PHS PERSPECTIVE: Use the semicolon; it can add emphasis

By Melissa Delikouras
   When asked to define a semicolon, students at Princeton High School produced a variety of responses that revealed a level of uncertainty associated with this form of punctuation. According to Katie Hayes ‘12, a semicolon is “a dot and a comma vertically parallel to each other that indicate a pause and are completely confusing.”
   Hayes captured the essence of the semicolon (well, sort of), yet failed to define its usage precisely. The semicolon, as established by the formal grammar rules of the English language, intends to separate two distinct clauses. These clauses could very well be separated by another form of punctuation, mainly a period. However, the semicolon serves to relate the two and allows the idea from the first clause to be carried into the second clause.
   Take “I like to run.” and “It keeps me in shape,” for instance. Inserting a semicolon between the two to produce “I like to run; it keeps me in shape.” This allows the second clause to offer an explanation for the first.
   The semicolon may also be used in another, less common way. Take the phrase “big, furry cats,” for example. If a writer wishes to combine it with another phrase broken up by commas, he or she may use the semicolon to separate the different phrases. In this way, sentences such as “I have big, furry cats; ferocious, black dogs; colorful, noisy parrots,” can be written, in which each item is distinctly separated from the others.
   The rules for using this form of punctuation don’t seem too complicated, so why all the confusion? Well, for one, students feel that they never received proper classroom instruction on the semicolon and the manner in which it should be used.
   ”Teachers in the past have not done a good job of teaching me to use them,” says Ellis Bloom ‘13. He had never really worked with the semicolon “until this summer prepping for the SAT’s.”
   Aaron Thayer, English teacher at PHS, does not teach the semicolon to his freshmen and sophomores.
   ”We are more focused with style and organization, and less on grammar,” he says. Thayer has never seen a student use it incorrectly. “The students who know how to use the semicolon always use it correctly and those who don’t know how, just don’t use it.”
   Students may hear about it and carry a vague idea of it, yet aren’t always comfortable using it when they write due to this lack of instruction.
   ”I often find that I want to mix up my writing by using different punctuation but I don’t have any experience with this [the semicolon],” says Sabar DasGupta ‘14. “I think a lot more students would use the semicolon if they actually understood how it works.”
   Students might also shy away from the semicolon, because they view it as an unnecessary form of punctuation and don’t recognize how it might contribute to more-effective writing.
   ”I don’t believe it is necessary in writing,” says Rebecca Mnych ‘13. “Why not just replace it with a period?” As previously mentioned, a period fails to account for the link between two independent statements, as a semicolon can. The semicolon – just a simple punctuation mark – is powerful enough to convey the author’s ability to note a relationship and connect ideas. Conveniently for the author, this may be done without the use of extra words (especially conjunctions such as because) and/or drawn-out explanations.
   What about the appearance of the semicolon? It could be described as something in between a comma and a colon, or even a comma dotted with a period. Could this odd appearance, essentially a mixture of other punctuation marks, be contributing to the perplexity of students? According to Elle Wilson ‘14, “the semicolon looks confusing because it’s sort of in between a colon and a comma.” This causes there to be a “thin line for when you should use it in writing.”
   Nevertheless, some students are familiar with the semicolon’s purpose and view it as a significant writing tool.
   ”I think it’s incalculably helpful, contributing to style when I write,” says Harry Kioko ‘14. “It adds emphasis to each specific point by separating one from the other, while at the same time, relates the points. Every writer should possess at the very least a fundamental understanding of its use.”
   To many students, the semicolon often seems like a trap or a barrier, something that they must find their way around. What is it, anyway? And why bother use it when it can easily be replaced with other punctuation marks? These questions regarding the semicolon can be attributed to a lack of instruction on its uses, a misunderstanding of its potential in writing, and apparently, even the way it looks. Nonetheless, the semicolon should not be feared nor disregarded; it is a writer’s friend.
   Melissa Delikouras is a junior at Princeton High School.