Semicolons between items in a series

Semicolons and commas can be used together to show groupings within a sentence.

Use semicolons with items in a series when the items in the series contain internal commas.

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: Classic science fiction sagas are Star Trek, with Mr. Spock and his large pointed ears, Battlestar Galactica with its Cylon Raiders, and Star Wars, with Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Darth Vader. Revised sentence: Classic science fiction sagas are Star Trek, with Mr. Spock and his large pointed ears; Battlestar Galactica with its Cylon Raiders; and Star Wars, with Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Darth Vader.

Without the semicolons, the reader must sort out the major groupings, distinguishing between important and less important pauses according to the logic of the sentence. By inserting semicolons at the major breaks, the writer does this work for the reader.

Exercise: The semicolon and the comma 1

Exercise: The semicolon and the comma 2

Exercise: The colon, the semicolon, and the comma

Related topics:

Semicolons between independent clauses

Comma with items in a series