COLONS BEFORE LISTS
Use a colon to introduce a list after an independent clause.
In the United States, three ice cream flavors are the most popular: vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry.
COLONS BEFORE EXPLANATIONS OR EXAMPLES
Use a colon after an independent clause to let readers know that you are about to provide an explanation or example of what you just wrote. If the explanation or example is also an independent clause, capitalize the first letter after the colon.
Sometimes, the choice of cereals is overwhelming: My supermarket carries at least five different types of raisin bran.
I use one criterion to choose a cereal: price.
NOTE: A colon in a sentence must follow an independent clause. A common misuse is to place a colon after a phrase instead of an independent clause. Watch out especially for colons following the phrases such as or for example.
| INCORRECT | The resort offers many activities, such as: snorkeling, golf, and windsurfing. |
| CORRECT | The resort offers many activities: snorkeling, golf, and windsurfing. |
| CORRECT | The resort offers many activities, such as snorkeling, golf, and windsurfing. |
COLONS IN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE
Use a colon after a greeting (called a salutation) in a business letter and after the standard heading lines at the beginning of a memorandum.
Dear Mr. Latimer:
To: Craig Kleinman
From: Susan Anker