[HN Gopher] Semicolons bring the drama; that's why I love them
       ___________________________________________________________________
        
       Semicolons bring the drama; that's why I love them
        
       Author : bishopsmother
       Score  : 16 points
       Date   : 2025-05-24 14:32 UTC (3 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.ft.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.ft.com)
        
       | brudgers wrote:
       | https://archive.ph/0QYGh
       | 
       | Because anti-semicolon ideology anti-poetic.
        
       | gnabgib wrote:
       | Related: _Marked decline in semicolons in English books, study
       | suggests_ (10 points, 6 days ago)
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44056344
       | 
       | Unrelated: _The origin and virtues of semicolons in programming
       | languages_ (46 points, 2024, 19 comments)
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40038712
        
       | bitwize wrote:
       | These semicolons are my light inside the dark
       | 
       | https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=M94ii6MVilw
        
       | pmg101 wrote:
       | The title misuses a semicolon and should use a colon to join two
       | somewhat-related ideas where there is a directional causality.
       | 
       | > Prescriptive grammar brings the drama: that's why I love it
        
         | timewizard wrote:
         | I love semicolons; because, they bring the drama.
         | 
         | Maybe?
        
         | yzydserd wrote:
         | I feel a semicolon is more appropriate; I would not declare
         | misuse.
         | 
         | Prescriptive grammar brings the drama; that's why I love it.
         | The second clause is more a continuation than an explanation.
         | 
         | This works, though. There is one reason I love prescriptive
         | grammar: it brings the drama.
        
       | BuyMyBitcoins wrote:
       | During high school the consensus from our English teachers was
       | "we know these things are hard to use properly. We'll teach you
       | how to do it, but it is usually better just to rewrite what you
       | are trying to say using two sentences and avoid them."
       | 
       | That being said, we were also advised to "use at most one
       | semicolon in the writing section of the SAT. Proper usage will
       | help your score. But, you better make sure you've used it
       | correctly."
        
         | wrboyce wrote:
         | I love a good semicolon, and it tickled me that your quote
         | could be rewritten to include one.
         | 
         | > We know these things are hard to use properly; we'll teach
         | you how to do it, but it is usually better just to rewrite what
         | you are trying to say using two sentences and avoid them.
         | 
         | Although it does make the sentence a bit long and unwieldy.
         | 
         | EDIT: hah, so can your second quote!
         | 
         | > Proper usage will help your score; you'd better make sure
         | you've used it correctly.
         | 
         | But in that instance I think the dropped "but" is more
         | important.
         | 
         | EDIT2: even better...
         | 
         | > Use at most one semicolon in the writing section of the SAT;
         | proper usage will help your score. But you'd better make sure
         | you've used it correctly.
        
       ___________________________________________________________________
       (page generated 2025-05-27 23:00 UTC)