Forum posts: grammar and punctuation

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R-Tape
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Re: Forum posts: grammar and punctuation

Post by R-Tape »

Spud wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 5:38 pm "The semicolon or semi colon is a punctuation mark that separates major sentence elements. A semicolon can be used between two closely related independent clauses, provided they are not already joined by a coordinating conjunction"
Argh! Sentences like that make my head fall apart! As I say, I'm sure we never did this at school. Bristol University has a good guide, although it does contain sentences redolent of the above.

When not used in a complicated list*, it seems that the semicolon is basically a weak full stop masquerading as a strong comma. I keep seeing opportunities to use it, but it's usually an option, and you risk looking like a smartarse if you so choose to take it—it's a nightmare!
MatGubbins wrote: Mon Sep 24, 2018 7:33 pm Baby, Sporty, Posh, Scary and Ginger... I don't recall a butt-spice.
*Baby Spice: cutesy, pigtailed and blatantly a Tasmanian devil between the sheets; Sporty Spice: tracksuits, twokking and elecution; Posh Spice: budgie breeder, businesswoman and footballer's wife; Scary Spice: terrifying 'Bo Selecta' deathmask, giant hair and creator of Kat Trap; Ginger Spice: intergalactic peace envoy, yogic flyer and former Club International model.

Butt-spice is professional cyclists' slang for a caffeine suppository.

The above may be peppered with mendacity, but it's helping me learn to use the semicolon.
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beanz
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Re: Forum posts: grammar and punctuation

Post by beanz »

My god...
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Joefish
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Re: Forum posts: grammar and punctuation

Post by Joefish »

"coordinating conjunction" means and/or/but/so etc. So if you have an 'and' then there's no place for a semicolon. e.g.

"You're on a donkey and I'm on a horse".
or:
"You're on a donkey; I'm on a horse".

The sentence has two clauses, firstly that you're on a donkey and secondly that I'm on a horse. The two are closely related so are worth mentioning in the same sentence, but they're independent; one fact doesn't rely on the other. I could be on a horse regardless of what you're doing.
Now I could join them with a simple conjunction ("and") but f*ck it, I'm using a semi-colon.
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