Picky point on semicolons

[RonButters at AOL.COM]

I agree with Larry about all this (but who knows what "rules" people may come 
up with?). Note that if the verb is intransitive, a semicolon seems flat-out 
wrong: "I not only agree, I never would have "corrected" a student's paper by 
requiring a semicolon (and I taught freshman comp for years)."

In a message dated 1/13/09 3:19:05 PM, laurence.horn at YALE.EDU writes:

[snip]

 Is there really a rule in style
> manuals against
> 
> A not only B's, it C's.
> 
> (as in
> She not only liked it, she loved it.
> I not only saw the movie, I also read the book.
> Not only did I see the movie, I (also) read the book.
> etc.)?
> 
> Granted, a "but"--where possible (as in the movie/book
> examples)--would obviate the question, but it also elevates the
> register a bit.  In any case, I can't imagine (well, I can, but...)
> the argument for preferring (a) to (b) below:
> 
> (a) Helium not only warps vocal cords; it also deadens taste buds.
> (b) Helium not only warps vocal cords, it also deadens taste buds.
> 
> In (a), that would make "Helium not only warps vocal cords" a
> complete sentence/thought, according to what I thought the standard
> rules were for semicolon use.  But it really isn't; the continuation
> is (virtually) necessary (even more so when the first clause is
> inverted) and there are no run-on sentences involved here.  That
> would seem to argue for a comma, which is in any case far more
> frequent than a semicolon in this context.  (I've looked at more "not
> only/(but) also/even" type constructions than I'd care to shake a
> stick at.)  Where the semicolon is warranted is in e.g. (c) or (d)
> 
> (c) Helium warps vocal cords; it also affects your fundamental frequency.
> (d) Helium only warps vocal cords; it doesn't make you sterile.
> 
> LH
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> 
> 




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