I am writing an essay and am not sure If I should combine these two sentences with a semi colon or just leave them separate. Please help! (It may take...will be fruitful)

Question

I have found that nothing can be accomplished without hard work. It may take a large amount of persistence but the result is most often the same; work hard and your life will be fruitful. Hold on to every goal you embrace, achieve it and the rest will be history.

Answer 1

I'd use a colon to introduce the "list" of ideas and then use semicolons to separate the items in the list.

It may take a large amount of persistence, but the result is most often the same: work hard and life will be fruitful; hold on to every goal you embrace; reach those goals; and the rest will be history.

I think the underlined part is wordy and not straightforward. That section can be revised to become one section of your list.

In addition, be sure to study up on the uses of commas, colons, and semicolons:

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/commas.htm

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/colon.htm

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/semicolon.htm