Here are five ways we do so.Colons are always the best option when you’re about to share a list or explanation, so long as you use them correctly. Accordingly, we use them for a few main things, like giving explanations and descriptions and sharing definitions and lists.As mentioned, a colon precedes the list or explanation that comes after an independent clause. The dots, aligned with the middle, bottom, or top of each line, represented what today would be a colon, comma, and period, respectively. Creating the ":" symbol on a smartphone or tablet.

Here are some ways to write lists after colons:There are some minor, more technical things in writing that we need colons for; mainly for providing clarity.
Dr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks. Mary has only one thing on her mind: work. The colon : is a punctuation mark consisting of two equally sized dots placed one above the other on the same vertical line. It is also used between hours and minutes in time, titles and subtitles of books, city and publisher in citations, chapter and verse in biblical citations, and for salutations in business letters and other formal letter writing. ‹See TfM› Below are some different examples of where a colon is used today. Here are some examples:Perhaps one of the most popular and simple ways to use a colon is to share lists. In addition, the colon usually appears after the salutation of a business letter (Dear Professor Legree:), between the chapter and verse numbers in a biblical citation (Genesis 1:1), between the title and subtitle of a book or article … Eventually, the middle dot evolved into two dots possibly through Gregorian chants, which included  When doing so, enter a hard return on the keyboard after the introductory text to bring the quoted material to the next space down, as shown in the history section above. I didn’t eat the sandwich: it had way too much mayo. To insert a colon on a traditional American keyboard, press SHIFT and the colon/semicolon key beside the L. There is always one space after a colon.

She hated the team’s jerseys: brown and red with purple stripes. A colon is used to announce, introduce a list, a quotation and before a final clause that explains something in the sentence. We use lists all the time—to share a defined number of things, for examples, and even just for details. This technique lets your sentences be more interesting and informative, like these examples:We often identify a word or term in a sentence, and then follow it with a colon and a definition for that word to help share its meaning with readers. A colon often precedes an explanation, a list, a quotation, or a block quotation. Colons help us do that with clarity. A librarian there named Aristophanes developed a series of three dots to break up the unbroken stream of text that had been the norm in writing at the time. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience.

A good way to think about colons is that they lead to more information or tell the reader that more details are coming in the sentence.There are lots of great ways to use colons to strengthen your writing.

In this form, whatever comes after the colon explains what precedes it. In writing, colon punctuation is used for one thing: to introduce. In the first quote, which joins a sentence followed by a nonsentence clause, Deresiewic uses the colon to show that citizens who receive a liberal arts education are the same group as people who can think broadly and critically.

Definition

My neighbor has a “green thumb”: excellent gardening skills. But, people often make mistakes that can really mess up a sentence’s grammar, like putting them between objects and verbs or between other words that need to go together. Basically, it shouldn’t come in the middle of an independent clause or between parts of an independent clause—it should go after!When in doubt, it’s usually better to leave a colon out, rather then misuse it. Here are some rules that you should always follow to avoid creating grammar problems with colons:Here, a colon shouldn’t separate the subject “Sally” from the predicate “will go.”Here, there shouldn’t be a colon between the verb “to be” (“are”) and the colors.Here, there shouldn’t be a colon between the preposition “in” and the locations.In addition to these rules, overall, remember this simple thing: colons precede lists and explanations to show that they are coming!TRUE or FALSE: A colon comes after an explanation, description, definition, or a list.TRUE or FALSE: It’s okay to separate a subject and its predicate with a colon.

By using ThoughtCo, you accept ourDefinition of Compound Sentences and How to Use ThemGuidelines for Using Semicolons, Colons, and Dashes Ashley Timms in her Dec. 28, 2016, article, "A History of Punctuation in English," published on the website of  Here are some examples:To make a sentence more descriptive, you can add a colon followed by details about the sentence’s subject. How is a colon used? Examples of colons with lists, series: He was going to buy three things: chairs, tables, and utensil s. John has all the ingredients: minced clams, milk, potatoes, and onions.

Explanation 3. The AP says the punctuation mark should be used for:

The second, by the late Shakes, who was a frequent guest on late-night television shows, uses the colon (and irony) to show two sides of himself: the optimist who was going to buy a book about positive thinking and the pessimist who talked himself out of it. You would also use a colon to introduce long—or block—quotations.

In a URL, a colon separates the protocol with the address They can emphasize certain points or details, build up anticipation in a sentence, explain something in a more descriptive way, and even just help make a sentence clear. Use a colon in a citation to separate the chapter and page number, as in: Though the Romans disregarded the punctuation marks after conquering the Greeks, the dots eventually were given new life in the seventh century by Isidore of Seville.
Additionally, you can also use a colon to separate a book title and subhead, such as for Casagrande's book listed previously in this section. Generally, use colons to show that two sentences, or a sentence and a clause, are  Sally plays three sports: softball, soccer, and tennis.


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