Why avoid colons
and semicolons?
By Adam Frick · Illustrated draftWhy did the decision change?
A semicolon can put a problem beside a decision without telling you whether the problem caused the decision. I would rather see the explanation in words when that relationship matters. Why should a colleague have to infer the reasoning behind an instruction? The comparisons below show what a fuller rewrite can supply. Simply deleting the punctuation would leave the real work undone.
See the supporting references.Ask what the second statement explains.
Separate cause from sequence.
Constructed teaching exampleThe team missed the deadline; the editor postponed publication.
The editor postponed publication because the team missed the deadline.
State the finding directly.
Constructed teaching exampleThe editor identified a problem: the argument lacked evidence.
The editor found that the argument lacked evidence.
Let the verb introduce the list.
Constructed teaching exampleThe review covers three areas: structure, evidence and wording.
The review covers structure, evidence and wording.
Sometimes the mark does the right job.
I would keep a colon when the sentence clearly announces an explanation that follows. A semicolon can also help organise a complex list, as the Australian Government Style Manual explains. My objection concerns a mark standing in for reasoning the writer has not supplied. Compare the complete versions before deciding that removing punctuation has improved anything.
References and evidence
- semicolons connect related clauses and separate complex list items ↩
- Style Manual’s guidance on colons ↩
- Cambridge guide to punctuation ↩
Read the evidence and its limits.
The Australian Government Style Manual describes how semicolons connect related clauses and separate complex list items[1]. A semicolon can join two complete clauses. The punctuation tells the reader that the clauses belong together, but the mark does not specify whether the second clause gives a cause, a consequence, a contrast or simply the next event.
The Style Manual’s guidance on colons[2] describes uses including introductions to lists and explanations. A colon can introduce an explanation effectively. Before retaining the mark, check whether the words before the colon do useful work. A writer may announce information indirectly through a phrase such as “a problem”, “one important point” or “a significant issue”.
This draft applies my teaching principles concerning sentence structure and cohesion. The examples were written for this essay and do not reproduce student submissions. The Cambridge guide to punctuation[3] describes conventional uses of colons and semicolons. My recommendation to avoid unnecessary uses is an editorial judgement about effectiveness.