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/lit/ - Literature

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4077517 No.4077517 [Reply] [Original]

I love these cheeky motherfuckers /lit/.

I just sprinkle them all over everything I write; I don't know how to use them but no one else does either so I don't get called out on it lol.

>> No.4077519

Recently they have had frequent use in my own writings; I just love the ability to connect two related connected thoughts without having to end the sentence yet.

>> No.4077524

There is nothing a semicolon can do that an emdash or splitting the sentence in two cannot. They are worthless. Prove me wrong.

>> No.4077526

>>4077524
;_;

>> No.4077529

>>4077524
I wanted to write properly; so I wrekt /lit's/ expectancies with semicolons.

>> No.4077530

>>4077526

--_--

>> No.4077536

>>4077530
nah that has a different effect

>> No.4077538

>>4077517
I giggled.

>> No.4077543

>>4077538
woops forgot to take off my sage

>> No.4077553

>not using only semicolons

Seriously, you should not use a period unless the story is absolutely over.

>> No.4077556

>>4077524
How about when you use semicolons to separate items in a list when those items contain commas themselves? They're useful then.

>> No.4077557

>>4077524
List clauses.

>> No.4077559

Love 'em. I also use them relentlessly and I can't recall how I picked it up, maybe because they just feel so damn good.

>> No.4077561

>>4077559
I guess it's because it's a mark of college erudition. You know someone is paying attention (or at least pretends to) in writing classes when you use semicolons.

>> No.4077569

>>4077556
>>4077557

This is as needless as using a different kind of parentheses for parenthetical statements within parenthetical statements. A well written sentence will still be readable if you separate list clauses using only commas.

>John's morning routine is set in stone: he wakes up at 6:00 AM, brushes his teeth, takes a shower, eats a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast, puts on his uniform, which he lays out the night before so it's ready, and leaves at 7:00 AM.

>> No.4077570

I use them in papers and professional letters for a little extra flavor. You have to treat them like spice - too much and you'll ruin the whole meal; use them properly, sparingly, and tastefully and they can make it stellar.

>> No.4077575

>>4077569
An all expenses paid trip stopping in London, England, Hong Kong, China, Sydney, Australia, Auckland, New Zealand...

You see what I'm getting at?

>> No.4077580

>>4077575
An all expenses paid trip that travels to London, England, then to Hong Kong, China, then to Sydney, Australia, and finally to Auckland, New Zealand.

>> No.4077581

>>4077569

>John's morning routine is set in stone: he wakes up at 6:00 AM, brushes his teeth, takes a shower, eats a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast, puts on his uniform, which he lays out the night before so it's ready, and leaves at 7:00 AM.

this is the dullest thing i read in years; please stop raping your language.

>> No.4077584
File: 132 KB, 247x265, 1350263911676.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
4077584

>>4077581

>this is the dullest thing i read in years; please stop raping your language.

>doesn't capitalize "this"
>doesn't capitalize "I"
>accuses others of raping the language

>> No.4077586

>>4077569
>>4077580
>that anal writing

>> No.4077597

>>4077584
I'll rape your mother.

>> No.4077605

>>4077597

As long as you're done raping English, I'm fine.

>> No.4077606

>>4077517
i know how to use them, and you used it wrong

>> No.4077647

>tfw when Word actively encourages me to use them more in my work

>> No.4077729

>>4077517
I hate you.

>> No.4077814

I've been using them all the time since school. I've even been told off for it a couple of times. I won't use any examples now, though.

>> No.4078484

>>4077517
no one ever calls anyone out on using semicolons wrong lol

>> No.4078515

>>4078484
same; lmao;.

>> No.4078529

>>4077517
>I just sprinkle them all over everything I write; I don't know how to use them but no one else does either so I don't get called out on it lol.

Poor. Edit your whole post. Follow the example below:

>I sprinkle them all over. I don't know how to use them, but neither does anyone else, so I don't get called out.

>> No.4078576

I do too it makes me look smart

>> No.4078649

>>4077580
but that's a bit awkward

>> No.4078680

There are only two valid reasons for reading something that isn't a textbook: learning to write or having fun. Everything else is a delusion.

>> No.4079418

>>4078680
But Heidegger said that poetic works can allow be-ing to reveal itself to itself in ways which textbooks can't.

>> No.4079424

semi-colon: for joining 2 sentences which make sense indepedantly

comma: for joining a phrase to a sentence since the phrase would lack meaning on it's own.

>> No.4079430

>>4078680
id say trying to improve ones own perspective in general is pretty reasonable, which broadly can be described as "fun"

>> No.4079434

Heavy use of semicolon is for writers who feel comfortable enough for normal prose and want to experiment, but lack the necessary knowledge to ACTUALLY experiment with prose.

Semicolons are not something that makes you look smarter because you know how to use them.

>> No.4079530

>>4077530
But he's not crying like ;_; is :*( might work

>> No.4079548

>>4079434
>Semicolons are not something that makes you look smarter because you know how to use them.

I hope no one actually thinks using them is a sort of one-up at others. I will say, though, I cannot stand when people misuse the semicolon when they mean to use a colon.

>> No.4079565

I love using semicolons too; because you can use them to connect independent clauses, you can just use them the same way you would use a period (full stop); the difference between a period and semicolon is in the length of the pause each indicates; a period indicates a longer pause than a semicolon; since I tend to speak and read quickly, I only use semicolons; the only exception I make is for the end of a paragraph.

>> No.4079946

Semicolons are good for lists, perticularly when your list may contain within it another, separate list, as in:

A, b, c; d, e, and f; g, h.

>> No.4079965

>>4077561
"Here is a lesson in creative writing. First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college."
- K Vonnegut

>> No.4079986

>>4079965
man, I was gonna drop that vonnegut quote.
the truth is, vonnegut also explains (in timequake?) that there are two kinds of writers and that his opinion wrt semicolons is relative to his taste in writing.

>> No.4080179

>>4079565
See, this is awesome writing; I'm going to start doing this all the time too.

>> No.4080219

>4079965

I've not read that yet, so if it's not spoilery or central to the plot could you quote or paraphrase what he said?

>> No.4080395

>>4080219
rlly nigga

>> No.4080398

>>4079965
>creative writing
>Kurt Vonnegut

Pick two, because both are good excuses to ignore the phrase.

>> No.4080963

>>4077553
Top lel

>> No.4080967

I don't even know what I'm doing and I put these - everywhere.

>> No.4080979

>>4079965
Tell that to Jorge Luís Borges, the master of the semicolon. It gets a little too strong at times, but I've never seen better use of the damn things.

Now the real question: are parenthesys unnecessary? Valter Hugo Mãe seems to think so. Discuss. Or not. This kind of discussion is dumb and no more productive than arguing one should never use scissors instead of nail-clippers.

>> No.4081025

>>4080979
>arguing one should never use scissors instead of nail-clippers.
nail-clippers is the only choice for nails, if you're not a hobo. even biting is above scissors

>> No.4081029

I fucking love these little guys.

>> No.4081041

>>4081025
Not for your toes ladm8

>> No.4081053

>>4081041
You'd need a really big pair of nail-clippers to cut off your toes.

>> No.4081055

>>4080979

>are parenthesys unnecessary?

In fiction, yes. Their use should be restricted to quoting sources in academic papers and the like.

>> No.4081086

>>4081055
Only a Sith deals in absolutes

>> No.4081101

Using semi-colons is easy: you only place one where you COULD place a period.

Semi-colon is a misnomer; the French call it a comma-period, which is what it actually is. It's when you want two sentences to be more connected than they would be via a full stop.

It's that simple.

>> No.4081114

>>4077524

It's not the same, though. It can be used in similar places (though not when you use two), but if you think they mean the same, you are misunderstanding both.

Semi-colons connect two sentences to make a single sentence of them. Very easily turned into two sentences again. Dashes are another story and imply something of their own which semi-colons don't.

I avoid semi-colons for fiction, same with dashes. I use punctuation like a pedantic faggot for academic writings and nonfiction, but fiction doesn't gain much from these things.

>> No.4081326

>>4078484

That's because only like 5% of the English population know how to use them.