Everything you need to know about semicolons

I’ve certainly been there.

I don’t recall ever being taught how to use semicolons correctly in school and I avoided this punctuation mark like the plague when I became a staff writer in magazine land. But, as an editor I couldn’t ignore it, and now I’ve come to love it. Truly!

These days I think it would be a shame to lose the semicolon. It’s quite an elegant bit of grammar and I promise you will feel like you’ve unlocked a new level of language when you understand how it works.

Even better: it’s not nearly as tricky as it seems.

What to know about semicolons

A semicolon is the punctuation mark that stacks a full stop over a comma, like this: ;

It has only two uses. (Or three, if you include its use as a winky face emoticon ; )

The first is one you’re probably already familiar with: to clarify a complicated list. A semicolon separates items in a list when the items are phrases that are already punctuated by commas. For example:

The second use for a semicolon is the one that tends to trip us up. It’s used to connect two independent clauses. The semicolon is a gentle nudge to the reader that there is a close relationship between them, stronger than a full stop would indicate. Like this: 

• I love punctuation; learning to use the semicolon was life-changing for me.
• She slept soundly through the storm; the strong winds and loud thunder didn’t bother her.

The independent part of that definition is vital; the clauses must be able to stand on their own. If you use a comma instead of a semicolon, you have created a comma splice, which is a type of run-on sentence that grammar nerds love to hate.

Here are some examples:

• Incorrect (comma splice): He burst through the window, the shattered glass cut his hands.
• Correct: He burst through the window; the shattered glass cut his hands.
•  
• Incorrect (comma splice): You don’t owe me an apology, I was out of line.
• Correct: You don’t owe me an apology; I was out of line.

The truth is you can get away with a comma splice here and there in informal writing, especially fiction (and especially if you’re doing it on purpose – know the rules to break the rules, etcetera).

When not to use a semicolon

A common misconception seems to be that the semicolon can be used in place of a comma whenever you want to indicate a dramatic pause. For instance, you might be tempted to write something like:

• The river stretched before him, wide and silver; beckoning him across the expanse.

While it might feel poetic, it’s technically incorrect because the text after the semicolon is a dependent clause. Rather than the semicolon in the example above, a comma will do nicely.

Another common mistake is using a semicolon in place of a colon, especially when introducing a list. 

• Incorrect: She planned to travel to several cities; Paris, France; Sydney, Australia; New York, USA; and Berlin, Germany.
• Correct: She planned to travel to several cities: Paris, France; Sydney, Australia; New York, USA; and Berlin, Germany.

And just to throw the cat among the punctuation pigeons, one notable exception to semicolon rule is when the clauses are short and similar in form. In this case, comma splice away. William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, authors of The Elements of Style, will allow it. For example:

• Here today, gone tomorrow.
• It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

You’ll likely recognise the latter example as a shortened version of the opening line of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, who was a famous semicolon fan. Go figure.

More semicolon dos and don’ts

Do use semicolons with conjunction adverbs such as however, moreover or consequently.

• He wanted to go to bed; however, the party was raging on. 

Some people will argue that you shouldn’t use a semicolon before coordinating conjunctions such as but, and, or, so, for, nor and yet. 

It’s true that the semicolon replaces conjunctions when joining two independent clauses. But, it’s not an all-or-nothing scenario. When a conjunction is used after a semicolon, it indicates greater contrast or emphasis. For example:  

• The professor argued that English literature students should always focus on the classics; yet contemporary fiction has its place in the academic world too.

What about capitalisation? If the semicolon is joining two complete sentences, shouldn’t the sentence after the semicolon start with a capital letter? 

No. The semicolon doesn’t enjoy the full powers of a full stop, so the second sentence doesn’t need to begin with a capital letter unless it’s a proper noun.

Summing up

Whenever you feel compelled to drop a semicolon, double and triple check that the words on either side are complete sentences.

Ask yourself, can I use a full stop here instead? If you can, you’re on the right track.

Honestly, learning how to use semicolons correctly takes a bit of time and patience, but it’s so rewarding once you’re friends.

In one of my favourite books on punctuation, Eats, Shoots & Leaves, author Lynne Truss writes: ‘The semicolon has rightly been called “a compliment from the writer to the reader”.’

I love this idea – it acknowledges the nuance of the semicolon, which gently asks the reader to notice the connection the author is drawing between ideas and to hear the subtle distinction in rhythm and tone.

What a joy to be able to do so much with a single mark.

Want help with your punctuation bugbears? Get in touch to talk about a copyedit for your work.