It seems to me like where a period would be too strong and I want the clause after to be considered equally at the same time or possibly as a counterbalanced thing to whatever is to the left of it

If it were to parse it purely linguistically, it seems like not quite a list of things but perhaps a relevant after thought that a comma would be too weak for and a period too strong

  • AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.netEnglish
    2·
    16 days ago

    I have a bad habit of overusing semicolons. Usually, when I proofread some of my writing and find a semicolon I can eliminate, it’s when a semicolon isn’t necessary to show relatedness between two clauses, and that I’d be better served in letting the flow of the text fulfill that role instead.

    I’ve found that a good trick for reducing unnecessary semicolons is to read a text aloud, where semicolons involve taking a breath/pause that’s shorter than a full stop, but longer than a comma. If I find myself running out of breath, I probably need more full stops.

    Edit: everyone should be proud of my restraint in using zero (0) semicolons in this comment