Punctuation

Colon to introduce a list or other concluding element

A colon is used after an independent clause to introduce or direct attention to a list, an appositive, a quotation, or a second independent clause.

Heading: A list. Example sentence: The daily routine should include at least the following: twenty knee bends, fifty sit-ups, fifteen leg lifts, and five minutes of running in place.

Heading: A list. Example sentence: Three key economic indicators were part of the formula: housing starts, sales of durable goods, and new jobless claims.

Heading: An appositive. Example sentence: My roommate Is guilty of two of the seven deadly sins: gluttony and sloth.

Heading: A quotation. Example sentence: Consider the words of John F. Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

Exercises:

The colon, the semicolon, and the comma 1

The colon, the semicolon, and the comma 2