Colons
Colons follow independent clauses (clauses that would stand alone as sentences) and may be wont to present an evidence, draw attention to something, or join ideas together.
Common uses of colons
- To announce, introduce, or direct attention to an inventory , a noun or phrase , a quotation, or an example/explanation. you’ll use a colon to draw attention to several things in your writing. The categories listed below often overlap, so don’t worry an excessive amount of about whether your intended use of the colon fits one category perfectly.
Lists/series example:
We covered many of the basics in our writing class: grammar, punctuation, style, and voice.
Noun/noun phrase example:
My roommate gave me the items I needed most: companionship and quiet.
Quotation example:
Shakespeare said it best: “To thine own self be true.”
Example/explanation example: Many graduate students discover that there’s a dark side to academia: late nights, high stress, and a crippling addiction to caffeinated beverages.
- to hitch sentences. you’ll use a colon to attach two sentences when the second sentence summarizes, sharpens, or explains the primary. Both sentences should be complete, and their content should be very closely related. Note that if you employ colons this manner too often, it can hack the flow of your writing. So don’t get over excited together with your colons!
Example: Life is sort of a puzzle: half the fun is in trying to figure it out.
- to precise time, in titles, and as a part of other writing conventions. Colons appear in several standard or conventional places in writing. Here are a couple of examples:
With numbers. Colons are wont to separate units of your time (4:45:00 expresses four hours, forty-five minutes, and 0 seconds); ratios
(2:1), and Bible verses and chapters (Matthew 2:24).
In bibliography entries. Many citation styles use a colon to separate information in bibliography entries.
Example: Kurlansky, M. (2002). Salt: A world history. New York, NY: Walker and Co.
With subtitles. Colons are wont to separate titles from subtitles.
Example: Everest: The Alaska
After the salutation during a formal letter. A colon is often used immediately after the greeting during a formal letter (less-formal letters tend to use a comma during this location).
Example: To Whom it’s going to Concern: Please accept my application for the position advertised within the News and Observer.