Writing with Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing

In the final section of the book, Trimble turns to a “grab-bag of notes,” or odds and ends about writing that did not fit neatly in previous chapters, including punctuation (99). This section answers the “recurring questions that have plagued the majority of students I have known, be they freshmen or seniors” (99). Again, Trimble demonstrates that the ideal reader of Writing with Style is the college essay writer, although all authors will benefit from these odds and ends.

Below is a summary of Trimble’s grab-bag of punctuation notes:

Semicolons. Semicolons (;) allow the writer to combine two or more related sentences into one complex sentence. Trimble compares semicolons to the device that attaches two railroad cars to each other. Sounds easy enough, but most students use semicolons incorrectly: “The average college freshman isn’t ready for semicolons,” Trimble writes (101). Their typical downfall is that the clause after the semicolon is not a complete sentence, making it grammatically incorrect. Because authors often use semicolons incorrectly, when in doubt, take them out and opt for multiple, shorter sentences.

If you want to make sure you’re using semicolons correctly, put a period between the two clauses to check if either sentence can stand alone.