Is this correct about semicolon?

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doingresearch

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I came across the use of semicolon in this sentence " the university will offer the following; 4-year program and short courses". I think semicolon should be used to connect two clauses. I'm not sure how to use semicolon to give examples.
Please share ideas.
 

Raymott

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I came across the use of semicolon in this sentence " the university will offer the following; 4-year program and short courses". I think semicolon should be used to connect two clauses. I'm not sure how to use semicolon to give examples.
Please share ideas.
No, it should be a colon.
 

HanibalII

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I came across the use of semicolon in this sentence " the university will offer the following; 4-year program and short courses". I think semicolon should be used to connect two clauses. I'm not sure how to use semicolon to give examples.
Please share ideas.

No, it should be a colon.

I don't even see the need for a colon there.
 

Raymott

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I don't even see the need for a colon there.
Well, you'll have to explain that. Could you write the sentence as you think it should be punctuated? Here's mine:
"The university will offer the following: 4-year programs and short courses." Yes, you can omit the colon if you want to change the meaning. I don't think that was the question.
 

HanibalII

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Well, you'll have to explain that. Could you write the sentence as you think it should be punctuated? Here's mine:
"The university will offer the following: 4-year programs and short courses." Yes, you can omit the colon if you want to change the meaning. I don't think that was the question.


Say it as he's written it out. 'The university will offer the following 4 year program and short courses'.

I can't think of how to explain it. But omitting the colon doesn't change the meaning at all.
 

Raymott

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Say it as he's written it out. 'The university will offer the following 4 year program and short courses'.

I can't think of how to explain it. But omitting the colon doesn't change the meaning at all.
You don't think it's meant to be a list then? Why on earth would anyone put a semicolon there unless they were trying to indicate a list?
 

HanibalII

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You don't think it's meant to be a list then? Why on earth would anyone put a semicolon there unless they were trying to indicate a list?


It sounds as though the list is meant to come after, and on that list they'll have the content of the '4 year program and short courses'.

Further context would help.
 

emsr2d2

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It sounds as though the list is meant to come after, and on that list they'll have the content of the '4 year program and short courses'.

Further context would help.

I agree that further context would help but, as it stands, I would read it as a list consisting of "[a] four-year program and [some] short courses".
I definitely wouldn't read it as "...the following four-year program and short courses: Accountancy (four years), music, maths, French, English and pottery (short courses).
 

HanibalII

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I agree that further context would help but, as it stands, I would read it as a list consisting of "[a] four-year program and [some] short courses".
I definitely wouldn't read it as "...the following four-year program and short courses: Accountancy (four years), music, maths, French, English and pottery (short courses).


Why not? It sounds perfectly natural to me...
 

Raymott

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Why not? It sounds perfectly natural to me...
The OP says he's an English Teacher. He should have no problem writing out the sentence again, using a capital letter to start it and period to finish it. That should be conclusive.
 

doingresearch

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Ummm I should do it this way, " The university will offer the following: 4 year programs and short courses." Or " The university will offer 4 year programs and short courses."
Thank you for all sharing, you guys are always gurus here.
 

HanibalII

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Ummm I should do it this way, " The university will offer the following: 4 year programs and short courses." Or " The university will offer 4 year programs and short courses."
Thank you for all sharing, you guys are always gurus here.

Can you provide further context?
 

Raymott

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Can you provide further context?
He has his answer. You have your context.
It's now blatantly obvious that he didn't mean, “The university will offer the following 4 year programs and short courses:
[list of programs and courses]."

Why not let it rest while he still thinks you're a guru?
 
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