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Colons
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What Are Colons? (with Examples)
A colon (:) is a common punctuation mark used:- To extend a sentence with an appositive (a renaming of something previously mentioned). For example:
- He attributed his success to one factor: luck.
- To mark the end of an introduction (including before quotations). For example:
- The inspection highlighted the following issues: too many coffee breaks, insufficient leadership, and too much non-work-related internet usage.
- Philosopher Rene Descartes said: "I think; therefore, I am."
- To separate elements in times, ratios, titles, and reference numbers. For example:
- Arrange a meeting for 09:30 to discuss ways to improve the 1:4 ratio.
How Colons Are Used
Here is a quick overview on how colons are used:(1) With an appositive at the end of a sentence. You can use a colon to expand on something previously mentioned in the sentence. (The words after the colon are called an appositive.) For example:
- His influence is obvious in two buildings: the local church and pavilion. (In this example, "the local church and pavilion" is the appositive of "two buildings," i.e., it's a renaming of "two buildings.")
(2) After an introduction. You can use a colon with an introduction. For example:
- The following were absent: Charles, Smith, Wainwright, and Dodds.
- He joked: "Curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect." (You could also have used a comma here (instead of colon). If the introduction to the quotation or the quotation itself is a dependent clause, you can use a colon.)
(3) In references, ratios, times, and titles. A colon can be used as a separator in references, ratios, times, and titles. For example:
- Read Matthew 2:1 before 07:30. (Here, there is a colon in a reference and a time.)
- The ratio is 6:1 in Nottingham. (The colon is in a ratio.)
- "Grammar Rules: Writing with Military Precision" is the book of www.grammar-monster.com. (The colon is in a title. )
Other Punctuation Marks
Here is a slider with lessons to the other punctuation marks:Why Colons Are Important
Understanding how to use colons is a great tool to have in your writing kit. Using a colon to introduce an appositive at the end of a sentence is particularly useful for emphasizing an idea.Here is the biggest error related to colons.
(Serious Error) Don't use a semicolon for an introduction.
A colon (often called a full colon) is used to introduce something. Do not use a semicolon (;) for this. This is quite a common error. For example:- The following were absent; Charles, Smith, Wainwright, and Dodds.
The inspection highlighted the following issues; ![]()
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Read our main page about using colons.
Key Points
- Writers like to use this structure to create emphasis: a colon and an appositive.
- Don't use a semicolon for an introduction.
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