Wednesday 30 April 2008

Semicolon and the Exclamation Point!!

I am resolved to STOP using the exclamation point after every sentence! I am also resolved to start using the semicolon; to learn how and when to better use it; to add dimension to my blogging.

Got this from a post at Challies

by Lewis Thomas
I have grown fond of semicolons in recent years. The semicolon tells you that there is still some question about the preceding full sentence; something needs to be added; it reminds you sometimes of the Greek usage. It is almost always a greater pleasure to come across a semicolon than a period. The period tells you that that is that; if you didn’t get all the meaning you wanted or expected, anyway you got all the writer intended to parcel out and now you have to move along. But with a semicolon there you get a pleasant little feeling of expectancy; there is more to come; read on; it will get clearer.

Thomas’ thoughts on the ever-annoying exclamation mark.

Exclamation points are the most irritating of all. Look! they say, look at what I just said! How amazing is my thought! It is like being forced to watch someone else’s small child jumping up and down crazily in the center of the living room shouting to attract attention. If a sentence really has something of importance to say, something quite remarkable, it doesn’t need a mark to point it out. And if it is really, after all, a banal sentence needing more zing, the exclamation point simply emphasizes its banality!
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You can read the rest of Thomas’ thoughts on punctuation here.
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Have a great day; enjoy spring; love somone! oops...someone.

4 comments:

Mrs. Wizzle said...

Sorry, I really like the exclamation point! I probably overuse it, but so what! Really!

Angie said...

I use the !!! lots. Its usually to emphasize how great I think something is. :)

Anonymous said...

I love semicolons. However, I don't think you used them correctly in your sentence. Semicolons can be used between clauses which could stand alone (http://www.buzzin.net/english/semicols.htm). The other acceptable use is for lists where separating with commas is not sufficiently clear; you should still use the word 'and' before the last item in the list. So your sentence could be "I am also resolved to start using the semicolon; to learn how and when to better use it; and to add dimension to my blogging."

Giving me all those grammar text books to read has paid off (or is that paid back?)

Julie Cortens said...

party pooper!