<p>I was just wondering, do professors and TAs not like semicolons here in UCLA? For the two essays that I have written for separate classes, my semicolons were circled and I received comments like "refrain from the usage of semicolons." This is rather strange as I always formed sentences with semicolons in high school --> "The.... ;however, ...." etc.</p>
<p>this is a ****in joke right?</p>
<p>what classes?</p>
<p>don't spam them and you'll be good.
i remember when we were first taught how semicolons were a sign of sophistication of whatever bs in high school, i used them every other sentence and it sucked.</p>
<p>Alright, thanks for the tips. I only used about 3 semicolons throughout my 5 page essay though, but I get your point.</p>
<p>Maybe you're using them wrong.</p>
<p>You used it wrong in your example.</p>
<p>Don't spam 'em, like frenchy said. About one per page is good.</p>
<p>HAHAHA funny this should come up. i'm in classics 20, and our TA gave us a speech on how she's on a mission to save the semicolon from the gross misuse that it apparently suffers from. this was particularly funny, because i always use semicolons wherever possible (probably incorrectly, too).</p>
<p>anyways, i didn't use any on that paper, haha.</p>
<p>So, I'm gonna ramble a bit:</p>
<p>Akleopard used his semicolon correctly in his first post, Pink. It may not be the most sophisticated use of it, however, and it probably is not necessary in that hypothetical sentence. It is a punctuation mark that should be used sparingly. Honestly though, I think that teachers/professors make too big a deal of its use/misuse stylistically. As long as it is grammatically correct, I don't care if it is the best use of it. And I'm an English major. But maybe I just haven't been here long enough to have had the professors in the English department indoctrinate me thoroughly. Anyways, I say don't look to satisfy some sort of "semicolon quota," but just use it when appropriate. I like this quotation from British writer Lynn Truss: "But how much notice should we take of those pompous sillies who denounce the semicolon? I say, none at all. I say they are just show-offs." (From Eats, Shoots, and Leaves - 2003) Stylistically, it is important to remember that semicolons indicate that the independent clauses they separate are related somehow. If they aren't, than you're probably using the wrong punctuation mark there. Semicolons are also unnecessary if the clauses already have a conjunction like "and" or "but."</p>
<p>Basically, use semicolons wisely, and take the obsessive and subjective advice of English TAs and professors with a grain of salt. :-)</p>
<p>i believe the title is "eats, shoots and leaves" lol. making it grammatically correct defeats the purpose ;)</p>
<p>i think that the best advice is to make a note of what your professor is looking for. and if that includes abandoning the semicolon in a few essays, why not? it's not worth arguing about.</p>
<p>Yeah, you gotta adapt to each professor. But often that means forgetting their advice afterward or even when writing for a different class. And you are correct, Liyana, it is Eats, Shoots and Leaves. My bad! Shows how much I cared by the end of that post. I love learning about grammar and all, but much of punctuation is personal preference and style, so arguments like these between student and teacher or whomever are often silly.</p>