Tagged Questions
2
votes
1answer
64 views
Use semicolon or period when telling a result of an action?
If you look at these sentences, the second one is result of the first:
Alex shouts and feels pain in his leg, and he rubs the place with hand and looks at the leg. His leg swelled little bit.
So ...
2
votes
1answer
91 views
Why ; is called semicolon and what is its history? [closed]
Semi- is a Latin prefix meaning "half" and colon is another punctuation.
Should I therefore say that semicolon is a halved colon?
2
votes
2answers
146 views
Should I use commas or semi-colons in this multi-item list within a sentence?
In the following sentence, I am listing multiple areas of study. Should they be separated by commas or semi-colons?
"In my exposure to this field so far, I have come to appreciate just how ...
-1
votes
1answer
86 views
Comma or semicolon?
Which of the following is correct?
This not only produces higher success rates, it increases our energy and morale instead of depleting them.
This not only produces higher success rates; it ...
1
vote
2answers
384 views
Use of a semicolon before and comma after “however”
Several years ago, a previous boss told me to use a semicolon and comma with the word "however". I've always questioned this and would like to know if the following random sentences are using the ...
0
votes
3answers
150 views
Can a semicolon be used to separate questions? [closed]
Did you see Survivor last night; it was crazy, right?
Did you see Survivor last night? It was crazy, right?
Can a semicolon separate questions? Which one is correct?
2
votes
6answers
234 views
Em dash vs semicolon: which is more appropriate in the following examples?
I am very confused by these, and even when I understand other people's usage of them I find it difficult to know when to employ them myself. For this reason, I am trying to make my own examples and ...
0
votes
3answers
176 views
Are semicolons mandatory in a non-bulleted list after a colon?
Are semicolons required (rather than commas) in a list after a colon when the list is not bulleted? I was told that it was a rule, but I can find no authoritative prescriptive source.
Consider the ...
1
vote
1answer
124 views
Question about sentence structure and semicolons
Suppose the following sentence:
When the sun comes in the morning; the sky is blue.
Are "When the sun comes in the morning" and "the sky is blue" two clauses of the sentence? So, is it correct to ...
2
votes
2answers
106 views
What is the rule of using semicolons in this sentence? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is it proper usage to replace a comma in a list with a semi-colon in this situation (see details)?
Transglobal historians are muscling up with their magnum opuses; ...
-1
votes
3answers
631 views
Is a semicolon appropriate in this sentence? [closed]
Is 1 or 2 correct? Or neither?
I'm not saying I'm Batman, but answer me this; have you ever seen me and Batman in the same room?
I'm not saying I'm Batman, but answer me this. Have you ever ...
0
votes
2answers
105 views
How can this sentence be written correctly? [closed]
Our interactive products are fun to use on desktop, mobile and touchscreen devices, just look awesome and are driven by the latest technology.
The commas don't seem right to me. Shouldn't there ...
-2
votes
2answers
84 views
What is the best way and what are the differences to introduce a “pause explanatory” phrase inside another one? [closed]
In this example:
bla bla bla phrase such as even if something like this doesn’t exist bla bla bla.
What can I use to inject my phrase in the middle of the sentence?
,phrase, (commas)
;phrase; ...
5
votes
3answers
262 views
Is this correct usage of a semi-colon?
I always have problems with the use of semi-colons.
Is the following proper usage? They are connected but also standalone sentences.
I speak and write English fluently; as you can see from my CV, ...
2
votes
5answers
1k views
Semicolons at the end of list items
In school, we were taught to end each list item with a semicolon. But I have never actually seen this. Can somebody please confirm this? Should we end each list item with anything at all?
I've seen ...
6
votes
2answers
654 views
How does using a semicolon or a full stop change meaning?
Federal agencies and Wal-Mart are investigating the charges; C. J.’s Seafood did not respond to The Times’s request for comment.
In this statement, what is the effect of semicolon in the meaning ...
1
vote
1answer
117 views
What is the correct punctuation to use in this case?
If I have a sentence like:
The royal family is extremely rich: The sled that pulls the princess
is shaped like a golden swan, the celebrations last 3 days, and the
bride and groom walk under a ...
5
votes
2answers
377 views
“Don't worry, …”
"Don't worry, it won't hurt much."
Is the comma the correct punctuation mark to use after "Don't worry"? This seems to be the norm, but I feel like there almost two sentences there and that ...
7
votes
5answers
564 views
How to punctuate lists that are nested to three levels?
A basic list is punctuated like this:
The park has some bears, deers, and other animals.
(bears) (deers) (other animals)
When commas appear inside the items of a list, or when lists appear ...
0
votes
3answers
280 views
What punctuation to use for “X or equivalently Y” and where does it go?
Suppose I have a phrase that expresses two statements as being equivalent. The details aren't important (they happen to be mathematical statements, and for the purpose of illustration, let's use "A is ...
0
votes
0answers
251 views
Punctuation in a bulleted list [closed]
In a bulleted list of why energy codes are important, I'm having trouble figuring out which punctuation to use. Here's the sentence and bullet:
"Energy codes help our state in many ways. For example, ...
0
votes
1answer
881 views
“—” vs. “;” vs. “,” vs. “()” — what's the difference? [closed]
All of these punctuation marks seem to have the same purpose.
Is there any general guideline for picking one for each use case?
3
votes
1answer
252 views
Semicolon use: a quick question
Is the following sentence correct, and is its use of the semicolon correct? Note that the use of the word 'concurrency' is meant to indicate a computer science term.
A host of design issues are ...
3
votes
0answers
45 views
Do I use semicolons to create a list where there are commas in the items? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is it proper usage to replace a comma in a list with a semi-colon in this situation (see details)?
When should one use the comma versus the semicolon, and vice versa?
I ...
5
votes
4answers
1k views
Should an ending semicolon be underlined?
Should the semicolon at the end of an underlined heading also be underlined?
3
votes
2answers
173 views
Is this a correct use for semicolons?
Is this sentence punctuated correctly?
Not only am I a wife, but a mother; not only a daughter, but a sister; not only a coworker, but a friend.
0
votes
1answer
128 views
Where to use “!”, “;”, “`” [closed]
Where should I use the following symbols while writing something in English language?
! — exclamation mark
; — semicolon
` — grave accent
11
votes
6answers
3k views
Am I misusing the semicolon?
Is the semicolon in the following sentence misused?
How can I miss you; we've never met?
I feel that the sentence, to be grammatically correct, must be split into its individual parts.
0
votes
2answers
263 views
How to join the conclusion to the sentence?
I am in the process of creating a post on one of the other Stackexchange sites, and I came across something I've been wanting to ask for a while:
When I VPN to work from my Windows desktop, I ...
2
votes
1answer
102 views
Correctly using a semicolon? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How does one correctly use a semicolon?
I was wondering if the following was the correct usage of a semicolon or if a comma is more apt for this use.
Well, have we ...
10
votes
3answers
296 views
Does this sentence make proper use of the semicolon and colon?
I have the following sentence:
Relationships once so convoluted and
beyond me were now clear: Pain became
love; betrayal, loyalty; nonchalance,
care.
What I'm trying to accomplish is list ...
6
votes
4answers
8k views
Does the word after a question mark start with a capital letter?
Should I write it like this? Or perhaps like this?
Should I write it like this? or perhaps like this?
What about after an exclamation mark or semicolon?
3
votes
4answers
215 views
Using the semicolon in my sentence
I am writing an essay and don't have a fundamental understanding in using semicolons, and in fact writing as well.
My sentence is below:
Group dynamics is the study of the processes and functions ...
7
votes
4answers
359 views
When and why did the em-dash and the hyphen supplant the semicolon?
It seems to me that semicolons are rarely used today in ordinary English writing - even in newspapers and books. They appear to have been replaced, in many cases, by em-dashes and hyphens (the hyphen ...
6
votes
4answers
842 views
When should you use a semicolon *with* a conjunction?
I know the basics of a semicolon—at least I think I do. Aside from delimiting verbose lists, it separates independent clauses of a sentence. So, if you have two independent clauses in a sentence, ...
2
votes
2answers
290 views
Can “;” be used to replace the word “but”?
Are these two sentences both correct and equivalent?
People say stuff like "all lawyers are
liars", but it's not true.
People say stuff like "all lawyers are
liars"; it's not true.
Is ...
1
vote
1answer
320 views
Are these sentences both grammatically correct?
I can no longer remember her face, too
much time has passed.
I can no longer remember her face; too
much time has passed.
3
votes
3answers
248 views
Understanding independent clauses
My understanding is that semicolons are used to separate independent clauses of a sentence, and also to delimit a list wherein one or more members contain a comma.
Regarding the first usage, my ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
What are the rules on when to use commas, colons, semicolons and dashes?
What are the rules on when to use commas, colons, semicolons and dashes?
9
votes
1answer
738 views
Is it proper usage to replace a comma in a list with a semi-colon in this situation (see details)?
While writing a proposal at work today I needed to mention a list of things and within that list were multi-part items. It seems like replacing the comma with a semi-colon in this situation would make ...
6
votes
2answers
408 views
Should the second part of a semicolon-separated sentence be capitalised?
In another question this example of semicolon usage is given:
When dinosaurs agree on something, they often high-five one another; dinosaurs are all about high-fives.
However, I have also seen ...
4
votes
3answers
3k views
When should one use the comma versus the semicolon, and vice versa?
I cannot understand the difference between the comma and semicolon. Can you please clarify?
10
votes
3answers
575 views
Colons and semi-colons
I've seen a few questions on this site relating to semi-colons, which I believe I correctly understand, but what I'm not as clear about is colons. For example:
The man ate the apple; it tasted ...
31
votes
5answers
5k views
Should I use a semicolon or a dash to connect two closely related sentences?
When you want to connect two closely related sentences, you can use a semicolon or a dash. (You can also use a dash for other kinds of non-sentential relations). How would you choose whether to use a ...
25
votes
6answers
1k views
How does one correctly use a semicolon?
How does one correctly use a semicolon? It is probably one of the more difficult punctuation marks to master in my opinion.
