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Unnecessary colons

In formal English, a colon must be preceded by a full independent clause. Therefore, avoid using it in the following situations.

Between a verb and its object or complement

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: Some important vitamins and minerals in vegetables are: vitamin A, thiamine, niacin, and vitamin C. Revised sentence: Some important vitamins and minerals in vegetables are vitamin A, thiamine, niacin, and vitamin C. Explanation: The colon was deleted after the verb “are.

Between a preposition and its object

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: The heart's two pumps each consist of: an upper chamber, or atrium, and a lower chamber, or ventricle. Revised sentence: The heart's two pumps each consist of an upper chamber, or atrium, and a lower chamber, or ventricle. Explanation: The colon was deleted after the preposition “of.

After such as, including, or for example

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: The trees on our campus include many fine Japanese specimens such as: black pines, gingkos, and weeping cherries. Revised sentence: The trees on our campus include many fine Japanese specimens such as black pines, gingkos, and weeping cherries. Explanation: The colon was deleted after “such as.

Exercise: The colon, the semicolon, and the comma