| When a Semi-Colon Doesn't Fit the Syntax | | | | be the judge. |
| A writer friend of mine, who'd had four books | | | | What About the Use of a Semi-Colon in Dialogue? |
| published by major houses at the time we were | | | | Even a short article such as this would be |
| speaking, critiqued something I wrote in which I | | | | woefully incomplete if the semi-colon and its |
| had used a semi-colon to set off a series in a | | | | potential integration into dialogue was not |
| section of comedy relief that read something like | | | | broached. Some astute literary experts would |
| this: John wanted to own a farm, but without | | | | never consider setting a semi-colon in a rift of |
| many common animals; namely, dogs, cats, cows, | | | | dialogue. The suggestion would be to "write |
| and horses. He suggested a colon for this sort of | | | | around" the speaker's words so the reader |
| series, so the phrase would read: John wanted to | | | | shouldn't be confronted with a semi-colon. |
| own a farm, but without many common animals: | | | | However, while people are not parsing what they |
| dogs, cats, cows, and horses. (We can argue the | | | | hear for punctuation, is the reader of printed |
| comma preceding the last item in both examples | | | | dialogue so quick to dismiss punctuation necessary |
| some other time). I wasn't sold on my friend's | | | | to portray properly spoken syntax? |
| recommendation until I sat alone with the phrase | | | | A multitude of semi-colon naysayers would vilify a |
| and read it aloud both ways. Once I did this, from | | | | sentence written in which a character is saying to |
| the perspective of fluency, it was obvious the | | | | his friend as they are walking after someone in a |
| colon was the better punctuation choice. | | | | crowd, "She looked back; no, I was wrong, she |
| Is a Semi-Colon a Good Fit in Exposition in most | | | | didn't." But is this spit of dialogue so horrible? If so, |
| Fiction? | | | | what is the more suitable element of punctuation |
| Many learned people say semi-colons don't belong | | | | to express the meter of the speaker's tongue in |
| in fiction (especially commercial fiction). The | | | | his reaction to the moment? Does a period after |
| contention is that a semi-colon tends to stop the | | | | "back," and a new sentence beginning with "No," |
| reader. Yet I recently read, in a book on | | | | convey the same degree of angst? And how |
| contemporary fiction writing by a well-known | | | | would using all commas impact the flow? I think |
| author/agent, an eloquent if not passionate plea | | | | most might agree--not well. |
| supporting the use of semi-colons. But, to the first | | | | What is the Answer? |
| point, some feel semi-colons inhibit fluent prose | | | | What is correct--and what is not--in many |
| and might even push many writers toward | | | | instances is a matter of style and not grammar. |
| Faulknerian length material; and, for this reason, | | | | Semi-colons are not evil. To the contrary, they |
| semi-colons should be eschewed at all costs. | | | | often contribute great value. But, like any |
| Consider the sentence you just read. Does it read | | | | specialty punctuation, there can be a problem if |
| better if broken into two sentences? or would the | | | | overused. However, not utilizing semi-colons may |
| sentence be improved if the semi-colon was | | | | be ignoring a marvelous tool for enabling a |
| converted to a comma and "for this reason" sans | | | | narrative to excel, and for providing a writer with |
| any punctuation? Could it be that the original | | | | a means to display greater proficiency in the art |
| construction is superior to either suggestion? You | | | | of crafting quality prose. |