flared her nostrils; the smell of lilac and lavender filled the air; it reminded her of her summers in the hills of Ohio; she and her cousins would make crowns of daisies and give them to their mothers.
For the love of God and the sanity of your readers, do not do this.
Ellie subtly flared her nostrils. The smell of lilac and lavender filled the air; it reminded her of her summers in the hills of Ohio. She and her cousins would make crowns of daisies and give them to their mothers.
Experiment With Semicolons
Don’t be afraid to experiment with semicolons. Sure, you might place a few incorrectly before you get the hang of it, but soon you’ll be able to use them with ease. It takes some practice, but you’ll start noticing places in your writing where a semicolon would add a welcome breath to the prose.
Do you like to use a well-placed semicolon, or do you agree with Vonnegut that they’re unnecessary and pretentious? Let us know in the comments.
PRACTICE
Practice writing with semicolons. Write about the following prompt using as many semicolons as you can (create a couple lists if you have to); however, if you overuse the semicolon, you will be punished; severely.
Prompt: Billy is going backpacking through Asia and needs to get vaccination shots.
Spend at least fifteen minutes on this. When you’re done, share your practice in the comments, and be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers!
The post 2 Ways to Use the Semicolon appeared first on The Write Practice.
from The Write Practice http://ift.tt/2jYgxCB
No comments:
Post a Comment