Which use of semicolons would be correct? #1 In Asia as well, Chinese noble women led armies, often with great decisiveness and skill; paid tribute to the Emperor; and controlled agriculture within their areas of command.
#2 In Asia as well, Chinese noblewomen led armies, often with great decisiveness and skill; paid tribute to the Emperor, and controlled agriculture within their areas of command.
#3 In Asia as well, Chinese noblewomen led armies; often with great decisiveness and skill; paid tribute to the Emperor; and controlled agriculture within their areas of command.
3 answers
None of the above. This is a complex sentence, no semicolon is required. The phrase "often with great decisiveness and skill" could be a parenthetical, but no semicolons are needed.
Reed is exactly right. Only commas are needed in that sentence. Here's how I'd punctuate it:
In Asia as well, Chinese noblewomen led armies, often with great decisiveness and skill, paid tribute to the Emperor, and controlled agriculture within their areas of command.
In Asia as well, Chinese noblewomen led armies, often with great decisiveness and skill, paid tribute to the Emperor, and controlled agriculture within their areas of command.
n Asia as well, Chinese noblewomen led armies, often with great decisiveness and skill; paid tribute to the Emperor; and controlled agriculture within their areas of command.