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How do I know what proper uses for a semicolon (;) are? (sopuli.xyz)

submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by sopularity_fax@sopuli.xyz to c/nostupidquestions@lemmy.ca

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It seems to me like where a period would be too strong and I want the clause after to be considered equally at the same time or possibly as a counterbalanced thing to whatever is to the left of it

If it were to parse it purely linguistically, it seems like not quite a list of things but perhaps a relevant after thought that a comma would be too weak for and a period too strong

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[–] tatterdemalion@programming.dev 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

A semicolon is like a comma or colon in that it clarifies the proceeding part of the sentence, and is a complete sentence itself.

This shouldn't have a comma because it has a compound predicate. The subject of the sentence is "a semicolon", and it participates in two predicates: "it clarifies" and "is a complete sentence".

Your sentence is also logically incorrect because a semicolon neither clarifies nor is a complete sentence.

The proper explanation is: a semicolon separates two closely related independent clauses.