Colon: The unfortunately named mark
Sep 24th, 2008 | By John Roach | Category: GrammarThe colon is one of the most powerful punctuation marks we have. It signifies that what comes after is what you’ve been waiting for. It is the harbinger of the payload, a sign that says “information here” in big red letters.
It also shares a name with a body part that one doesn’t discuss in polite company.
Where to use a colon
Colons are used when two parts of a sentence are dependent upon each other, but not that dependent.
The most common place to put a colon is just before a list.
He ate three things: chicken, eggs, and brains.
You do not use a colon if the list is introduced by a verb or preposition.
He ate chicken, eggs, and brains.
A colon is used with quotations if the quote is several sentences long and will stay in the paragraph, or just for dramatic effect.
He said just one thing about his diet: “It’s not like I’m eating people brains.”
You can also use a colon instead of “namely,” “e.g.,” or “such as.”
He only ate brains from livestock: cows, sheep, and pigs.
Set off two fully independent clauses with a comma, not a colon.
He ate brains, but he didn’t eat liver.
Capitalization and the colon
Capitalize the word after the colon only if it is a proper noun or begins a complete sentence.
Three of us tried his stew: John and his sisters.
Their reactions were mixed: chiefly disgust, but some morbid curiosity.
John had only this to say: “That wasn’t albatross I ate on the boat.”
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This article was written by John Roach http://prowritingtips.com John is a writer and copy editor. You can follow him on twitter at @johnwroachiii. To see more posts click here |
