31 | Colons
31|Colons
A colon introduces a further thought, one added to throw light on a first. Some writers use a capital letter to start any complete sentence that follows a colon; others prefer a lowercase letter. Whichever you choose, be consistent. A phrase that follows a colon always begins with a lowercase letter.
A main clause is a group of words that has both a subject and a verb and can stand alone as a complete sentence (see 4a).
31aUse a colon between two main clauses if the second exemplifies, explains, or summarizes the first.
Like a semicolon, a colon can join two sentences into one. The chief difference is this: a semicolon says merely that two main clauses are related; a colon, like an abbreviation for that is or for example, says that the second clause gives an example or explanation of the point in the first clause.
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She tried everything: she scoured the Internet, made dozens of phone calls, wrote e-mails, even consulted a lawyer.
31bUse a colon to introduce a list or a series.
A colon can introduce a word, a phrase, a series, or a second main clause, sometimes strengthened by as follows or the following.
The dance steps are as follows: forward, back, turn, and glide.
When a colon introduces a series of words or phrases, it often means such as or for instance. A list of examples after a colon need not include and before the last item unless all possible examples have been stated.
On a Saturday night many kinds of people crowd our downtown area: drifters, bored senior citizens, college students out for a good time.
31cUse a colon to introduce an appositive.
An appositive is a word or group of words that adds information by identifying a subject or an object in a different way (see 4b).
A colon preceded by a main clause can introduce an appositive.
I have discovered the key to the future: robots.
31dUse a colon to introduce a long or comma-filled quotation.
Sometimes you can’t conveniently introduce a quoted passage with a comma. Perhaps the quotation is too long or heavily punctuated, or your prefatory remarks demand a longer pause. In either case, use a colon.
God told Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it.”
31eUse a colon when convention calls for it.
| AFTER A SALUTATION | Dear Professor James: |
| BIBLICAL CITATIONS | Job 9:2 [book, chapter, verse], but Job 9.2 [MLA] |
| TITLES: SUBTITLES | Connections: Empowering College and Career Success |
| TIME OF DAY | 2:02 p.m. |
31fUse a colon only at the end of a main clause.
In a sentence, a colon always follows a complete sentence, never a phrase. Avoid using a colon between a verb and its object, between a preposition and its object, and before a list introduced by such as.
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EXERCISE 31-1 Using Colons
Add, remove, or replace colons wherever appropriate in the following sentences. Where necessary, revise the sentences further to support your changes in punctuation. Some sentences may be correct. Example:
The Continuing Education Program offers courses in: building and construction management, engineering, and design.
The interview ended with a test of skills, taking messages, operating the computer, typing a sample letter, and proofreading documents.
The sample letter began, “Dear Mr. Rasheed, Please accept our apologies for the late shipment.”
In the case of Bowers v. Hardwick, the Supreme Court decided that: citizens had no right to sexual privacy.
He ended his speech with a quotation from Homer’s Iliad, “Whoever obeys the gods, to him they particularly listen.”
Professor Bligh’s book is called Management, A Networking Approach.