Colons:When and How to Use Them

Some examples of colons“The old-timer on Sulfur Creek was right, he thought in the moment of controlled despair that ensued: After fifty below, a man should travel with a partner” (London 554).“There was an excitement in her voice that men who cared for her found difficult to forget: a singing compulsion, a whispered ‘Listen,’ a promise that she had done gay, exciting things just a while since and that there were gay exciting things hovering in the next hour” (Fitzgerald 9).“‘All right,’ said Daisy. ‘What’ll we plan?’ She turned to me helplessly: ‘What do people plan?’” (Fitzgerald 11).

When to use a colon

A colon means “note what follows.”

When to use a colon - #1

“The old-timer on Sulfur Creek was right, he thought in the moment of controlled despair that ensued: After fifty below, a man should travel with a partner” (London 554).Use a colon to combine two independent sentences if the second sentence clarifies or explains the first sentence.

Colon vs. Semicolon - #1

The colon has less power to separate than a semicolon: a semicolon makes you stop for a second, while a colon tells your eyes to move on to the next sentence.

Example of Colon Use #1

• “At $550, something insane awakes within me: For the first time, I get an undeniable urge to bid.”

When to use colons - #2

“There was an excitement in her voice that men who cared for her found difficult to forget: a singing compulsion, a whispered ‘Listen,’ a promise that she had done gay, exciting things just a while since and that there were gay exciting things hovering in the next hour” (Fitzgerald 9).Use a colon before a list of items, (especially after the expressions as follows and the following).

When to use a Colon - # 2

• Use a colon before a list of items, (especially after the expressions as follows and the following).

• EX: “The literary movements that we have studied include the following: the Puritans, the Revolutionary Period, Romanticism, and Realism.”

When (not) to use colons - #2

However, when using a colon to introduce a list, do not use the colon to separate a verb or preposition from its complements.Just remember, you must have a complete sentence before the colon.INCORRECT: “At the amusement park we rode: the tea cups, the ferris wheel, and the MindEraser.”CORRECT: “At the amusement park we rode the tea cups, the ferris wheel, and the MindEraser.”

When (not) to use colons - # 2

However, when using a colon to introduce a list, do not use the colon to separate a verb or preposition from its complements.Just remember, you must have a complete sentence before the colon.INCORRECT: “Our family has lived in: California, Arizona, and Texas.”CORRECT: “Our family has lived in California, Arizona, and Texas.”

When to use colons - #3

“‘All right,’ said Daisy. ‘What’ll we plan?’ She turned to me helplessly: ‘What do people plan?’” (Fitzgerald 11).Use a colon before quotes if the quote is introduced with a complete sentence, and use them to introduce long, formal statements.

When to use Colons - #4

• In time, use a colon between the hour and minute.

• 6:15 P.M. • 8:30 tomorrow morning

When to Use Colons- #4

• Between chapter and verse in Biblical references. Also, between volume and issue number.

• Psalms 8:9 (Biblical reference)• The Week Magazine 11:541

When to Use Colons- # 4

• Between a title and subtitle• Elements of Literature: Essentials of

American Literature

When to Use Colons - # 4

• After the salutation of a business letter• Dear Ms. Weinberg:• Dear Sir or Madam:

Crazy Colon Usage

• “The true opponent, the enfolding boundary, is the player himself. [. . .] The competing boy on the net’s other side: he is not the foe: he is more the partner in the dance. [. . .] You compete with your own limits to transcend the self in imagination and execution. Disappear inside the game: break through limits: transcend: improve: win. Which is why tennis is an essentially tragic enterprise.” –David Foster Wallace from Infinite Jest