分号有时又称为小句号。它表示一个停顿，其停顿时间在逗号与冒号的停顿时间之间。文章如采用许多分号，其风格则变得严肃、正式。为了正确使用分号，有必要先学会辨认主句。当两个主句没有任何连接词（and，but，or，nor，for）连接而出现在同一个句子里，这时最好采用分号使之分离。
分号的主要作用很简单，它常用于分离没有连接词连接的句子。但最好不要在从句之间形成如此之强的停顿。如果你要连接从句，而又不愿意用连接词时，则采用分号。
Theworldisacomedytothosethatthink;atragedytothosethatfeel.
Youdon'twritebecauseyouwanttosaysomething;youwritebecauseyou'vegotsomethingtosay.
Inthepast,boybabieswereoftendressedinblue;girls,inpink.
Can'tyouseeit'snogoodtogoonalone;we'llstarvetodeathifwekeeptravelingthiswaymuchlonger.
JohnF.Kennedysaidathisinauguralspeech,"Asknotwhatyourcountrycandoforyou;askwhatyoucandoforyourcountry."
Ourpowertoapprehendtruthislimited;toseekit,limitless.
Scienceneedstobelivedalongsidereligion,philosophy,historyandestheticexperience;aloneitcanleadtogreatharm.
下列各词和短语如用于连接复合句时，常与分号连用：
thenhoweverthusfurthermore
henceindeedconsequentlyalso
thatisneverthelessanyhowinaddition
infactontheotherhandlikewisemoreover
stillmeanwhileinsteadbesides
otherwiseinotherwordshenceforthforexample
thereforeatthesametimeevennow
例：
Beingcleverandcynical,hesucceededinbecomingpresidentofthecompany;meanwhilehiswifelefthim.
Theweatherwascoldforthattimeoftheyear;nevertheless,wesetouttohiketothetopofthatmountain.
Accordingtoonenationalsurvey,highschoolboysexpectedastartingsalaryof$19,500fortheirfirstfull-timejob;ontheotherhand,highschoolgirlsexpectedastartingsalaryofonly$15,000.
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