Semicolons have been on mind lately, mostly because I’m reading To the Lighthouse and I’ve never seen an author use so many semicolons. I believe Woolf’s record is 6 in one sentence, but I could be wrong. Plus, I’m not finished with the book…she has plenty of time to set a new record (also, it should say something about the book that I even stop to count the semicolons…a cliffhanger it is not).
Evidently I’m not alone in my noticing Woolf’s love affair with the semicolon. I found this little note in wikipedia that amused me:
According to Lynne Truss, many non writers avoid the colon and semicolon for various reasons: “They are old-fashioned”, “They are middle-class”, “They are optional”, “They are mysteriously connected to pausing”, “They are dangerously addictive (vide Virginia Woolf)”, and “The difference between them is too negligible to be grasped by the brain of man”.
Also…interesting fact: In Arabic, the semicolon is called Fāṣila Manqūṭa (Arabic: فاصلة منقوطة) which means literally “a dotted comma”, and is written inverted ( ؛ ). I think the inverted look is quite flattering.
Woolf and inversions aside, semicolons have been on my mind for the past few months, ever since I ran across this quote from Kurt Vonnegut:
Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you’ve been to college.
And while I (and the chickens…behold!)
agree with his stance on not using semicolons, I have to disagree with the last part…I’ve been to college, and I’ll be damned if I can use a semicolon with confidence.
If you really want to know how to use a semicolon, The Oatmeal has a hilariously informative guide. Go read it.
I lack the confidence to use semicolons on a regular basis too. Maybe we can form a society!
I like the idea that semi colons are middle class. That made me laugh. Occasionally I will use a semi colon myself just to feel a little sense of accomplishment!
I love the semicolon; it has its uses though of course can be overdone. It’s my favourite form of punctuation (along with the ampersand, mostly for its name).
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I also am intimidated by using semicolons, and don’t think that I ever use them if I have a choice. Like Stephanie, I like that they are middle class, but my confidence in using them properly is very low.
I am very definitely pro-semi-colon. I know how to use them and it bothers me a lot when people try to use a comma where you need at least a semi-colon to do the job. If you’re not going to use a semi-colon, make the two clauses two separate sentences! A comma indicates a pause, not a change in clause…ooh that rhymes!
I like using semicolons, but I don’t know if I always use them properly
. I have come across writers who use a lot of commas in their (long) sentences, but too many semicolons? Virginia Woolf is someone I’ve been too intimidated to try!
I love semicolons; and love that cartoon!
I actually find myself using simicolons in my academic writing quite frequently. As a freshman, the scared me. I was worried that I would be unable to use them correctly and I certainly didn’t want to use them incorrectly and look stupid. But then I became a more confident writer and i found myself trying them out. While it is true that they are never necessary, it can be interesting to play around with them and see if they can make your words flow a little better.
I have no confidence, but I still use them. LOL! I am going to check out the site you mention here!
I will use a semicolon, but I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I just throw shit out there. My favorite punctuation though is the dot dot dot…
That and the exclamation point. I am loud that way.
The dot dot dot is very entertaining in Afrikaans… it’s called “doike doike doike”
It seems that most writers have a “favorite” punctuation mark that they abuse. It does sounds like a snoozer if you are stopping to count semi-colons.
I love semicolons; they are spiffy. I like to use them, but so many discussions about misusing or abusing them has made me nervous. I am a shy semicolon user.
Here is a safe way to use one
I don’t really like how they look. Esthetically they are ugly to me. And i don’t really know where to putt them so my first point could be just a lazy excuse:P
I’m a confident misuser of semi-colons;
I use them all the time and I love them!
Semi-colons and I have an on-again, off-again relationship. Most of the time I use them in a rather amused way, as if I am making fun of myself by using one….
I went to college. Earned a degree in English Education. Know how to use a semicolon, but whenever I try to use one I roll my eyes and feel pretentious. Then I remove the semicolon and overuse the period. Or the comma.
I ditto Cass.
(See what I did there? I used a semi-colon in my smiley face, oh yes I did.)