Writers and students break with the use of semicolons
Is it the ultimate expression of grammatical mastery; the sign of a writer trying too hard to look clever; or a pointless anachronism that deserves to fade into long-overdue obscurity? However it is used, the semicolon splits opinion.Now a study has found a marked decline in their use. In books written in English, in 2000 it appeared once in every 205 words; today it is down to one in every 390 words.
The study by Lisa McLendon, author of The Perfect English Grammar Workbook, found that 67 per cent of British students never or rarely used a semicolon and only 11 per cent of respondents described themselves as frequent users.
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