Here’s the sentence as my wife wrote it:
“Given my strengths in strategy design, critical thinking and policy analysis; I am confident that I have both the skills and mindset you require.”
She thinks that it’s appropriate to separate clauses that themselves contain commas by using a semicolon. I think that a simple comma should be used in its place, as there’s not enough complication to warrant a semicolon.
So, who wins the $5?
You do. There is no reason to use a semicolon there. You use a semicolon to link independent clauses, as here; one of yours is dependent on the other.
http://www.arts.uottawa.ca/writcent/hypergrammar/semicoln.html
But that is two independant clauses; isn’t it?
The first clause a dependant clause, which should be attached to an independant clause with a comma. Semicolons are used for connecting two independant clauses. The way to recognize the difference is that “Given my strengths in strategy design, critical thinking and policy analysis.” would not be a grammatical sentence. Semicolons are used in essentially the same places as periods.
[QUOTE=aliquot]
Here’s the sentence as my wife wrote it:
“Given my strengths in strategy design, critical thinking and policy analysis; I am confident that I have both the skills and mindset you require.”
She thinks that it’s appropriate to separate clauses that themselves contain commas by using a semicolon. I think that a simple comma should be used in its place, as there’s not enough complication to warrant a semicolon.
So, who wins the $5?
[/QUOTE]
Former professional copyeditor here. I wish like hell I could cite, but we’re in the middle of moving and my Chicago Manual of Style is already packed. Take this professional but unsupported opinion for what it is worth:
Because of the “and” between “thinking” and “policy,” which makes the three items an ordinary list, plus the lack of item-internal commas, a semicolon is not necessary for sense.
As the esteemed Hummingbird suggests, if your clauses were independent, it’d be a whole other ball of wax. However, even with dependent clauses, there are some instances in which a semicolon would be warranted.
If any of the items in the list (“strategy design” “critical thinking” & “policy analysis”) themselves contained commas, it could potentially be difficult to ID the difference between an item-set comma and a series comma. Your example does not exemplify this situation.
In my office, the test is always “Is it clearer with the additional punctuation?” If not, no go.
[QUOTE=Christopher]
But that is two independant clauses; isn’t it?
[/QUOTE]
No. Do you think “Given my strengths in strategy design, critical thinking and policy analysis” qualifies as a sentence on its own? It modifies the other clause.
http://www.uottawa.ca/academic/arts/writcent/hypergrammar/claustyp.html#dependent%20clauses
[QUOTE=Christopher]
But that is two independant clauses; isn’t it?
[/QUOTE]
The simple test for independent clauses is whether each could stand alone as a complete sentence. “Given my strengths in strategy design, critical thinking and policy analysis” would not qualify.
Or, on preview, what Colibri said.
[QUOTE=Christopher]
But that is two independant clauses**;** isn’t it?
[/QUOTE]
Christopher, you are a naughty, naughty boy.
Another seasoned copyeditor here. Not only is the semicolon unnecessary, it’s downright incorrect.
Point goes to emilyforce.
Honestly: I had read the last half as an independant clause, but I hadn’t bothered to read the first half. Clearly, no semicolon is required there.
Betting and semicolons really don’t mix. Can you picture one drinker in a bar (maybe a newspaper people’s bar?) telling another “5 bucks sez that semicolon lands on my glass foist!”?
A semicolon would work if the sentence were recast like this: “I have proven strengths in strategy design, critical thinking and policy analysis; I am confident that I have both the skills and the mindset you require.”
–I’d insert “the” before “mindset” as shewn 'cos I don’t think the definite article should have to work too hard for its living, and “skills” has already exhausted the previous one.
Thanks, everyone. I was nearly positive that the semicolon shouldn’t have been in the original sentence. It just looked so damn wrong. But here are two follow-up questions (feel free to go against me this time, as there’s no money riding on these bonus rounds 
)
(1) Were I writing the sentence, I would have inserted a comma in between the second and third items on the list (i.e., “Given my strengths in strategy design, critical thinking, and policy analysis, …”), because if I were to say it out loud, I’d insert a pause there. What’s the opinion there? Unnecessary but allowable? Necessary? Unnecessary and incorrect?
(2) Getting more in depth into what emilyforce mentioned about “item set” commas and “serial” commas, I believe the sentence would be correct if it were expanded to something like, “Given my strengths in strategy design, critical thinking, and policy analysis; my experience in local, state, and federal levels; and my background in technology, policy, and education; I feel that …” Here, the semicolon is acting as a “serial” comma, and helps to break up my “lists of lists.” I’ve also seen the semicolon used in this way referred to as a “supercomma.” Same questions as in (1) – is the semicolon in my new sentence unnecessary but allowable? Necessary? Unnecessary and incorrect?
Who knew semicolons were so much fun! [Damn, should that ! be a ? or maybe an interrobang?]
[QUOTE=aliquot]
(1) Were I writing the sentence, I would have inserted a comma in between the second and third items on the list (i.e., “Given my strengths in strategy design, critical thinking, and policy analysis, …”), because if I were to say it out loud, I’d insert a pause there. What’s the opinion there? Unnecessary but allowable? Necessary? Unnecessary and incorrect?
[/QUOTE]
Unnecessary but allowable. It’s essentially a matter of style.
It’s “independent”; get it right!
[QUOTE=aliquot]
(1) Were I writing the sentence, I would have inserted a comma in between the second and third items on the list (i.e., “Given my strengths in strategy design, critical thinking, and policy analysis, …”), because if I were to say it out loud, I’d insert a pause there. What’s the opinion there? Unnecessary but allowable? Necessary? Unnecessary and incorrect?
[/quote]
The use of the serial comma is a matter of style, not “correctness.” Some style manuals recommend it (University of Chicago), others reject it (AP).
Personally, I prefer it because it often (although not always) improves clarity.
[QUOTE=Gary T]
Unnecessary but allowable. It’s essentially a matter of style.
[/QUOTE]
In that specific case, it is unnecessary but allowable. However, in other cases, as mentioned in the link, it may be necessary to remove ambiguity. E.g.:
In this case it is perhaps not absolutely necessary but allowable to improve clarity. As per the link in my first post:
I would say that this does not apply to the example in your OP because there is only one item in the “list.”
[QUOTE=aliquot]
(1) Were I writing the sentence, I would have inserted a comma in between the second and third items on the list (i.e., “Given my strengths in strategy design, critical thinking, and policy analysis, …”), because if I were to say it out loud, I’d insert a pause there. What’s the opinion there? Unnecessary but allowable? Necessary? Unnecessary and incorrect?
[/QUOTE]
Now you’ve gone and opened a can of worms. There are few subjects more prone to start huge debates than the serial comma.
[QUOTE=jjimm]
It’s “independent”; get it right!
[/QUOTE]
Shouldn’t the semicolon go before the last quotation mark?
Hey, if we’re talking about copyediting here . . . 
[QUOTE=PoorYorick]
Shouldn’t the semicolon go before the last quotation mark?
Hey, if we’re talking about copyediting here . . .
[/QUOTE]
No, because the writer is emphasizing the word independent. The semicolon is not part of it.
As I just indicated, it may be better to use italics in such a case.
Have any of you folks read the book Eats Shoots and Leaves ? The writer does a great job of explaining punctuation.
[QUOTE=PoorYorick]
Shouldn’t the semicolon go before the last quotation mark?
[/QUOTE]
In US usage (at least in Chicago style), a semicolon goes outside the quotation marks; a period or comma goes inside them. (There may be exceptions.)