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Old 03-07-2013, 08:03 AM   #46
Dr. Drib
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Perhaps...but sticking an adverb after the semi-colon requires a comma (in my example).

By the way, I was taught the same as you were, in that the clauses need to be independent.



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Old 03-07-2013, 09:10 AM   #47
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As a matter of interest, would the British phrase "full stop" be recognised by an American audience? The American word "period" would probably not be recognised by the overwhelming majority of British readers - the word means something else entirely in British English.
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Old 03-07-2013, 09:53 AM   #48
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Originally Posted by HarryT View Post
As a matter of interest, would the British phrase "full stop" be recognised by an American audience? The American word "period" would probably not be recognised by the overwhelming majority of British readers - the word means something else entirely in British English.
I am familiar with the term full stop, but probably only from reading Douglas Adams and others. (Also where I learned of "zebra crossing.")

Period has several meanings in American English. Aside from the punctuation mark, it primarily refers to a span of time.
What does it mean by you?

Back on topic, as I think I said earlier in the thread, I use semicolons regularly to end lines of C-style computer code. Even as a AP English Comp student, I have never clearly understood how or why I'd use them in prose, and the need to do so has never come up.

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Last edited by ApK; 03-07-2013 at 09:59 AM.
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Old 03-07-2013, 10:04 AM   #49
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Period has several meanings in American English. Aside from the punctuation mark, it primarily refers to a span of time.
What does it mean by you?
In British English, I'm afraid the word means a woman's monthly menstrual bleeding - hence the "raised eyebrows" for British readers in seeing it.
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Old 03-07-2013, 10:08 AM   #50
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In British English, I'm afraid the word means a woman's monthly menstrual bleeding - hence the "raised eyebrows" for British readers in seeing it.
It means that in American English too. It's a simple matter of context when using the word though.

Actually, my family tends to refer to it as Aunt Flow coming for a visit.

. . . the menstual stuff, not the punctuation thingy . . .
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Old 03-07-2013, 10:21 AM   #51
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Even as a AP English Comp student, I have never clearly understood how or why I'd use them in prose, and the need to do so has never come up.
There are two very common uses for semi-colons:

1. When you want to have a connection between two clauses that's more than a comma, but less than a full stop (period). Eg. I went for a walk this morning; the sun was shining. Here, the second clause is related to the first, so it wouldn't really be appropriate to make it a new sentence. Either a semi-colon or a dash is appropriate.

2. When you have a list, and the items in the list themselves contain commas, a semi-colon is generally used to separate the items.

It really is a very useful punctuation mark .
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Old 03-07-2013, 11:09 AM   #52
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I Love You Period

My favorite punctuation-themed rock song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AvS4PjGTZ0

Last edited by ApK; 03-07-2013 at 11:12 AM.
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Old 03-07-2013, 11:23 AM   #53
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ApK View Post
I am familiar with the term full stop, but probably only from reading Douglas Adams and others. (Also where I learned of "zebra crossing.")

Period has several meanings in American English. Aside from the punctuation mark, it primarily refers to a span of time.
What does it mean by you?

Back on topic, as I think I said earlier in the thread, I use semicolons regularly to end lines of C-style computer code. Even as a AP English Comp student, I have never clearly understood how or why I'd use them in prose, and the need to do so has never come up.

ApK
Actually, most adults take period to mean "A woman is having her period".
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Old 03-07-2013, 11:24 AM   #54
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Originally Posted by teh603 View Post
Here's how I was taught:

It was going to rain today; the man carried his umbrella.

Two contextually-related independent clauses, no splice needed other than the semicolon.
That doesn't actually read all that well.

The man carried his umbrella because it was going to rain today.

That actually reads a lot better (IMHO).
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Old 03-07-2013, 11:54 AM   #55
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What is this compulsion modern society has with comparing everything to "Rocket Science"? Rocket Science is so ... 60's; it isn't even that difficult. Being a "Rocket Scientist", with a piece of paper that says I am and everything, I can tell you that I have a MUCH harder time trying to figure out what the proper use of a semi-colon is. Not to mention dangling participles or ending a sentence with a preposition....
Turtle, figuring this stuff out isn't Brain Surgery. . .
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Old 03-07-2013, 12:15 PM   #56
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Originally Posted by HarryT View Post
T I went for a walk this morning; the sun was shining.
A period works there just fine. I know of no such case where I would use a semi-colon instead of a period. A period over a comma? Sure.

But then again, my editors change my punctuation all the time. So what do I know?

Quote:
2. When you have a list, and the items in the list themselves contain commas, a semi-colon is generally used to separate the items.

It really is a very useful punctuation mark .
This use case makes sense.
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Old 03-07-2013, 12:24 PM   #57
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Turtle, figuring this stuff out isn't Brain Surgery. . .
MUCH better!

Thank you.

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Old 03-07-2013, 12:34 PM   #58
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In British English, I'm afraid the word means a woman's monthly menstrual bleeding - hence the "raised eyebrows" for British readers in seeing it.
It's all about context.

Sort of like the word jam: 1) something to eat. 2) in a difficult situaion.

Period:

1) a full stop, usually used in writing.
2) menstrual cycle. Depending upon context, it will not raise eyebrows.
3) a way of speaking, for added emphasis. "I want this done now! Period!"



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Old 03-07-2013, 12:46 PM   #59
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1) You must pause when you come to the period at the end of a sentence.
2) You have math during 5th period.
3) You were a fast runner during the Jurassic period of the Mesozoic era.
4) For a long period he didn't come to the studio at all.
5) Period costumes, particularly the ladies ' exquisite dresses, were excellent.

Not once do those sentences refer to menstrual flow...

I would be very loath to say that 'most adults take period to mean "A woman is having her period". ' I think it is definitely a contextual thing.
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Old 03-07-2013, 12:56 PM   #60
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When you get married and have to go to the pharmacy to get the pads for the wife, you'll think of period as the menstrual flow.
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