The Colon July 20, 2009
Posted by egutierrez in : Punctuation , trackback(1) The colon (:) is used in a complete sentence to mark the beginning of a list, restatement, or explanation. With a list a colon can only be used when the preceding sentence is a complete sentence. For example,
Three months out of the year are the hottest: June, July, and August.
A colon is required with a list when phrases like as follows or the following are used, but not when such as or including are used. For example,
The hottest months include the following: June, July, and August.
(2) A colon can mark a restatement (of what was previously said in that sentence) only if what precedes the colon is a complete sentence. For example,
The homeless and elderly prepared for the hottest months of the year: June, July, and August.
(3) A colon can be used to introduce a quote. Whenever a complete sentence is used to introduce a quote, use a colon. For example,
Mr. Smith summarized the weather perfectly: “It is sweltering!”
If the words used to introduce a quote do not make up a complete sentence, use a comma instead.
(4) Finally, you can use a colon to connect two complete sentences when the first sentence summarizes or explains the second sentence. For example,
August 3 was the hottest day in recent memory: hospitals were flooded with people suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration.
**Adopted from Simon & Schuster’s Handbook for Writers, Third Edition, by Lynn Quitman Troyka
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