GRAMMAR TIPS

How to Use a Semicolon in 2023 and Beyond–You Delete It

Why you should start deleting your semicolons

“Delete your adverbs,” they said.

Lolly, keep your lovely adverbs and start deleting your semicolons instead.

“But why, Nicole? My college professor said semicolons were important?!”

Semicolons used to be more relevant in writing. You know, back when we had longer attention spans and enjoyed lengthy, descriptive sentences.

If you paid attention in grammar class, you know that semicolons are used to link related independent clauses or to replace conjunctions in dependent clauses (such as “and”).

For a complete guide on how to use a semicolon (with examples), read this Grammarly blog post.

I’m here to tell you that removing semicolons can improve your writing (and elevate its impact). Let’s dive into why.

Your readers have short attention spans

In most cases, semicolons mark the first sign that your sentence is about to be too long. Short sentences and paragraphs get way more attention online because they’re easier to read.

Modern writers need to focus on crafting simple sentences, and semicolons tend to create the opposite.

Simple sentences use only one subject and one predicate.

As a rule of thumb, your sentences should not be longer than 20–25 words. If you’re adding a semicolon to link two sentences together, you might find yourself crafting a massive sentence.

A period looks better

If you’re using a semicolon to link two independent clauses, why not just use a period?

These sentences have the same meaning:

I ordered ice cream for dessert; it’s my birthday.

I ordered ice cream for dessert. It’s my birthday.

The second example is cleaner and easier to read.

Conjunctions rock

Conjunction, junction, what’s your function? Hooking up words and phrases and clauses…

Let’s take a break and jam out.

Resuming my regularly scheduled content.

Take a look at these examples:

I read a book all weekend, and it felt good.

I read a book all weekend; it felt good.

They mean the same. While the second sentence is one word shorter, it looks awkward.

Unless you’re writing poetry, keep your conjunctions. (We’ll get into exceptions in a minute.)

Semicolons often lead to run-on sentences

One of my biggest pet peeves is the petrifying, headache-inducing run-on sentence. Semicolons tend to be the precursor to them.

Early in my writing years, I started nixing semicolons when I sensed my sentences running off with minds of their own.

Here’s an example:

Molly came over to play; however, her sister Mary had to stay home because she was sick, and this made me sad; Mary is my friend, too.

This sentence could be rewritten like this:

Molly came over to play. Her sister Mary had to stay home because she was sick, and this made me sad. Mary is my friend, too.

Phew. The second example is more appealing to the eye, and I’m not losing my breath reading it out loud.

Em dashes leave a bigger impact

A long time ago, I was told to use em dashes sparingly. Some editors prefer to cut them, but I say keep them. They leave a bigger impact — especially in headlines.

Which title looks more appealing to you?

How to Use Semicolons in 2023 and Beyond— You Delete Them

How to Use Semicolons in 2023 and Beyond; You Delete Them

The first one is far more eye-catching than the second, in my opinion.

Are there exceptions?

Of course! Some people can’t avoid using semicolons. These are the best examples of when to use semicolons:

Poetry

Semicolons can be poetic. The semicolon is also a common theme in poetry because it symbolizes a person’s efforts to keep going instead of ending their sentence (which signifies life) with a period.

As a Tattoo

Semicolons have become a popular tattoo because of their poetic meaning. The semicolon is a symbol of hope and resilience.

Long Lists

In most situations — specifically with online writing — I recommend using bullet points instead of semicolons to make a long list easier to read.

There are exceptions. One example is when you need to distinguish a city and town like:

I’m visiting Denver, Iowa; Denver, Colorado; and Denver, Indiana.

In most cases, I recommend naming the city or the state, but this is a rare case where you need to be specific since it would change the meaning of the sentence if you omitted one or the other.

Although you could say:

I’m visiting three cities called Denver in three states: Iowa, Colorado, and Indiana.

Even better:

I’m visiting the following:

• Denver, Iowa
• Denver, Colorado
• Denver, Indiana

Legal and Business Writing

In a world of “furthermore”, “however”, and “moreover”, you’re not going to avoid semicolons.

If you’re a legal or business writer, you’re going to want to ignore every word I’ve written.

Conclusion

In most cases, semicolons can be nixed when you are writing for mass audiences. Your writing is more impactful and easier to read with them absent.

What do you think?

PS — If you love your semicolons, use them. Carefully. Very carefully. ;) I’m an advocate of taking all writing advice with a grain of salt, even my own.

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