Colons introduce and separate. Always use 1 space after a colon.
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Introducing
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Colons follow an
independent clause and introduce the following:
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Lists
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Examples
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Quotations
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Tables,
Charts, and Graphs
Lists
Colons introduce a list.
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This
is what I need from the market: potatoes,
eggs, and bread.
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Please
include the following information: Name, Age, Birth Date.
Quotations
Colons are used to
introduce a quotation.
·
The
police officer made the following statement:
"The criminal was about 25 years old. He was wearing a blue jacket."
Rule # 1
The sentence before a
colon must be complete. This means
colons do not follow verbs or prepositions.
Incorrect Examples:
My favourite foods are: pizza, pasta, and sushi.
Please bring: pens, books, pencils, and erasers.
We have lots of: pencils, markers, and
paper.
Corrected Examples:
My favourite foods are
the following: pizza, pasta, and sushi.
Please bring the following materials: pens, books, pencils, and erasers.
It is possible to
remove the colon from the incorrect examples:
My favourite foods are
pizza, pasta, and sushi.
Please bring pens, books,
pencils, and erasers.
"As follows"
and "the following" go before colons.
Some example are as follows:
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The
times are the following: 5:30, 10:30, and 15:30.
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The
rules are as follows:
Rule #2
Do not capitalize the
first word after the colon if it introduces a sentence.
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The
paper discussed a key idea: immigration directly impacts the economy.
You can capitalize the
items in a list, but this is optional, not required.
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Include
the following information: Name, Age, Address.
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Include
the following information: name, age, address.
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Separating
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Titles and Subtitles
Colons
separate titles from subtitles.
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Lord
of the Rings: The Two Towers
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Star
Wars IV: A New Hope
Time
Colons
separate hours and minutes.
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11:30
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12:15
Salutations
Colons are used after
greetings in formal letters and emails.
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Dear
Jonathan Malone:
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Dear
Mrs. James:
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Add colons where needed.
1. Please bring the following materials
gloves, boots, sweaters, and
hats.
2. The meeting is at 1130 am.
3. You must wear gloves, boots, and a mask.
4. Events are scheduled in the following
cities
5. The director of the school stated this
policy "Absolutely no plagiarism
allowed in any class. Those who
plagiarize will be suspended."
6. I wake up at 715 each morning.
7. The ingredients are as follows milk,
eggs, and butter
8. My favourite movie is Star Wars IV A
New Hope.
9. Please send it to this address
10. The following students were away
yesterday Paul, Fred, and
Jenny.
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