How to use a semicolon - Emma Bryce

Kako koristiti tačku i zapetu - Ema Brajs (Emma Bryce)

Prevodilac: Mile Živković Lektor: Ivana Korom

It may seem like the semicolon is struggling with an identity crisis.

Možda se čini kao da tačka i zapeta pate od krize identiteta.

It looks like a comma crossed with a period.

To je ipak zapeta ukrštena sa tačkom.

Maybe that's why we toss these punctuation marks around like grammatical confetti.

Možda zato ovaj znak interpunkcije razbacujemo okolo kao gramatičke konfete.

We're confused about how to use them properly.

Ne znamo kako da ga pravilno koristimo.

In fact, it's the semicolon's half-half status that makes it useful.

Zapravo je taj status pola/pola ono što tačku i zapetu čini korisnom.

It's stronger than a comma, and less final than a period.

Ovaj znak je jači od zapete, a manje finalan od tačke.

It fills the spaces in between, and for that reason,

On popunjava prostor između, i iz tog razloga

it has some specific and important tasks.

ima neke specifične i važne zadatke.

For one, it can clarify ideas in a sentence

Kao prvo, može da pojasni ideje u rečenici

that's already festooned with commas.

koja je već pretrpana zapetama.

"Semicolons: At first, they may seem frightening,

"Tačka i zapeta: isprva, možda se čine zastrašujućim,

then, they become enlightening,

onda postaju prosvetljujuće,

finally, you'll find yourself falling for these delightful punctuation marks."

konačno, shvatićete da se zaljubljujete u ovaj očaravajući znak interpunkcije."

Even though the commas separate different parts of the sentence,

Iako zapete odvajaju različite delove rečenice,

it's easy to lose track of what belongs where.

lako je izgubiti trag tome gde šta pripada.

But then the semicolon edges in to the rescue.

Ali tu u spas dolaze tačka i zapeta.

In list-like sentences, it can exert more force than commas do,

U rečenicama nalik na spisak, mogu da ispolje više sile od zapeta

cutting sentences into compartments and grouping items that belong together.

i preseku rečenice na podeljke i grupišu stvari koje idu zajedno.

The semicolon breaks things up, but it also builds connections.

Tačka i zapeta razdvajaju stvari, ali i grade veze.

Another of its tasks is to link together independent clauses.

Takođe povezuju i nezavisne rečenice.

These are sentences that can stand on their own,

Ovo su rečenice koje mogu da stoje odvojeno,

but when connected by semicolons,

ali kada su povezane tačkom i zapetom,

look and sound better because they're related in some way.

one izgledaju i zvuče bolje jer su povezane na neki način.

"Semicolons were once a great mystery to me.

"Tačka i zapeta su mi jednom bile velika misterija.

I had no idea where to put them."

Nisam imao pojma gde da ih stavim."

Technically, there's nothing wrong with that.

Tehnički, ovde ništa nije pogrešno.

These two sentences can stand alone.

Ove dve rečenice mogu da stoje zasebno.

But imagine they appeared in a long list of other sentences,

Ali zamislite da se pojavljuju u dugom nizu drugih rečenica,

all of the same length, each separated by periods.

koje su sve iste dužine i svaka od njih je odvojena tačkom.

Things would get monotonous very fast.

Stvari bi veoma brzo postale monotone.

In that situation,

U toj situaciji,

semicolons bring fluidity and variation to writing

tačka i zapeta u pisanje unose fluidnost i varijaciju

by connecting related clauses.

kroz spajanje povezanih rečenica.

But as beneficial as they are, semicolons don't belong just anywhere.

Ali uprkos svojoj korisnosti, tačka i zapeta ne treba da stoje bilo gde.

There are two main rules that govern their use.

Postoje dva glavna pravila za njihovu upotrebu.

Firstly, unless they're being used in lists,

Prvo, ukoliko se ne koriste u nekom spisku,

semicolons should only connect clauses that are related in some way.

tačka i zapeta treba samo da spajaju rečenice koje su povezane na neki način.

You wouldn't use one here, for instance:

Na primer, nećete ih koristiti ovde:

"Semicolons were once a great mystery to me;

"Tačka i zapeta su mi jednom bile velika misterija;

I'd really like a sandwich."

Baš bi mi prijao sendvič."

Periods work best here because these are two totally different ideas.

Ovde je najbolja tačka zato što su ovo dve potpuno različite ideje.

A semicolon's job is to reunite two independent clauses

Posao tačke i zapete je da ponovo spoji dve nezavisne rečenice

that will benefit from one another's company

kojima će međusobno druženje prijati

because they refer to the same thing.

jer se odnose na istu stvar.

Secondly, you'll almost never find a semicolon willingly stationed

Drugo, nećete skoro nikada pronaći tačku i zapetu smisleno postavljene

before coordinating conjunctions:

pre naporednih veznika,

the words, "and," "but," "for," "nor," "or," "so," and "yet."

reči: "i", "ali", "već", "ni", "niti", "a", "ali" i "nego".

That's a comma's place, in fact.

To je zapravo dužnost zapete.

But a semicolon can replace a conjunction to shorten a sentence

Ali tačka i zapeta mogu da zamene veznik kako bi skratile rečenice

or to give it some variety.

ili pružile malo raznovrsnosti.

Ultimately, this underappreciated punctuation mark

Na kraju, ovaj potcenjeni znak interpunkcije

can give writing clarity, force, and style,

pisanju može pružiti jasnoću, silinu i stil,

all encompassed in one tiny dot and squiggle

zaokružene u tačkicu i crticu

that's just waiting to be put in the right place.

koje samo čekaju da ih stavite na pravo mesto.