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The Versatile Semicolon

September 18, 2017 by Barbara McNichol Leave a Comment

by Barbara McNichol

In many of the memos and manuscripts memos I read, writers take a convoluted approach to punctuation. Especially, too many semicolons show up in too many wrong ways. How can you remember what’s right?

Every time you’re tempted to use a semicolon, review these three brief rules.

  1. Use a semicolon to separate two independent clauses. Independent means each clause has both a subject and verb. Even though each clause could stand alone as a separate sentence, the semicolon indicates a relationship between the two.

e.g., I need to upgrade my writing skills; embarrassing mistakes have been creeping in.

Note: Do not use both a semicolon and a conjunction to join two clauses—pick one or the other. e.g., I need to upgrade my writing skills; but embarrassing mistakes have been creeping in.

  1. Use a semicolon before a transitional adverb such as “therefore” or “however.”

e.g., The payment is overdue; therefore, we owe a penalty.

e.g., It’s been a long time since we met; however, it’s not too late.

Note: Use a comma after “therefore” and “however” in these cases.

  1. Use semicolons to separate items or elements in a list that contains one of more internal commas.

e.g., She traveled to Beijing, China; Paris, France; and London, England.

e.g., He believes three things: that every situation, no matter how grim, can be resolved; that no one needs to suffer, especially Mother Earth; and that people are inherently good.

Note: This sentence could improve if it were broken into two or more sentences. Easier to follow!

Get clear on these rules; I guarantee knowing them will simplify your writing!

Celebrate National Punctuation Day, September 24th

Filed Under: Business Writing Tagged With: good punctuation, manuscript editing, National Punctuation Day, nonfiction book editing, semicolon

Taking Artistic License with Commas—Okay but Watch Out!

June 4, 2012 by Barbara McNichol Leave a Comment

by Barbara McNichol

quotation markWhen working with business professionals and nonfiction authors, I often wonder how much they struggle with their use of commas and other punctuation—or whether they question it at all!

At times, strict punctuation rules can be relaxed, especially when writing artistic pieces. Even in the absence of rhyme or reason where commas are placed, however, consistency must reign.

Unconventional punctuation can create confusion in meaning.
If authors don’t struggle a bit with when to use commas, they
may be forcing readers to struggle with “getting” what they
mean. That’s when relying on the rules takes priority over artistic
license.

A fascinating article from a New York Times columnist adroitly
addresses the correct use of a comma.

I encourage you to read this article and learn from a master, Ben Yagoda.
Yagoda’s examples explain the tricky rules for using commas. For example:

I went to see the movie, “Midnight in Paris” with my
friend, Jessie.

Comma after “movie,” comma after “friend” and, sometimes,
comma after “Paris” as well. None are correct — unless
“Midnight in Paris” is the only movie in the world and
Jessie is the writer’s only friend. Otherwise, the
punctuation should be:

I went to see the movie “Midnight in Paris” with my friend
Jessie.

If that seems wrong or weird or anything short of clearly
right, bear with me a minute and take a look at another
correct sentence:

I went to see Woody Allen’s latest movie, “Midnight in
Paris,” with my oldest friend, Jessie.

Do you see how the correct punctuation set up clarity in
the meaning–a subtle but important distinction.

How important is it for you to follow strict punctuation
rules in your writing? Please share your comments here.

Filed Under: Business Writing Tagged With: book editing services, comma usage, good punctuation, nonfiction editor, professional book editing

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