Semicolons have their place in writing

Welcome, fellow Language Doctors.

Today we examine a challenging procedure: a semicolonoscopy.

Please notice that the colon in the previous sentence serves to rivet our attention onto what comes next. Think of teeing up a golf ball.

A colon also economizes: Instead of writing, "Here's an example," just write, "Example: Why choose a semicolon?"

A corporate executive tells me she has contempt for semicolons; I politely disagree.

The previous sentence could have taken the form of two sentences by placing a period where the semicolon appears. But the thoughts in each of those sentences are so closely related that, for the sake of emphasis, clarity and rhythm, the semicolon deserves your consideration.

Semicolons work well between two complete sentences not already linked by words such as "and," "but," "nor," "so" or "yet."

Occasional use of a semicolon — not for its own sake, but for its usefulness to the reader — can relieve monotony and carry the reader along in a smooth flow.

Semicolons also effectively divide items in a list, especially a long list that otherwise would contain commas; the semicolon makes clear the divisions between items. Example:

My cousin visits me next week. I'll take her to a Twins game; a play at the Penumbra; a Somali restaurant; a concert at the Lake Harriet Band Shell; and a flamenco performance in the Powderhorn neighborhood.

This column responds to a request from James Bartos, a retired teacher from Maple Grove. Want a topic discussed here? Send your request my way.

In my first radio job, as a disc jockey taking requests from listeners, I was limited to playing only tunes in the Top 40.