India, Sept. 26 -- "Semicolon usage in British English books has fallen by nearly 50% in the past two decades," a report by the language-learning website Babbel proclaimed in May.

Their findings had the desired effect. Websites and newspapers carried opinion pieces linking back to their findings. YouTubers made videos. The grammatically inclined posted on social media, and one assumes Babbel sat back satisfied with the results.

Some writers love the semicolon; others hate it. In recent years, the haters have predominated. It is often easier to read and write two separate sentences than it is to write one sentence with two independent clauses separated by a correctly placed semicolon. Yet there are those who believe its elegance justifie...