55b Using semicolons to separate items in a series

55bUsing semicolons to separate items in a series

Ordinarily, commas separate items in a series (54e). But when the items themselves contain commas or other punctuation, using semicolons to separate the items will make the sentence clearer and easier to read.

Anthropology encompasses archaeology, the study of ancient civilizations through artifacts; linguistics, the study of the structure and development of language; and cultural anthropology, the study of customs, language, and behavior.