Whereas the comma tells the reader to take a short pause, the semicolon indicates a slightly longer pause. It is possible to write perfectly good prose without using semicolons at all, and with the decline of over-punctuation, they are seen much less than they once were. Used correctly and sparingly, however, they can be a highly effective writing tool. The semicolon’s main uses are as follows:
• To separate items in a long, catalogue-style list where commas already exist within some of the listed items: Putting the case against a new law, the Minister drew attention to the history of previous failed attempts to introduce appropriate, comprehensive, and effective legislation in this area; the complexity and sensitivity of the issue; the lengthy timescale involved; the opposition of most politicians, business leaders and academics; the difficulty of covering every conceivable circumstance; and the prohibitive cost of implementation.