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Park sang joon Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
The roles of semicolons
I have already asked a similar question to a question to ask here on another forum, I'm asking you for understanding about this, but I only got an answer that my examples are wrong which were from my reading reference, very famous in Korea.
1) Precisely how President Ford will apply himself to the solution of the immense and urgent national problems he has inherited no one can prophesy.
Certainly it will be extraordinarily difficult and, at times, exceedingly painful to cope with the problems of inflation, dwindling natural resources, national defense, environment, disadvantaged minorities; the problems of rebuilding vital foreign alliances and of charting peaceful relations with nations that still proclaim their determination to destroy Western democracy.
2) In essence, Reagan aims to treat the causes, not the symptoms, of nuclear proliferation. He believes that nations wanting nuclear weapons badly enough will find the means to get them; that the best deterrent is to alleviate that desire, through easing regional tensions and supplying conventional military aid.
A grammar book says semicolons can separate the parts of consisting of complex and long words into the separable parts in place of commas, and in my examples each semicolon separates two so long objects.
So, I think my examples are right sentences, aren't they?
Thank you, in advance, for your help.
1) Precisely how President Ford will apply himself to the solution of the immense and urgent national problems he has inherited no one can prophesy.
Certainly it will be extraordinarily difficult and, at times, exceedingly painful to cope with the problems of inflation, dwindling natural resources, national defense, environment, disadvantaged minorities; the problems of rebuilding vital foreign alliances and of charting peaceful relations with nations that still proclaim their determination to destroy Western democracy.
2) In essence, Reagan aims to treat the causes, not the symptoms, of nuclear proliferation. He believes that nations wanting nuclear weapons badly enough will find the means to get them; that the best deterrent is to alleviate that desire, through easing regional tensions and supplying conventional military aid.
A grammar book says semicolons can separate the parts of consisting of complex and long words into the separable parts in place of commas, and in my examples each semicolon separates two so long objects.
So, I think my examples are right sentences, aren't they?
Thank you, in advance, for your help.
Top answer
The semi-colon should be treated like a period. What come before and after must be complete sentences in their own right. So, your examples are not correct.
- The semi-colon should be treated like a period.
- What come before and after must be complete sentences in their own right.
- So, your examples are not correct.
- The exception to this is when you are separating phrases that follow a colon.
- There are several things you could expect from your inappropriate behavior: reduction of privileges; reduction in pay; expulsion from the company.
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13 Answers
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The semi-colon should be treated like a period. What come before and after must be complete sentences in their own right. So, your examples are not correct.
The exception to this is when you are separating phrases that follow a colon.
There are several things you could expect from your inappropriate behavior: reduction of privileges; reduction in pay; expulsion from the company.
The exception to this is when you are separating phrases that follow a colon.
There are several things you could expect from your inappropriate behavior: reduction of privileges; reduction in pay; expulsion from the company.
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Thank you, Philip, for your valuable answer. 
Then, can't semicolons take place of commas for separating more complex parts and
Then, can't semicolons take place of commas for separating more complex parts and
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Your book isn't wrong. A semicolon is used to separate the items of a series when the items contain commas. It is for the writer to determine if he or she uses the semicolon in this manner. I, myself, avoid it because it just gives one sentence too many "dots" to deal with.
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Thank you, Philip, for your very valuable answer.
Then, are my examples right?
Then, are my examples right?
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The examples with the semicolons are justifiable, but I think I would try to use shorter sentences to avoid their necessity. Have you noticed, that the very first sentence in 1 has the subject and verb at the very end? I would avoid this practice, as well.
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I think it is no matter.
Have you noticed, that the very first sentence in 1 has the subject and verb at the very end? I would avoid this practice, as well.
I don't know about good writing, but It is because the object just became so long while the author writing.
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If you use a semi colon to separate complex items in a list, you use it between all the elements in the list, not just the last one.
Your examples are not correct. The use of the semi colon there leads the reader to think a new independent clause is coming, not the last item in the list.
Your examples are not correct. The use of the semi colon there leads the reader to think a new independent clause is coming, not the last item in the list.
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Thank you, BabaraPA, for your valuable answer.
I think my examples are so; could you please link the page which show the correct usage of semicolons separating complex items in a list?
If you use a semi colon to separate complex items in a list, you use it between all the elements in the list, not just the last one.
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park sang joonThank you, BabaraPA, for your valuable answer.If you use a semi colon to separate complex items in a list, you use it between all the elements in the list, not just the last one.I think my examples are so; could you please link the page which show the correct usage of semicolons separating complex items in a list?
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