Semicolon as Super-comma [duplicate]

I hear I can use a semicolon as a "super-comma", where I'm listing three or more elements that have commas within them. I'm wondering, then, if this is correct:

Our objective function is the annual cost of the abatement methods, which we plan to minimize; our decision variables are the amount of each abatement method we will use for each furnace type; and our constraints are such that our abatement methods are sufficient to achieve the designated amount of pollution control (and that the abatement methods are physically reasonable, i.e. no negative-height smokestacks).

I used the semicolons here because of the comma in the first element, which means the original list is of a "higher order" if you will. Then I matched all the commas of that order to avoid confusion. Am I doing this right?

Solution 1:

Yes, this is correct. In fact, using mere commas between independent sentences is generally advised against. You have a number of independent sentences there, so semicola are the way to go. An independent sentence is a phrase that could otherwise stand on its own, with a capital at the beginning and a full stop at the end.

But the 'super-comma' you read about is something else. Normally, one should only use a semicolon between two phrases that are independent sentences.

We have opened the gates, liberated the Trojan prisoners, and hauled the horse inside.

You would not use semicola here, as these are not three independent sentences. Now let's make the sentence a little more complex:

We have opened the impenetrable gates, never passed nor broken by an enemy, built long ago by our revered ancestors; liberated the Trojan prisoners and the many men from our other territories; and hauled inside the horse of the accursed Greeks, our ultimate victory.

As you can see, we still have three phrases that are not independent; nevertheless, we have replaced the commas from the previous example with semicola: otherwise, the sentence would be impossible to read. This is what they mean by using a semicolon as a super-comma. It is typically, but not exclusively, done when separating phrases that contain other commas within themselves.