Grammatically Correct: The writer's essential guide to punctuation ...

PUNCTUATION
intentions, but on its own this sentence is not communicating
them.
RECOMMENDATION: CONSIDER USING THE SEMICOLON TO
UNITE TWO SEPARATE SENTENCES
Two independent clauses that are closely related in meaning don't
have to be either linked with a conjunction or separated by a semicolon:
A third alternative is to have each stand alone as a separate
sentence. Often this will be appropriate and effective. However, if
the clauses are essentially two halves of a whole-that is, they are
not merely on the same topic, but the second one completes the
first-then separating them to this degree may obscure or downplay
their relationship. If your goal is to help the reader pick up on their
connection, you may better achieve this by running them together
in one sentence, either by adding an appropriate conjunction or by
using a semicolon. The semicolon may be the more appropriate
choice in cases where the relationship can't be neatly captured in
just one word, and where the reader should be able to infer it in
any case.
In some cases, sentences can be run together with no change:
The early bird gets the worm. The early worm gets eaten.
The early bird gets the worm; the early worm gets eaten.
Only Cora showed up to help with the move. The others all found excuses
to stay away.
Only Cora showed up to help with the move; the others all found excuses
to stay away.
His old apartment had been dark, cramped and dirty. His new one was
worse.
His old apartment had been dark, cramped and dirty; his new one was
worse.
Aside from helping to elucidate relationships, combining sentences
this way often makes writing smoother, turning a series of short,
choppy sentences into text that flows.
A caution about using the semicolon as an alternative to conjunctions
or periods: Don't overdo it. It's a strong punctuation mark, and
sprinkling it too liberally throughout a document will cause it to
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