a list
The daily exercise routine should include at least the following: twenty knee bends, fifty sit-ups, and five minutes of running in place.
an appositive
My roommate is guilty of two of the seven deadly sins: gluttony and sloth.
a quotation
Consider the words of Benjamin Franklin: “There never was a good war or a bad peace.”
a summary or an explanation
Faith is like love: It cannot be forced.
The novel is clearly autobiographical: The author even gives his own name to the main character.
note: For other ways of introducing quotations, see “Introducing quoted material” in 37e. When an independent clause follows a colon, begin with a capital letter. Some disciplines use a lowercase letter instead. See 45f for variations.