0
Believer Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

semicolon usage

0Hi,02br
02br
00I think the usual explanation for the semicolon usage is that when two independent clauses are closely related, they can be punctuated with a semicolon. OK, is that mean it can also be applicable when one clause is a simple one and the other clause is a compound one?02br
02br
00eg,02br
02br
00I went to a store to buy some stuff; afterward, I went to a post office to mail a letter and followed it a dinner at Believer's. 0-
  

Top answer

02br 02br 00But it's also the kind of closeness. There has to be some impact, eg some drama, some thoughtful contrast, some literary effect, some style. 05002br 02br 00Best wishes, Clive010id1

— Clive

  • 02br 02br 00But it's also the kind of closeness.
  • There has to be some impact, eg some drama, some thoughtful contrast, some literary effect, some style.
  • 05002br 02br 00Best wishes, Clive010id1
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

3 Answers
0
0Hi,02br
02br
00Fundamentally, what matters is the closeness of the connection, rather than the length of the parts.02br
02br
00But it's also the kind of closeness. There has to be some impact, eg some drama, some thoughtful contrast, some literary effect, some style. Otherwise, almost everything you write could be punctuated by semi-colons.02br
0
0
0
0Clive, if you had been my Secret Santa person, I would have gotten you a bottle of "Semicolon-B-Gone." It's not yet widely available, but I'm working on a special batch of it just for you in my basement laboratory. 02br
02br
00Grammar Geekenstein.0-
0
0
0Hi GG,02br
02br
00Are you familar with the Abbott and Costello sketch in which people go berserk when Costello tells them he wants to find the Susquehanna Hat Company on Bagel Street?02br
02br
00Semi-colon? Aaaaargh, semi-colon! Don't mention semi-colons to me!02br
02br
00Best wishes; Clive0-
0

Related Questions