What is the Purpose of a Semicolon in a Sentence?

[samy4408]

can someone tell me what is the meaning of the horizontal line in the sentence ?
thanks .

 

[Drakkith]

It's just connecting the two ideas together. It's not a very well written sentence and is very awkward to read. If anything it reads like someone was transcribing what someone else was saying and the speaker messed up and had to correct themselves. "Light is something which enters the eye." Oh, I messed that up. Let me correct it real quick. "Which bounces off objects into the eye."

 

[DrClaude]

The symbol is called an "em-dash." See the following link for an explanation of its usage:
https://www.thesaurus.com/e/grammar/em-dash/

 

[Klystron]

I used to use double dashes to separate clauses and descriptors in sentences but largely stopped using them to avoid confusion, particularly on international forums like PF. I also use fewer semicolons for the same reason.

I was taught to separate subordinate clauses from sentence body with a semicolon, or double dash, when the clause already contained items separated by commas, for clarity; to reduce, not increase, confusion.

 

[berkeman]

I used to use double dashes to separate clauses and descriptors in sentences but largely stopped using them to avoid confusion, particularly on international forums like PF; I also use fewer semicolons for the same reason.

I was taught to separate subordinate clauses from sentence body with a semicolon, or double dash, when the clause already contained items separated by commas, for clarity to reduce, not increase, confusion.

There, I fixed it for you.

(doesn't the "subordinate clause" after the semicolon need to be a stand-alone sentence in its own right? I guess I need to review that rule. Back in a bit...)

 

[berkeman]

Ah,

Use a semicolon to connect related independent clauses. An independent clause is a sentence that communicates a complete thought and makes sense on its own.

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/when-to-use-a-semicolon

 

[Klystron]

Ah,

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/when-to-use-a-semicolon

Correction noted. The masterclass article verifies my use of semicolon with lists of items separated by commas; clauses separated by semicolons must be independent. TIL