Colons

Overview of Colons

  • Colons are punctuation marks that signify expectation.

  • They create anticipation for what will follow, often used after independent clauses.

Functions of Colons

  • Introduction of Lists

    • Used after an independent clause to introduce a list.

    • Example: The girls gossiped about all the usual things: their coworkers, their bosses, and their roommates.

  • Explanation of Ideas

    • Serve to provide explanations of previously introduced ideas.

    • Example: You know what they say about gossip: trying to stop it once it is out there is like trying to unring a bell.

  • Announcing Quotations

    • Used to introduce long quotations.

    • Example: Mark Twain said this about gossip in one of his books: "It takes your enemy and your friend working together to hurt you to the heart, the one to slander you and the other to get the news to you."

  • Creating Emphasis

    • Acts as a special effect in writing, allowing for impactful sentences.

    • Example: Colons can emphasize the consequence of gossip: a reputation.

Structural Requirements for Colons

  • The most important element before a colon is that there must be an independent clause.

  • Can connect:

    • Two independent clauses to form a compound sentence.

    • An independent clause with a dependent clause to form a complex sentence.

Challenges of Using Colons

  • Remembering the requirement of having an independent clause preceding the colon.

  • Incorrect Example: His reasons for staying home were: he wanted to watch reruns and had no clean clothes anyway. (Incorrect use of colon)

  • Correct Example: His reasons for staying home were simple: he wanted to watch reruns and had no clean clothes anyway. (Correct use of colon)

Enhancing Sentence Structure with Colons

  • Example of relationship clarification through colons:

    • Separate statements: Natalie ate a whole pie. New York lost the World Series.

    • Combined with colon: Natalie ate a whole pie: New York lost the World Series.

    • The colon clarifies the reason: Natalie ate the pie because New York lost.

Capitalization Rules Following Colons

  • Sometimes the first letter after a colon can be capitalized in specific instances:

    • When introducing a formal quote.

    • When the information following the colon comprises more than one sentence.

    • When the clause before the colon is short.

Other Uses of Colons

  • Separating Titles

    • Colons are used to separate book and film titles from subtitles.

    • Example: Plumbing for geniuses: how to unclog your brain drain.

  • Dialogue in Scripts

    • Used in court testimonies and scripts to denote each speaker's lines:

    • Example:

      • Sarah, pointing her finger accusingly at George: "I told you not to fly that kite so close to the electrical wires."

      • George, pointing his finger back at Sarah: "Chill out. My hair will settle down eventually. It's not that big a deal."

      • Sarah: "Try telling that to your father when you show up at the board of trustees meeting looking like a porcupine."

  • Formal Communication

    • Colons follow greetings in formal written communications such as business letters.

    • Example:

    • Dear Mister Montego:

    • Dear Missus Abernathy:

  • Time Expressions

    • Used to separate hours and minutes in written time expressions.

    • Example:

    • 10:30 AM

    • 05:30 PM