Can you write the word "and" after a semicolon, for example, "But some researchers say the studies are conceptually and technically flawed; and innocent people might be the ones being executed."? Is this correct use of the semicolon?
1 Answer
In general probably not. In this question - no. Remove the word "and" and a semicolon can work.
Explanation:
The semicolon is a punctuation that allows two related but unconnected sentences to be linked without the pause associated by a period.
In the question above, the "and" connects the two sentences. In fact, the "and" changes the nature of the sentence so that no punctuation there would be preferable:
Original - But some researchers say the studies are conceptually and technically flawed; and innocent people might be the ones being executed.
vs
No punctuation - But some researchers say the studies are conceptually and technically flawed and innocent people might be the ones being executed.
If you want a semicolon, my suggestion is to eliminate the "and":
Suggested - But some researchers say the studies are conceptually and technically flawed; innocent people might be the ones being executed.
