Got any pointers to documents that talk about ESL and semi-colons? Is the way that English uses semi-colons unusual?
Hi Kris,
Your proposed change also works for me. Short crisp sentences are easier to parse. It’s not always clear to ESL readers what to do with the semicolon and how the segments before and after the punctuation are related.
Gershon Joseph | Senior Information Architect | Precision Content
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Gersgon, you mentioned that you thought that the use of semi-colons made a sentence harder for a ESL reader. Can I ask why you think that? And do other TC members have thoughts and/or experience here?
I'm working a comment in the most recent DITAweb review, where you requested a change:
Original text
The <figgroup> element can nest; it also can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords.
Requested change
The <figgroup>element can nest and can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords
To me, the original text is easier to read and parse ... If I were to change it, I'd tend to rework it as follows: "The <figgroup> element can nest. It also can contain multiple cross-references, footnotes, and keywords