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punctuation - Is it proper usage to replace a comma in a list with a semi-colon in this situation (see details)?


While writing a proposal at work today I needed to mention a list of things and within that list were multi-part items. It seems like replacing the comma with a semi-colon in this situation would make the sentence easier to understand, but is it correct usage?


With standard punctuation this could get confusing:



Some of my favorite things to do are camping, playing football and baseball, watching Laurel and Hardy Movies, and traveling.



Proposed alternative. Is this acceptable usage?



Some of my favorite things to do are camping; playing football and baseball; watching Laurel and Hardy Movies; and traveling.




Answer



The Chicago Manual of Style offers these pieces of advice:



6.21 Semicolons within series. When elements in a series involve internal punctuation, or when they are very long and complex, they should be separated by semicolons.


6.60 In a series. When items in a series involve internal punctuation, they should be separated by semicolons.



.



Is this acceptable usage?



Some of my favorite things to do are camping; playing football and baseball; watching Laurel and Hardy Movies; and traveling.




In the specific case of this example sentence, no it isn't, because the semicolon isn't really necessary. Try blowing it up a bit and the semicolon starts to be more useful:



Some of my favourite things to do are camping with my best friends in isolated, lonely woods; playing football, baseball, eating sausages, offering ridiculous advice on question-and-answer websites; watching Laurel and Hardy, Arnold Schwarznegger, or Sylvester Stallone movies, and travelling to the farthest-flung corners of the globe.



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