Writing serval ideas in one long sentence can convey more than stating the same ideas in individual sentences. Here are some advice on how to use the semicolon to juxtapose ideas and bring out the desired message in academic prose.
Individual ideas are often grouped into lists to:
- emphasize what they have in common,
- highlight how they complement each other, or
- point out new ways they can be related.
For this purpose, the semicolon is an important punctuation to know, as it is used to 1) make lists of three of more complex items, and 2) to connect two independent clauses. Following is an example for each of these two cases with details on grammatical rules:
Using Semicolons to List Complex Items
A complex item is an item with additional description that can be used to justify its inclusion to the list.
Consider the original long sentence from Porter, 1985:
Example 1 (original)
Such industry “destroyers” are usually second-tier firms that are searching for ways to overcome major competitive disadvantages, firms that have encountered serious problems and are desperately seeking solutions, or “dumb” competitors that do not know their costs or have unrealistic assumptions about the future.
Here the author lists three types of firms that destroy their industries—each for a specific reason. However, this original version uses commas to separate the items, making the sentence difficult to take in at once: on first reading, the reader has no way of knowing that the “second-tier firms” are followed by two more complex-item examples.
This is an ideal situation for using semicolons for listing:
Example 1 (edited)
Such industry “destroyers” are usually second-tier firms that are searching for ways to overcome major competitive disadvantages; firms that have encountered serious problems and are desperately seeking solutions; or “dumb” competitors that do not know their costs or have unrealistic assumptions about the future.
In the edited version, the first semicolon after “disadvantages” notifies readers that a list of other examples might be ahead.
Grammar note: the first semicolon appears after the first item of the list because the clause introducing the list must be a complete, independent clause.
Using Semicolons to Connect Two Independent Clauses
Consider the original long sentence from Jensen & Meckling, 1976:
Example 2 (original)
In most agency relationships the principal and the agent will incur positive monitoring and bonding costs (non-pecuniary as well as pecuniary), and in addition there will be some divergence between the agent’s decisions and those decisions which would maximize the welfare of the principal.
Here the authors want to connect two aspects of the principal-agent service relationship; one of which is expected, and the other one unexpected. However, this original version uses the comma plus the “and” conjunction to separate the two aspects, making the expected/unexpected distinction ambiguous.
This is an ideal situation for using semicolons to point out how the two aspects can be related to each other:
Example 2 (edited)
In most agency relationships, the principal and the agent will incur positive monitoring and bonding costs (non-pecuniary as well as pecuniary); in addition, there will be some divergence between the agent’s decisions and those decisions that would maximize the welfare of the principal.
Grammar notes:
- when the semicolon is used to connect two clauses, both clause must be independent (i.e., they each must be able to stand alone).
- the semicolon makes the use of the commas after “relationships” and “addition” possible, further removing sources of ambiguity.
- the two independent clauses can be separated by a period. However, doing so would break the connection between the two aspects of interest completely.
(Side note: the use of the non-defining “which” is incorrect in the original version. Switch in to the defining “that” in the edit makes more sense.)
Conclusions
The semicolon is a powerful tool that can list complex ideas in single long sentences. Used properly, it can bring out information from the juxtaposed ideas more effectively than if they were stated in individual sentences. Using the semicolon according to grammar rules will produce clear and succinct sentences.
Works Consulted
Jensen, M. C., & Meckling, W. H. (1976). Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure. J. Financ. Econ. 3(4), 305–360.
Porter, M. E. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. Maxwell Mcmillen.
Carey, G. V. (1958). Mind the Stop (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Grammar and punctuation | The semicolon. (n.d.). Retrieved January 9, 2021, from https://www.ole.bris.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/courses/Study_Skills/grammar-and-punctuation/index.html#/id/5eaff0ce88d7eb04c5efb446