英文中分号的主要作用如下:
1、Use semi-colons to indicate pauses longer than those associated with commas but shorter that those associated with fill-stop.用分号表达比句号短比逗号长的停顿
Eg: Functionalism in language teaching was taken by many to mean the complete exclusion of any focus on form in the classroom; grammar and the explicit teaching of rules simply had no place.
2、Use semi-colons immediately before linking words such as however, moreover, furthermore, nevertheless , therefore, and instead.用分号连接两个主从句或者并列句
Eg: The news may be unexpected; nevertheless it is true.
3、Use semi-colons to separate items in a list, where the list of items is long and/or each item in the list is too long to be separated by a comma .用分号连接太长而不能用逗号连接的(比如完整的句子)并列列举成分。
涉及分号的考试样题分析
Living independently and demonstrating an intense work 21 ethic; the Harvey Girls became known as a transformative force in the American West, inspiring books, documentaries, and even a musical.
A) NO CHANGE
B) ethic:
C) ethic, and
D) ethic,
解析：根据分号用法规则2，分号连接的是两个完整的句子，那么原文中的“Living…ethic”没有谓语动词，只是一个词组，用分号连接前后显然错误。C选项中“逗号+and”的作用=“分号”那么同样错误原因也是不对的，冒号的作用下文有涉及，主要为解释说明或举例，或引用，这里都不符号。只有逗号可以连接一个悬挂结构和主句，正确答案为D。