elegantlion Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I'll admit it, I hate semi-colons. I know their purpose, I don't mind them in non-fiction works. I dislike seeing semi-colons in literature. I'm currently working on a story and I know grammatically a semi-colon belongs in a sentence. I.don't.want.it.there. I don't want to use a conjunction, I just want to put them together (kind of like this sentence). So is it "voice" or simply bad grammar to NOT use one? I could rephrase the sentence, I COULD. Mainly I'm stalling when I should be writing and editing. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubrey Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I like semi-colons, & I like good grammar in lit. But from the books I've read, I'd guess I'm alone in that. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I <3 the semicolon. However, overuse can become problematic for some people e.g. Faulkner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyD Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Love semicolons. (Also love Faulkner.) Fortunately for semicolon haters, I am not going to write the Great American Novel any time soon, but if I were? It would be FULL of semicolons. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 *sigh* well, I do want someone intelligent to read my books. I DON'T want to get corrected copies back AFTER someone buys them. Perhaps if I think of them as this ;) ....little secrets of good grammar. Now, should I edit while finishing off the wine or not? :lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalmia Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Working on a book here too. A couple of weeks ago I took out several semicolons (occurring between a series of phrases that already had integral commas) and replaced them with commas because I thought the semicolons looked UGLY, even though I knew they were supposed to be there. When I handed the draft to the wife of my grammarian friend who will be proofreading it, she said (completely out of the blue, I didn't tell her about the semicolon slashing) that her husband had been so proud of my proper use of semicolons in my last book! Oops! Here are some free semicolons to drop in at will amongst your flowing words ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; note how they resemble little dams impounding the formerly free waters.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 In love semicolons. I love William Faulkner. But the master of semicolons was Herman Melville. I think he used more semicolons than periods. As a side-note, when writing academic papers in college I almost always tried to include a sentence with a properly used semicolon in the first paragraph in hopes of ingratiating myself with punctilious paper graders. It was a good strategy! :D Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 (edited) Don't hate on the semi-colons. ETA: Only saying that semi-colons are everywhere in lit! I got tired looking! lol Edited April 20, 2011 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 Working on a book here too. A couple of weeks ago I took out several semicolons (occurring between a series of phrases that already had integral commas) and replaced them with commas because I thought the semicolons looked UGLY, even though I knew they were supposed to be there. When I handed the draft to the wife of my grammarian friend who will be proofreading it, she said (completely out of the blue, I didn't tell her about the semicolon slashing) that her husband had been so proud of my proper use of semicolons in my last book! Oops! Here are some free semicolons to drop in at will amongst your flowing words ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; note how they resemble little dams impounding the formerly free waters.... Free, I love free!!!! :lol: I have since inserted at least three semi-colons in my story. In love semicolons. I love William Faulkner. But the master of semicolons was Herman Melville. I think he used more semicolons than periods. As a side-note, when writing academic papers in college I almost always tried to include a sentence with a properly used semicolon in the first paragraph in hopes of ingratiating myself with punctilious paper graders. It was a good strategy! :D Bill Kind of on a Melville kick lately? :tongue_smilie: I've been reading Bradbury essays this week; he discusses Melville a lot. Don't hate on the semi-colons. ETA: Only saying that semi-colons are everywhere in lit! I got tired looking! lol At this point I only semi-dislike them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I like semi-colons, & I like good grammar in lit. But from the books I've read, I'd guess I'm alone in that. :lol: Ditto. Sometimes, I can mentally edit as I go. Other times, I have to quit reading when the grammar gets to me. The only time it's "okay" for me is when the character who is speaking is not well educated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I did not know there was anything wrong with using semicolons. :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I love semi-colons; they are the perfect merge of two thoughts. I use them constantly; permission to say two related, yet distinct ideas. Now - conjunctions - there's a grammatical structure I reject. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I love semicolons and when I start using them too much, I turn to dashes, LOL. Or parentheticals. There must be something wrong with my brain - it's as though I "think" with semicolons. Or maybe I'm too lazy to think up the perfect conjunction. Seriously, though, if you really don't want to use a semicolon, I'd just use a period and be done with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 You definitely need to check out the semicolon poster here: http://shop.theoatmeal.com/products/how-to-use-a-semicolon :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 I did not know there was anything wrong with using semicolons. :blink: There isn't. They simply make me a little twitchy. They're proper, like no elbows on the table proper. Maybe it stems from the huge dislike I had for my high school grammar teacher. She was mean and not too concerned about teaching. I love semi-colons; they are the perfect merge of two thoughts. I use them constantly; permission to say two related, yet distinct ideas. Now - conjunctions - there's a grammatical structure I reject. :D I adore conjunctions. Perhaps that is my problem. Plus they make me think of Schoolhouse Rock. I love semicolons and when I start using them too much, I turn to dashes, LOL. Or parentheticals. There must be something wrong with my brain - it's as though I "think" with semicolons. Or maybe I'm too lazy to think up the perfect conjunction. Seriously, though, if you really don't want to use a semicolon, I'd just use a period and be done with it. Two sentences would be easier, but I don't like the way it looks then. I like stories; I dislike editing. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Quote:Originally Posted by Quill I love semi-colons; they are the perfect merge of two thoughts. I use them constantly; permission to say two related, yet distinct ideas. Now - conjunctions - there's a grammatical structure I reject. I adore conjunctions. Perhaps that is my problem. Plus they make me think of Schoolhouse Rock. Only consider: I walked the dog, and he yanked on the leash constantly. I walked the dog; he yanked on the leash constantly. The latter sounds so elegant without that clunky and hanging around in there. :D School-house rock stands guilty of discrimination against the superior semi-colon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 You definitely need to check out the semicolon poster here: http://shop.theoatmeal.com/products/how-to-use-a-semicolon :lol: Hilarious!! At least I'm not alone in my fear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 Only consider:I walked the dog, and he yanked on the leash constantly. I walked the dog; he yanked on the leash constantly. The latter sounds so elegant without that clunky and hanging around in there. :D School-house rock stands guilty of discrimination against the superior semi-colon. See maybe I'm a redneck writer or something. The second sentence sounds better, but it pulls me out of the story looking at it. It makes me want to think about the punctuation as I read. I don't want to think about grammar as the story unfolds. I may realize it's correct grammar, but I don't want to think about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginevra Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Perhaps a conjunction helps you keep moving, whereas the sem slows you down too much? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 Perhaps a conjunction helps you keep moving, whereas the sem slows you down too much? Perhaps I am a train engineer. :001_huh: Y'all are great. I ended up with several semi-colons in my short story. It's almost done. I'll read it aloud tomorrow and see how I feel about the pauses. A lion with pause, with paws....sheesh, I'm going to bed. I up way past my bedtime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 *sigh* well, I do want someone intelligent to read my books. I DON'T want to get corrected copies back AFTER someone buys them. Perhaps if I think of them as this ;) ....little secrets of good grammar. Now, should I edit while finishing off the wine or not? :lol::lol: Definitely edit before finishing the wine. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 I adore conjunctions. Perhaps that is my problem. Plus they make me think of Schoolhouse Rock. "Conjunction junction, what's your function?" I love School House Rock. I still have a copy on video. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 There isn't. They simply make me a little twitchy. They're proper, like no elbows on the table proper. Maybe it stems from the huge dislike I had for my high school grammar teacher. She was mean and not too concerned about teaching. I adore conjunctions. Perhaps that is my problem. Plus they make me think of Schoolhouse Rock. Two sentences would be easier, but I don't like the way it looks then. I like stories; I dislike editing. :tongue_smilie: Semi-colons aren't like bitter, spinster aunts extolling proper table manners. They help to keep thoughts flowing clearly; they are lane markers on the writer's highway. I will confess that I write in fear of committing a dreaded comma split. That was the one unforgivable error in my high school English class; one comma split would earn a Fail for the entire paper. That was probably overkill on her part, but I have rarely forgotten the lesson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Semi-colons aren't like bitter, spinster aunts extolling proper table manners. They help to keep thoughts flowing clearly; they are lane markers on the writer's highway. I will confess that I write in fear of committing a dreaded comma split. That was the one unforgivable error in my high school English class; one comma split would earn a Fail for the entire paper. That was probably overkill on her part, but I have rarely forgotten the lesson. I love you description of semi-colons. Did we have the same English teacher? I, too, fear the dreaded comma splice. Automatic F. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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