Semicolon Usage
Would a semicolon be used in the following instance? Looking for alternatives to using 'as I did this' or 'while I did that' lines. I should probably just be using a comma, but please let me know what you think.
Example:
"I wouldn't do that if i were you," I warned him; my hand inching close to the gun.
Thank you in advance for any input.
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@Jason Bassford nailed it.
Blockquote My hand inching close to the gun is not an independent clause. My hand was inching closer to the gun is. So is my hand inched close to the gun. A semicolon would be okay with either of those. It's also not a list item of any kind. If it doesn't make sense to use a period, it also doesn't make sense to use a semicolon. But in this particular sentence, I don't see it being an acceptable sentence fragment. It's a dependent clause; without rewording it, there should be a comma. – Jason Bassford
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