很多优秀的作家都能很好地使用分号；但也有很多糟糕的作家滥用分号。有一个非常常见的分号错误；我写的这句就是。-- Ben Yagoda（美国记者）
分号（；）是我最喜欢的标点符号之一。它最常用于提请注意两个相关观点之间的联系。另一种理解分号的方式是将其作为逗号和连词组合的替代（代替 "and"或 "but"）。分号两边的短语必须是独立子句（即完整的观点），不需要连词。
分号用法举例
- The trial results were entered into the database; all records were coded to preserve anonymity.
- Ten patients were admitted with disease symptoms; two died within 48 hours.
- 小贴士：如果其他方法都不奏效，使用分号是解决以数字开头的一个好方法：The cohort consisted of 82 patients with Alzheimer's disease; 15 patients were under 55 years of age.
同样，分号也用于连接两个独立子句，并带有连接副词，如however, indeed或 therefore（即任何在独立句子中被视为引导从句的词／短语）：
- The two species are closely related; however, Ursus maritimus is better adapted to cold weather.
- Contrary to our expectations, sales did not fall in the second quarter; indeed, we sold more widgets in April than in any other month.
列表中的分号
当列表中的一个或所有组已经包含逗号时，也可以用分号代替逗号来分隔条目。这种用法在学术写作中尤其常见，甚至可以用在方法或结果部分。请注意，当使用分号分隔列表中的条目时，and 之前的最后一个分号是必须要添加的。
- The countries were divided into three groups based on their geography: China, South Korea, and Japan; the UK, the US, and Canada; and Germany, France, and Italy.
- Patients were excluded if they had a family history of drug or alcohol abuse; had kidney, heart, or liver disease; were pregnant or nursing; or were undergoing treatment for another psychiatric disorder.
- The participants averaged 36 hours of training (range, 22-57; median 32).
- The B-actin antibody (1:1000 dilution; Abcam, Cambridge, MA) was used as a control.
使用分号是在写作中引入句子结构多样性的绝佳方法。如果一个段落中有许多短小精悍的句子，用分号连接其中的两个句子可以改善文章的整体流畅性。同样，一个有很多从句的长句通常也可以用分号来分割，这样既方便阅读，又能强调观点之间的联系。
不过，与其他不那么直白的句子结构一样，这些结构也应慎用；如果其他句子都包含分号，读者就会注意到。我们希望今天的举的例子有助于鼓励您在自己的写作中使用分号！如果您对分号的使用有任何疑问，请联系我们。AJE 祝您一切顺利！
