Punctuation

[scripto]

When you have already used a colon,can you go on to use a semicolon in the same sentence?

[MikeNewYork]

When you have already used a colon,can you go on to use a semicolon in the same sentence?

Possibly. Do you have specific examples?

[BobK]

Yes, possibly. But it's usually unwise (if you're aiming for smoothness and accuracy of communication). I try to avoid it - which often forces me to use dashes, which some people like even less.

b

[MikeNewYork]

Yes, possibly. But it's usually unwise (if you're aiming for smoothness and accuracy of communication). I try to avoid it - which often forces me to use dashes, which some people like even less.

b

I agree that it is usually unwise. One notable exception is the use of semicolons to separate a list of items that contain commas.

While I was on vacation, I visited the following places: San Francisco, California; Chicago, Illinois; and Columbus, Ohio.