What Are Colons? (with Examples)
What Are Colons? (with Examples)
The colon (:) is a common punctuation mark. It is also called the full colon.Listed below are the uses for the colon.
Use a Colon 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.)
Use a Colon after an Introduction
You can use a colon with an introduction. For example:- The following were absent: Charles, Smith, Wainwright and Dodds.
Read about colons used with bullet points.
Use a Colon 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. (colon in a reference and a time)
- The ratio is 6:1 in Nottingham. (colon in a ratio)
- "Grammar Rules: Writing with Military Precision" is the book of www.grammar-monster.com. (colon in a title)
Use a Colon with Quotations
A colon can be used to introduce a quotation:- He said: "Curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect."
See Also
What is punctuation? What is an appositive? Colons to extend a sentence Colons for introductions Colons with bullet points Colons with references, times, and titles Colons with quotations Glossary of grammatical terms
