
Computing Science
05. Punctuation - semi-colons
Semi-colons have one major use: to link two complete sentences that are closely related. For example:
- Every UK license holder could be subjected to scrutiny; every UK license holder's face would be available to the police.
- Every UK license holder could be subjected to scrutiny, and every UK license holder's face would be available to the police.
- Every UK license holder could be subjected to scrutiny because every UK license holder's face would be available to the police.
- Every UK license holder could be subjected to scrutiny. Every UK license holder's face would be available to the police.
None of these versions have quite the same impact as the semi-colon version because parting sentences destroys the rhythm.
The most famous example of semi-colon use can be found at the beginning of some editions of Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities.
- It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom; it was the age of foolishness. It was the epoch of incredulity; it was the epoch of belief. It was the season of light; it was the season of darkness. It was the spring of hope; it was the winter of despair.
Other editions use commas. There is no absolutely fixed rule.
Semi-colons can also be used to separate items within a list, if those items are quite long. For example:
- When marking an essay, a tutor looks for a clear introductory paragraph; a sensible structure within paragraphs and within the essay as a whole; a sound argument with appropriate and correctly cited evidence; a measured and valid conclusion; the question to be referenced throughout; and correct spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Task | Task Type | Difficulty |
---|---|---|
Task 1 | Free text | More Challenging |
Task 2 | Free text | Moderate |
Task 3 | Multiple choice | Easier |
Task 4 | Free text | Moderate |
Task 5 | Free text | Moderate |
Task 6 | Multiple choice | More Challenging |
Task 7 | Free text | Moderate |
Task 8 | Multiple choice | Easier |
Task 9 | Multiple choice | Easier |