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I have often written sentences in the following form which combines a statement with a question, separated by a semicolon. For example,

I understand you have received payment for my order; will it ship by Monday?

Is this use of the semicolon correct, and is the semicolon commonly used in questions?

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  • I'm not sure I'd call that "incorrect," but I think a dash would work better: I understand you have received payment for my order – will it ship by Monday? – J.R. Nov 03 '13 at 11:28
  • I have no concerns about the question mark. But using 'ship' as an active verb is contrary to all my instincts! It is not 'it' that is doing the shipping. The process of 'shipping' is something that 'it' is suffering passively. So in my view one has to say 'will it be shipped by Monday?' Moreover it is not 'the order' which is being shipped. I think I would have to say 'Will the goods be shipped by Monday?' – WS2 Nov 03 '13 at 12:12
  • @WS2: presumably you would be happier with "will you ship it by Monday?" – Henry Nov 03 '13 at 12:26
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    Using ship in this way seems acceptable use, particularly in the era of online ordering. Commericial websites often say the likes of This will ship by Monday, or, This will ship by air. Macmillan offers an example usage of the verb ship: Version 4.0 should ship in a week or two. I have no problem with "Will the goods be shipped by Monday?" but the original wording is fine as-is. – J.R. Nov 03 '13 at 12:34
  • OED has ship as an intransitive verb in use since 1867, but the entry has not been updated since 1914 and this use of ship is slightly different from OED's. – Andrew Leach Nov 03 '13 at 12:34
  • This is part of the changing nature of English, which is now being taken to extremes. Personally I am not comfortable using verbs like 'appeal' as transitive e.g. 'Will he appeal the conviction?', which lawyers now use all the time. I still feel bound to include 'against'. The verb 'appeal' on its own without a preposition doesn't mean anything. It could be 'appeal for'. – WS2 Nov 03 '13 at 12:41
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    @WS2: I agree it's part of the changing nature of English. I would disagree we have here an example of such changes "taken to extremes." Personally, I'm glad language continues to evolve and adapt – thou canst quoth me on that. – J.R. Nov 03 '13 at 12:50
  • @J.R. I think you meant 'Thou canst quote me on that'! I was particularly pleased to discover, this morning, that my eight-year-old grandson is learning all about the apostrophe. So I suppose there is hope yet! – WS2 Nov 03 '13 at 13:41
  • @WS2 All about the apostrophe? Its use in some pure plurals (ex's, do's), its omission in constructs such as 'dogs home', 'childrens clothing department', Exeter City's 'St James Park', and 'working mens clubs' – and the move to drop it completely? I'll wager not. – Edwin Ashworth Nov 03 '13 at 14:35
  • @WS2 The use of 'appeal' in the sense of 'appeal against' is given in various dictionaries eg WordNet: challenge (a decision); "She appealed the verdict". However, there is often a further layer of meaning: 3. (Law) Law to apply to a superior court to review (a case or particular issue decided by a lower tribunal) (Collins) – Edwin Ashworth Nov 03 '13 at 14:55
  • @Edwin Ashworth You would wager right, but he did appreciate why I wanted to put an apostrophe in Hallowe'en! Of course you know the answer to the question 'Do you know the Battersea dog's home?' is 'I didn't know he's been away!' By omitting the apostrophe it spoils that joke! And why is St James Park, Exeter unapostrophised whilst St James's, Newcastle has one? – WS2 5 mins ago – WS2 Nov 03 '13 at 15:10
  • I assume it's the "Battersea Dogs' Home", unless they've gone the way of most institutions (including Waterstones Bookshops). You never did admit to dropping apostrophes on 'phone and 'bus. None of us like/s change at first, but it's here to stay. I use 'ship' in the newer intransitive way, though I resist some changes by not complying. It's another thing saying people shouldn't adopt new practices endorsed by various authorities, though. – Edwin Ashworth Nov 03 '13 at 15:11

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punctuation mark: a punctuation mark (;) used to separate parts of a sentence or list and indicate a pause longer than a comma but shorter than a period

A semicolon is used to separate two parts of a sentence that have a relationship to each other in terms of meaning when each part could stand alone as a sentence in its own right: The building is chiefly a tourist attraction; it is rarely used as a church these days.There is no proof that the disease is caused by agricultural use of this chemical; however, experts admit that there could be a link. Semicolons may also separate parts of a complex list when it would be confusing to use commas for this purpose: We invited Jack and Kate, who live next door; Maria, my sister-in-law; Tom, an old school friend of my husband's; and some of our colleagues from work. Like commas, semicolons are sometimes used to break up a lengthy complicated sentence, but it is often better and clearer to split the sentence up into smaller units.

  • So, is a statement-question a type of sentence, since the question asked here concerns those? – HelloGoodbye Oct 14 '20 at 23:59
  • What about the other way around, when the question is first, followed by the statement. Does it get a question mark?

    Have you found the required data; I've not been able to locate it? or

    Have you found the required data; I've not been able to locate it.

    Of course I could use two sentences, but that's beside the point.

    Thanks

     – YossiD Jan 12 '21 at 06:42