Re:Technical Writing for Developers
by hluska on Saturday July 16, 2022 @12:52AM
(#32115315)
I like using these two ‘jokes’. Neither of them are actually funny, but they help (me).
- What is the difference between a semicolon and a cat??
One has a pause at the end of its clause. The other has claws at the end of its paws.
- What happened when the semicolon broke grammatical rules??
It got two consecutive sentences.
—-
All that said, it’s usually better not to. There aren’t really many cases in modern English where a semicolon is necessary. And there are even fewer cases where a semicolon provides a more clear expression than two sentences. In practice, they’re most often part of really badly disjointed ‘sentences’.
- What is the difference between a semicolon and a cat??
One has a pause at the end of its clause. The other has claws at the end of its paws.
- What happened when the semicolon broke grammatical rules??
It got two consecutive sentences.
—-
All that said, it’s usually better not to. There aren’t really many cases in modern English where a semicolon is necessary. And there are even fewer cases where a semicolon provides a more clear expression than two sentences. In practice, they’re most often part of really badly disjointed ‘sentences’.