Merge Two Sentences with a Semicolon
On occasion, a writer may decide that the next sentence is so closely connected to the previous one that a slight break is more appropriate than a new sentence. A semicolon can be used for this purpose.
Examples:
 No one was seriously hurt in the accident; one man suffered a broken
finger. 
Like dear St Francis of Assisi I am wedded to
Poverty; but in my case the marriage is not a success.
(Oscar Wilde)
To lose one parent, Mr Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like
carelessness.
(Oscar Wilde)
The meeting is scheduled for 4 o'clock; this represents a change to the time on
the agenda.
slight breaks preferable to
new sentences (The semicolons are okay.)
(magazine article)
The manager did not approve the plan; he suggested several changes.
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
(Winston Churchill)
Semicolons Can Replace Conjunctions
Semicolons can be used to replace words like 'and', 'but' and 'or'. (These are called
Conjunctions.)
Examples:
The manager did not approve the plan; he suggested several changes.
(In this example, , but could be written in the place of the semicolon.)
Craig joined the Army; Darren joined the Marines.
(semicolon replaces , but)
Eat oranges throughout the journey; you may catch scurvy.
(semicolon replaces , or)
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IN SUMMARY
You can merge two sentences together with a semicolon. The second sentence is usually short and closely connected to the first.
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OVERKILL
Using a semicolon to extend a sentence is very handy. However, if you find yourself using them regularly, you should probably adjust the style of your writing.
NOT A COMMA
It is possible to link two sentences together with a semicolon. It is also
possible to link two sentences with words like
'and', 'or' and 'but'. You cannot use a comma to link two sentences. This is a very common
mistake called a run-on error.
For example:
Elsa wrote many children's
novels, she also wrote fifteen
horrors. 
The Loch Ness Monster was spotted 8 times in the
1960s, I
camped there for a year and did not see it once, I caught dozens of trout though.
I arranged to meet Jeremy (the new gamekeeper) on the
hour, he will have gone home by 10 past.
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