My 2c is that if the majority of people are confused about the purpose of a punctuation mark or language feature in general, then that feature is not actually fulfilling a useful function. If it was actually useful then people wouldn't be confused, they would just be using it. People would learn it organically and not need it to be explained.

That example sentence would function exactly the same if it was separated by a period, nothing is gained by using a semicolon. No new information is added, you are just going to make people wonder why there is a semicolon there making the sentence less comprehensible.

Its sorta related to the prescriptivism vs descriptivism distinction.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 9 months ago

That example sentence would function exactly the same if it was separated by a period; nothing is gained by using a semicolon. No new information is added; you are just going to make people wonder why there is a semicolon there making the sentence less comprehensible.

FTFY. You aren't supposed to separate two independent clauses with a comma.

[–] Snazz 19 points 9 months ago

I occasionally use semicolons. They can help with parsing; finding a semicolon instead of a period may signify that the next expression is a continuation and expansion of the previous statement.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 9 months ago (2 children)

I fully agree with you. However, I like semicolons. They feel very chaotic because nobody knows what they do exactly.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 9 months ago

They separate different clauses that don't necessarily have to be two separate sentences. It can be used in place of a comma where you would follow with but, and, or, nor, for, so and yet.

I have a shirt, but it is itchy.

I have a shirt; it is itchy.

[–] Zoomboingding 4 points 9 months ago

It's not some kind of linguistics witchcraft 😬 of course some people know how to use them and some don't.

I have no idea why comments like yours are prevalent here; imma head out.

[–] AnUnusualRelic 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

OTOH, a lot people are also confused by vowels that sound vaguely similarly.

People get confused pretty easily.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

So you also use a semicolon if you are separating a list and the list includes phrases separated by commas. For example:

My favorite things are lions, tigers, and bears; sugar, spice, and everything nice; and the ol' red, white, and blue.

I came up with that in thirty seconds so admittedly it's a bit nonsensical, but there are valid reasons to structure a sentence this way and a semicolon is the only thing helping those independent phrases stay separate and thus help the sentence make sense.

That said, I love semicolons in general; I use them for fun and for variety. They are useful for slightly adjusting the pacing of written communication, since the reader won't treat them exactly the same as a full stop.

If it was actually useful... People would learn it organically and not need it to be explained.

People don't learn how to read and write "organically;" you need instruction. Learning how to use punctuation is a part of that instruction. You learned how to use a comma or a period way back in elementary school, you just don't remember specifically learning it. And a semicolon is a perfectly useful piece of punctuation.