‘I want to scream’: Readers rage over grammar gone wrong

Following Helen Coffey’s lament over the declining use of the semicolon, Independent readers responded by voicing their own grammar and spelling frustrations.

Coffey highlighted that usage of the semicolon – described as “a chic little grammatical tool” – has halved in English books over the past 25 years.

Her piece revealed that most students don’t understand how to use it, while others consider it showy or obsolete.

In response, some readers rallied to its defence, praising the semicolon’s unique ability to connect closely related ideas without breaking the rhythm of a sentence.

Others, echoing writers like Kurt Vonnegut, dismissed it as pretentious and unnecessary. Meanwhile, a few pointed to its declining relevance in an age of emojis, AI, and rapid-fire messaging.

Beyond semicolons, readers expressed wider concerns about the erosion of grammatical standards. Common irritants included the misuse of “of” instead of “have,” confusion between “their,” “there,” and “they’re,” and the increasing appearance of apostrophes in plural forms.

Many blamed the education system, arguing that grammar is no longer properly taught in schools.

Here’s what you had to say:

I use a semicolon where a pause needs to be longer than a comma, but not a full stop; em dashes (not "en dashes") I always use in pairs – never singly – to drop in a side note.

RodJones

For me, the most annoying assault on the English language is the ever-growing use of the word "of" when it should be "have"; for instance, "he should of", instead of "he should have."

TalksSense

Sorry, but I want to scream when I see "their", "there" and "they're" put in the blender. When I was in school in the 1950s, punishment would have been swift and dire.

Kenhubert

Share your biggest grammar gripes in the comments

I persist in my use of the semicolon in defiance of the great Kurt Vonnegut's most famous piece of advice to writers – “First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you've been to college.”

Zandeman

The American English language also uses semicolons in lists where commas could cause confusion.

John Brown, an Englishman, and a married man attended.

John Brown, an Englishman; and a married man attended.

Two different meanings.

Morseman

You don't need it; that's why it dies out. You either need a colon, a comma, or a full stop. That's it. There's no need for a fourth alternative.

ItReallyIsNot

Love a semicolon – when you need a slight pause (whether in reading aloud or not) but longer than a comma, it's perfect. Of course, you also need to know when you need a colon instead.

As long as those of us who are fans never stop using it, it won't die.

Just realised I didn’t need to use one once during that; what a pity.

MoodyJack

There are no "rules" regarding semicolons. Different style guides have differing views on its use, and historical use is no more enlightening. It is only useful for lists, where a comma serves just as well, or for maintaining flow in the sorts of complex arguments that are increasingly unable to be understood by most people anyway.

If in doubt, use a full stop and start fresh with a new sentence. It's more or less idiot-proof. It's easier to read and understand. Being understood is the primary function of language – poetry aside. And poetry doesn't need punctuation.

Wordee

I remember starting my first day as an English teacher at a language institute on the continent a few years back. The head of English, a German, told me they never expected native English speakers to teach grammar as they usually had no idea... that was left to those who'd learned it as a second language.

The fact that grammar and correct spelling are either not taught or undervalued at secondary level in the UK is a huge mistake. I often find myself marking history papers of university-level students and being shocked at the level of their literacy. This is a direct result of government policy – a direct attempt to dumb down the academic levels of our children.

saghia

Dashes are not an alternative to semicolons; they serve a different function. The King's English (Fowler) is a great reference to sort out these things. Good punctuation is part and parcel of good writing. Those who think this sort of thing is snobbery are semi-literate.

Poulter

When something dies out due to a lack of use, it’s because it is effectively useless.

Let nature take its course and let down the pseudo-literary intellectuals.

Snaughter

The only time I saw it being taught was when I worked with ESOL students. Those who really grasp grammar were taught the use of it, and, to be honest, that's when I truly understood it as well. I frequently use them appropriately to encourage future generations...

Let us not forget the humble semicolon; remember the full stop hint.

Archangel

It’s not just semicolons that are falling out of use: so is the distinction between singular and plural pronouns, using “they” to refer to individuals, even when the gender is known, creating huge confusion when referring to a group and an individual within a single sentence or paragraph.

The use of “they” instead of “he” arose in the ’70s because feminists thought it was “sexist”; although, ironically, it was a female grammarian who suggested its use when using indefinite pronouns such as “someone”, the “he” considered to be genderless in this context.

But once “they” had taken the place of the singular, it spread to other contexts where the gender is known. Now it has become so ubiquitous that it is invisible.

The usual argument by the proponents of “they” is that language changes, so common usage should prevail. But this is nonsense. Not all change is necessarily beneficial, and defending change because of common usage threatens to reduce all attempts to clarify language to the lowest common denominator, because any attempt to refine usage is considered to be a form of elitism.

FinnSmith

I would dearly love to know why the use of an apostrophe before the 's' in plurals has become so ubiquitous on social media sites. I find it hard to believe that so many thousands are "just happening" to make the same mistake when it's actually quicker and easier not to use the apostrophe at all.

E.g. Tree's, vegetable's, pavement's, etc.

Am I the only one to see this on a daily basis?

HomoSapiens

Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.

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