44d Colons
Use a colon to introduce explanations or examples and to separate some elements from one another.
Introducing an explanation, an example, or an appositive
The men may also wear the getup known as Sun Belt Cool: a pale beige suit, open-collared shirt (often in a darker shade than the suit), cream-colored loafers and aviator sunglasses.
– Alison Lurie, The Language of Clothes
Introducing a series, a list, or a quotation
At the baby’s one-month birthday party, Ah Po gave him the Four Valuable Things: ink, inkslab, paper, and brush.
– Maxine Hong Kingston, China Men
The teachers wondered: “Do boys and girls really learn differently?”
The preceding example could have taken a comma instead of a colon (see 39h). Use a colon rather than a comma to introduce a quotation when the lead-in is a complete sentence on its own.
The State of the Union address contained one surprising statement: “America is addicted to oil.”
Separating elements
SALUTATIONS IN FORMAL LETTERS
Dear Dr. Chapman:
HOURS, MINUTES, AND SECONDS
4:59 pm
2:15:06
RATIOS
a ratio of 5:1
BIBLICAL CHAPTERS AND VERSES
I Corinthians 3:3–5
TITLES AND SUBTITLES
The Joy of Insight: Passions of a Physicist
CITIES AND PUBLISHERS IN BIBLIOGRAPHIC ENTRIES
Boston: Bedford, 2012
Editing for colons
Do not put a colon between a verb and its object or complement—unless the object is a quotation.
Do not put a colon between a preposition and its object or after such expressions as such as, especially, and including.
