Related Pages
Colons before Lists and Bullet Points
Using a Colon before a List
A colon can be used to introduce:- A list in sentence style.
- A vertical list (such as a numbered list or a list of bullet points).


Using a Colon before a List in Sentence Style
When using a colon to introduce a list in sentence style, the introduction itself (i.e., the text before the colon), should be an independent clause to justify the colon. For example:- The winners were: Janet, John, and Michael.
- The winners were the following: Janet, John, and Michael.
- The demonstrative determiners are: "this," "that," "these," and "those."
- Here is a list of the demonstrative determiners: "this," "that," "these," and "those."
Using a Colon before a Vertical List (e.g., Bullet Points)
When a vertical list (like bullet points) is being introduced, there is far more leniency on whether the introduction needs to be an independent clause. For example:
John has organized the following events:
- Egg-and-spoon race.
- Toss the pancake.
- Apple bobbing.
John has organized:
- Egg-and-spoon race.
- Toss the pancake.
- Apple bobbing.
Read more about the formatting and grammatical structure of bullet points.
Not a Semicolon!
You can't introduce a list - any list - with a semicolon. For example:- The winners were the following; Janet, John, and Michael.
- Here is a list of the demonstrative determiners; "this," "that," "these," and "those."
John has organized the following events;

- Egg-and-spoon race.
- Toss the pancake.
- Apple bobbing.
Interactive Exercise
Here are three randomly selected questions from a larger exercise, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?