It is nearly half past five, and we cannot reach town before dark.

(来源：英语麦当劳 http://www.EnglishCN.com)

Note that if the second clause is preceded by an adverb, such as accordingly, besides, so, then, therefore, or thus, and not by a conjunction, the semicolon is still required. (来源：英语博客 http://space.englishcn.com)

I had never been in the place before; so I had difficulty in finding my way about. (来源：英语麦当劳－英语杂志 www.EnglishCN.com)

In general, however, it is best, in writing, to avoid using so in this manner; there is danger that the writer who uses it at all may use it too often. A simple correction, usually serviceable, is to omit the word so, and begin the first clause with as: (来源：英语交友 http://friends.englishcn.com)

As I had never been in the place before, I had difficulty in finding my way about. (来源：英语麦当劳 http://www.EnglishCN.com)

If the clauses are very short, and are alike in form, a comma is usually permissible:

(来源：专业英语学习网站 http://www.EnglishCN.com)

Man proposes, God disposes.

(来源：专业英语学习网站 http://www.EnglishCN.com)

The gate swung apart, the bridge fell, the portcullis was drawn up.

(来源：英语麦当劳www.EnglishCN.com)

6. Do not break sentences in two.

(来源：英语问答中心 http://ask.englishcn.com)

In other words, do not use periods for commas. (来源：英语电影下载 http://bt.englishcn.com)

I met them on a Cunard liner several years ago. Coming home from Liverpool to New York.

He was an interesting talker. A man who had traveled all over the world, and lived in half a dozen countries.

In both these examples, the first period should be replaced by a comma, and the following word begun with a small letter. (来源：英语麦当劳－英语快餐EnglishCN.com)

It is permissible to make an emphatic word or expression serve the purpose of a sentence and to punctuate it accordingly: (来源：英语图片 http://photo.englishcn.com)

Again and again he called out. No reply.

The writer must, however, be certain that the emphasis is warranted, and that he will not be suspected of a mere blunder in punctuation.

(来源：英语e问e答 http://ask.englishcn.com)

Rules 3, 4, 5, and 6 cover the most important principles in the punctuation of ordinary sentences; they should be so thoroughly mastered that their application becomes second nature. (来源：英语学习门户网站EnglishCN.com)

7. A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject.

(来源：英语麦当劳－英语杂志 www.EnglishCN.com)

Walking slowly down the road, he saw a woman accompanied by two children.

The word walking refers to the subject of the sentence, not to the woman. If the writer wishes to make it refer to the woman, he must recast the sentence:

(来源：英语麦当劳www.EnglishCN.com)

He saw a woman, accompanied by two children, walking slowly down the road. (来源：英语交友 http://friends.englishcn.com)

Participial phrases preceded by a conjunction or by a preposition, nouns in apposition, adjectives, and adjective phrases come under the same rule if they begin the sentence.

(来源：英语e问e答 http://ask.englishcn.com)

On arriving in Chicago, his friends met him at the station.

When he arrived (or, On his arrival) in Chicago, his friends met him at the station. (来源：英语聊天室 http://chat.EnglishCN.com)

A soldier of proved valor, they entrusted him with the defence of the city.

A soldier of proved valor, he was entrusted with the defence of the city.

(来源：英语博客 http://space.englishcn.com)

Young and inexperienced, the task seemed easy to me.

Young and inexperienced, I thought the task easy.

(来源：英语博客 http://space.englishcn.com)

Without a friend to counsel him, the temptation proved irresistible. (来源：英语e问e答 http://ask.englishcn.com)

Without a friend to counsel him, he found the temptation irresistible. (来源：英语分类信息 http://fl.englishcn.com)

Sentences violating this rule are often ludicrous. (来源：英语聊天室 http://chat.EnglishCN.com)

Being in a dilapidated condition, I was able to buy the house very cheap.

(来源：EnglishCN英语博客基地)

8. Divide words at line-ends, in accordance with their formation and pronunciation. (来源：英语学习门户网站EnglishCN.com)

If there is room at the end of a line for one or more syllables of a word, but not for the whole word, divide the word, unless this involves cutting off only a single letter, or cutting off only two letters of a long word. No hard and fast rule for all words can be laid down. The principles most frequently applicable are:

(来源：英语麦当劳－英语学习门户 EnglishCN.com)

A. Divide the word according to its formation:

know-ledge (not knowl-edge); Shake-speare (not Shakes-peare); de-scribe (not des-cribe); atmo-sphere (not atmos-phere);

(来源：专业英语学习网站 http://www.EnglishCN.com)

B. Divide "on the vowel:"

(来源：英语麦当劳－英语杂志 EnglishCN.com)

edi-ble (not ed-ible); propo-sition; ordi-nary; espe-cial; reli-gious; oppo-nents; regu-lar; classi-fi-ca-tion (three divisions possible); deco-rative; presi-dent; (来源：英语麦当劳www.EnglishCN.com)

C. Divide between double letters, unless they come at the end of the simple form of the word:

(来源：英语分类信息 http://fl.englishcn.com)

Apen-nines; Cincin-nati; refer-ring; but tell-ing.

The treatment of consonants in combination is best shown from examples:

(来源：专业英语学习网站 http://www.EnglishCN.com)

for-tune; pic-ture; presump-tuous; illus-tration; sub-stan-tial (either division); indus-try; instruc-tion; sug-ges-tion; incen-diary. (来源：英语学习门户网站EnglishCN.com)

The student will do well to examine the syllable-division in a number of pages of any carefully printed book. (来源：英语麦当劳－英语杂志 www.EnglishCN.com)

III. ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION (来源：英语问答中心 http://ask.englishcn.com)

1. Make the paragraph the unit of composition: one paragraph to each topic.

(来源：英语e问e答 http://ask.englishcn.com)

If the subject on which you are writing is of slight extent, or if you intend to treat it very briefly, there may be no need of subdividing it into topics. Thus a brief description, a brief summary of a literary work, a brief account of a single incident, a narrative merely outlining an action, the setting forth of a single idea, any one of these is best written in a single paragraph. After the paragraph has been written, it should be examined to see whether subdivision will not improve it.