# Question about semi-colons **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 27, 2009, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220 "2009-01-27T13:40:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/1 "2009-01-27T13:40:20Z")
As I have always used them, a semi-colon is used to connect two statements which could stand on their own as complete sentances but which for stylistic reasons I want to combine. For example, “The National League may institute the designated hitter rule next year; the end of civilization is near.” But suppose the first statement is a question. Should I put in a question mark? And if so, where? For example, “How much money is Varitek demanding; the Red Sox don’t have much money left.” Where would a question mark go? ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/2 "2009-01-27T13:45:59Z")
I’m no punctuation expert, but I’m pretty sure it should go thusly: “How much money is Varitek demanding; the Red Sox don’t have much money left?” Stylistically I’d lose the semicolon: “How much money is Varitek demanding? The Red Sox don’t have much money left.” I like semicolons too, but they suffer from overuse. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/3 "2009-01-27T13:48:49Z")
First, remember that punctuation is generally a matter of style, although certain conventions are common. > [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](#): > > I’m no punctuation expert, but I’m pretty sure it should go thusly: > > “How much money is Varitek demanding; the Red Sox don’t have much money left?” That just doesn’t work at all. > [@](#): > > Stylistically I’d lose the semicolon: > > “How much money is Varitek demanding? The Red Sox don’t have much money left.” That is the best choice. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/4 "2009-01-27T14:32:52Z")
Break it into two sentences: a question mark, then a period. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/5 "2009-01-27T14:36:57Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Break it into two sentences: a question mark, then a period. Yep. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/6 "2009-01-27T15:56:36Z")
The Varitek example is one of the cases where a semicolon is definitely inappropriate, since the rising inflection on the final syllable of demanding marks it as ending a question, and therefore calling for a question mark as terminal punctuation. Semicolons should join two independent clauses that are related, unless the second clause exemplifies or is the logical consequent of the first, where a colon is appropriate. There are certain instances, generally with short clauses, where a comma is appropriate: “Foxes have holes, birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” If the independent clauses are unrelated (for example, two disparate facts about an individual, from a capsule biography), or if they are rather lengthy statements by themselves, it is preferable to break them into two separate sentences. And, of course, the Caveat of **Deth** , on which I agree in essence with the good Dr.: such things are not legalisms laid down by a Royal Academy of English Usage and enforced by the dreaded Language Gestapo, but conventions subscribed to by a consensus of writers and readers, toward the end of clear and effective written communication. Feel free to break them intelligently, towards a specific end you’ve chosen – but know and use them first. If Faulkner or Updike or Kilpatrick “breaks a usage law,” the reader’s first reaction is going to be, “Wha? Why did he **do** that?” and he will therefore arrive t the point being made by the “unlawful” usage. The same reaction, however, is not commanded by ninth grader Bobby Schultz of South County High – justly or not, he’s not presumed familiar enough with the rule to gave a specific literary purpose in mind in breaking it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/7 "2009-01-27T20:07:08Z")
😉 I use them with parenthesis to wink at cute people. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/8 "2009-01-27T20:11:34Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > 😉 I use them with parenthesis to wink at cute people. How can you see me from all the way over there? ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/9 "2009-01-27T20:44:38Z")
> [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](#): > Petrobey Mavromihalis… (I’m wondering how many people on this board considered using that name at one time or another. Hundreds? Thousands?) ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/10 "2009-01-27T22:52:59Z")
If it’s a question, use a question mark. A semi-colon would look very odd there. I’ve always seen semi-colons as being like hooks which show that two independent clauses are connected. They even look like hooks. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/11 "2009-01-28T04:50:28Z")
The first example, about the end of civilization, is wrong. A colon would be better. Colons are woefully underused and underappreciated in my opinion. Some of you will no doubt challenge my statement that the aforementioned example is incorrect and will suggest that a semicolon is perfectly acceptable. I agree that punctuation is an art, not a science, but you would do as well to argue that turquoise would have been a perfectly acceptable color for the hair of the Mona Lisa. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/12 "2009-01-28T05:38:27Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > The first example, about the end of civilization, is wrong. A colon would be better. Colons are woefully underused and underappreciated in my opinion. > > Some of you will no doubt challenge my statement that the aforementioned example is incorrect and will suggest that a semicolon is perfectly acceptable. I agree that punctuation is an art, not a science, but you would do as well to argue that turquoise would have been a perfectly acceptable color for the hair of the Mona Lisa. I agree that a colon would have been better. The second statement is supposed to be a logical consequence of the logic in the first statement. Semi-colons well-used can add greatly to the flow of sentence, as in: ‘Semi colons well used can add greatly to the flow of sentence; semi-colons poorly used negate the effect they were trying to make.’ Read the above paragraph aloud. Unless you’re really bad at reading aloud, you will note a specific change when you come to the colon: your pitch will increase ever so slightly, and you will pause briefly (not as long as you would pause for a full stop/period, but longer than for a comma). When you come to the semi-colon, your pitch will decrease ever so slightly, and you will pause for the same length of time. Such punctuation marks were originally used to help people read aloud. Most people still read aloud in their head, often without realising it. If you’re not sure which punctuation mark to use, read the text out loud, and you should be able to tell. ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/13 "2009-01-28T06:35:46Z")
> [@CC](#): > > Petrobey Mavromihalis… > (I’m wondering how many people on this board considered using that name at one time or another. Hundreds? Thousands?) Yeah I was surprised; on most boards I post in I have to be Petrobey Mavromihalis765 or some such. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/14 "2009-01-28T14:48:40Z")
Agree that either breaking the sentence or recasting it would read better. If the statement is first, though, a semicolon might work. “Boras is asking for twenty million; how stupid does he think the Red Sox are?” ---
**Author:** ![powerjacob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@powerjacob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/powerjacob)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/15 "2009-01-28T17:04:36Z")
Here is what one writer said about semi-colons. “they are transvestite herm-aphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you’ve been to college.” -Kurt Vonnegut ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/16 "2009-01-28T17:07:08Z")
As a matter of fact, in the example given in the original posting, the “end of civilization” IS the logical consequence of the first statement. Look at what has happened to the world since the American League adopted the designated hitter rule. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/17 "2009-01-28T17:19:49Z")
I went into the doc today for a colonoscopy. I was crushed to hear the results, but at least they’re not as bad as they could be. I have semi-colon cancer. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-semi-colons/483220/18 "2009-01-28T22:05:32Z")
> [@](#): > > “they are transvestite herm-aphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you’ve been to college.” How can a hermaphrodite be a transvestite? A transvestite dresses as a member of the opposite gender, but a hermaphrodite has no opposite gender. There’s another use for semicolons as well: They can be used as list separaters in a context where a comma would be ambiguous. For instance, “This summer, I visited relatives in New York; Indiana, Pennsylvania; and Washington.”. If I just put commas in all those places, it’d look like I was referring to four different states, whereas with the list delimiters changed to semicolons, it’s clear that I’m referring to just three places, one of which is the town of Indiana in the state of Pennsylvania.