The Often Misused and Maligned Semicolon

I’ve spent the last week helping write and edit a missive about wastewater treatment – otherwise known as “The Greatest Proposal EVER Written” in the wastewater treatment category.  I’m going to wake up screaming about various “terms of art” such as anaerobic digestion.  Stay tuned. 

While I love being a part of high-profile design pursuits, working in wastewater puts everything in perspective. And, despite words to the contrary, working with engineers is often a real treat.  I really do mean that.

BUT, given the piles of editing I’ve done, and have yet to do, I thought I’d write a short educational piece for my dedicated readers about the often misused and maligned semicolon.  Plus, if this blog post can effectively educate the public about proper grammar and can keep me from having to change one more semicolon into a comma or vice-versa, I’ll be a happy editor.

Semicolons have three uses. You can check this out on the web if you need more clarification – Wikipedia is a good source. Even though information on Wikipedia can be altered by anyone on a daily basis (this is more relevant for celebrity biographies), the grammar gurus of the world make sure the punctuation articles on the site are up to date and correct.  And, for the truly cultured among you, The Elements of Style by Strunk and White is still the definitive source for all things written. I stand with my mother on this one.

1. Semicolons are used to separate independent clauses (e.g., clauses that could stand alone, but prefer being together as in “Writing wastewater proposals is fun; I’d like to do it more often”).
2.  Semicolons are used to separate independent clauses containing transitional phrases (e.g., logical movement from one clause to another) as in “This proposal will change the way our clients think about wastewater treatment; clearly, this will result in our being selected for this project!”
3.   Here’s the hard one, the ‘Triple Sow Cow’ of punctuation:  Semicolons can be used to separate items in a list that includes items that require internal punctuation as in “We must complete every section of the qualifications section chronologically:  the executive summary, which summarizes our overall qualifications; the team overview, which includes short descriptions of each member firm; and the resumes, which are only one page each. 

Note, unless the list contains internal punctuation, you don’t need the semicolon as in “We must complete every section of the qualifications section chronologically: the executive summary, the team overview, and the resumes.  Just because a sentence contains a colon before the list does not mean you need semicolons between items.

So, there you have it; semicolons are easy and so fun to use!  Semicolons separate linked sentences; they communicate a strong link between thoughts.  Semicolons communicate transition from one thought to another; as a result, you can use them to make a point stronger.  And, semicolons can be used to separate punctuated items in a list after a colon: a, b, c; 1, 2, 3; and x, y, z. 

In all seriousness, let’s make a commitment to stop playing “fast and loose” with punctuation.  It behooves all of us who write for a living, and that means most of us, to learn how to use punctuation appropriately.  We should also use punctuation consistently.  Punctuation conventions, like language, change over time, but the need for consistent use is constant.  Know the rules, follow the rules, and be creative in your content, not in your use of punctuation.

As for me, I’m back to writing about wastewater; thank you for the break.  If appropriately inspired, we can tackle the appropriate use of a comma next time. :)