Comments on: Do not fear the semicolon http://blog.pigsaw.org/permalink/2005/09/20/187 All the pig that's fit to saw Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:44:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Reader http://blog.pigsaw.org/permalink/2005/09/20/187#comment-195 Reader Sat, 24 Sep 2005 12:26:46 +0000 http://blog.pigsaw.org/permalink/2005/09/20/187#comment-195 Here's another take on the semicolon and the FT article: http://signpostsblog.blogspot.com/2005/09/not-half-assed-defense-of-semicolon.html Here’s another take on the semicolon and the FT article:

http://signpostsblog.blogspot.com/2005/09/not-half-assed-defense-of-semicolon.html

]]> By: Nik http://blog.pigsaw.org/permalink/2005/09/20/187#comment-179 Nik Wed, 21 Sep 2005 08:03:48 +0000 http://blog.pigsaw.org/permalink/2005/09/20/187#comment-179 Any teacher who writes more than "v good" or "see me" must be one of the old school. Though perhaps those were the days when class sizes of 30 were the exception rather than the norm. I'm not sure I would be comfortable with tending to avoid a semicolon. Avoiding a semicolon is easier if you're prepared to restructure what you've written, and I'm not sure I'd like to restructure my words to fit the punctuation. Any teacher who writes more than “v good” or “see me” must be one of the old school. Though perhaps those were the days when class sizes of 30 were the exception rather than the norm.

I’m not sure I would be comfortable with tending to avoid a semicolon. Avoiding a semicolon is easier if you’re prepared to restructure what you’ve written, and I’m not sure I’d like to restructure my words to fit the punctuation.

]]> By: marian http://blog.pigsaw.org/permalink/2005/09/20/187#comment-178 marian Tue, 20 Sep 2005 19:52:58 +0000 http://blog.pigsaw.org/permalink/2005/09/20/187#comment-178 Twenty five years ago my English teacher (one of the old school) wrote something like this in my exercise book: "A semi-colon should only be used if the phrase following it could stand alone as a sentence in its own right, and if that phrase has no additional punctuation before the full stop." I also read several years ago that when used correctly, the semi-colon is the most beautiful punctuation mark in the English language. I agree, so I avoid it unless I'm really sure, in order not to dilute the effect. Twenty five years ago my English teacher (one of the old school) wrote something like this in my exercise book: “A semi-colon should only be used if the phrase following it could stand alone as a sentence in its own right, and if that phrase has no additional punctuation before the full stop.” I also read several years ago that when used correctly, the semi-colon is the most beautiful punctuation mark in the English language. I agree, so I avoid it unless I’m really sure, in order not to dilute the effect.

]]>