Punctuation: The Punctuation: The ColonColon

Caitlin Dougher

So What?

•When will I ever need to use a colon?

•Colons are sometimes not recognized by computer grammar checkers

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The colon (:) in most cases is a mark of an introduction: it signals that the words following will explain or amplify.

More common and conventional uses of the colon include expressions of time.

Use a colon after the salutation of a business letter, between title and subtitle, and between divisions of time.

Business Letter Salutation1) Dear Mrs. Smith:

2)Title SubtitleCharles Dickens: An Introduction to His Novels

William Shakespeare: A Collection of Plays

Divisions of time3) 12:26 AM 6:00 PM

Rule #1 Use a colon to introduce a concluding explanation.

1) Don't overlook the most important rule: never argue with the boss.

2) There is only one thing left to do now: confess while you still have time.

3) Let us not forget this rule: use a colon to introduce a concluding explanation.

Rule #2 Use a colon to introduce a series.

1) The children were asked to bring certain supplies the next day: crayons, scissors, glue, glitter, and ribbon.

2) At least three soul food dishes are familiar to most Americans: fried chicken, barbequed spareribs, and sweet potatoes.

3) The baseball coach claimed that the team's success stemmed from four things: consistent hitting, solid pitching, good fielding, and excellent teamwork.

Use a colon to introduce an appositive.

What is an appositive?

An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames another noun right beside it.

Ex) The insect, a cockroach, is crawling across the kitchen table.

Rule #3 Use a colon to introduce an appositive.

1) Donald moved to a new state: Oregon.

2) Soul food has one disadvantage: namely, fat.

3) The preoccupied burglar didn't notice who was standing right behind him: a smiling police officer.

Rule #4 Use a colon to introduce a long or formal quote.

1) The conditions on the prairie differed for men and women, as Glenda Riley notes:

“Women's shared responsibilities, life styles, and sensibilities constituted a female frontier, that is, a comparable set of orientations and responses that in most ways transcended the region of the frontier in which they settled, the occupations of the men of their families, and the historical period in which they lived” (201).

2) Hamlet’s soliloquy proposes a grim solution, as Shakespeare wrote:

“To be, or not to be--that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep…”

Dear Ms. Walsh

I will be leaving school today at 11 00 AM. I will be sure to

continue reading Magical Tales A Collection of Short Stories for

homework.

Sincerely,

David

1) She said there is only one rule “Always bring candy to the house when you are visiting.”

2) He was watching his favorite sport baseball.

3) There are three things I love in my life my family, my friends, and my dog.

4) Mary's dinner reminded her of the back yard both contained many wonderful colors and smells.

Works CitedAaron, J. E. (2004). The Little, Brown Compact Handbook. New York: Pearson, Longman. 15, a., & meals, I. h. (n.d.). Semicolon & Colon Rules | Punctuation Rules | The Writing Center | Georgia College.

Retrieved October 25, 2009, from http://www.gcsu.edu/writingcenter/colonrules.htmColon Rules. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2009, from http://www.northland.cc.mn.us/owl/Colon%20rules.htmColons with Formal Appositives. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2009, from

http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000100.htmGrammar & Punctuation: proper use of the colon. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2009, from

http://www.essortment.com/all/grammarpunctu_rxjn.htmHow to Use a Colon in a Sentence - wikiHow. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2009, from

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Colon-in-a-SentenceHow to Use a Colon | eHow.com. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2009, from

http://www.ehow.com/how_5954_colon.html#LEO: Colon Rules. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2009, from http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/punct/colon.htmlThe Appositive. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2009, from http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/appositive.htmThe Colon. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2009, from

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/colon.htm