7.3 Semi-colons

Few people know how to use a semi-colon well, which is a pity, as this is an elegant element

of style. It has two main functions in prose:

To connect two sentences: This is a good antidote to the comma splice. It works especially well for short sentences where the sense follows on directly into the second sentence, and where the two halves are of equal importance and length:

 I opened my notebook; I began to write.

It is also possible to use a semi-colon with a connective adverb:

 I opened my notebook; however, I did not begin to write.

This is more cumbersome and should be used sparingly. The golden rule of using semi-colons to join clauses is that each half of the completed sentence should also operate as a grammatical sentence in its own right. In other words, only use a semicolon where you could put a full stop. Therefore, you should avoid putting a semicolon next to conjunctions, such as and, but, so etc, or relatives, such as that, which, when etc. You do not need these. The semi-colon does the job of linking well enough by itself.

To separate items on a list: This is especially useful when the list is long and the individual items on the list include commas:

 Sociologists and philosophers have conceptualised the ‘social body’ in various ways: Shilling’s notion of the body as a ‘project’; Hepworth and Featherstone’s understanding of the body as a ‘mask’; and the ‘absent body’ discussed by Leder.

This way the reader can easily tell where the important divisions between the items occur. If this list only contained commas, it would be very confusing. When using semi-colons in a list, it is often a good idea to introduce the list with a colon to show where the list begins.

7.4 Colons

Like semi-colons, these are rarely used but are not as confusing as many people think. The

function of a colon is to introduce information of some kind:

To introduce a list: A colon announces that something important is about to follow. This makes it ideal for kicking off a long list, as above. The list can also be a sequence of short items separated by commas:

 You will need four ingredients to bake a cake: flour, sugar, butter and eggs.

To introduce a quotation or speech: This is very useful in essays, and works well before a

large, indented quotation. Always use a colon to introduce a quotation which follows a

complete sentence.

To introduce an explanation or statement: In this case the colon is used to create some sort of anticipation. It is often used when reporting speech or when summarizing or expanding the first half of the sentence:

 Schneider’s message is clear: societies are not partible into kinship, economy, religion, and politics.

or

 Sahlins pulls no punches: opponents to the culture concept are whiners.

DO NOT place a colon between a verb and its object or a preposition and its complement.

X In the available space, write: your name, address, and phone number.

Not every list need be announced with a colon.