When To Use a Colon: Rules and Examples | Merriam-Webster
What to Know. Colons (:) introduce clauses or phrases that serve to describe, amplify, or restate what precedes them. Often they are used to introduce a quote or a list that satisfies the previous statement. For example, this summary could be written as "Colons can introduce many things: descriptors, quotes, lists, and more." What Is a Colon?
When to Use a Colon: Grammar Rules With Examples
Apr 25, 2023 · A colon is a punctuation mark that’s used to connect sentences, put emphasis on a word or phrase, or introduce a quote or explanation. The rules for using a colon can change depending on how you use it, and we’ll explain how in a moment, but the two things it connects (be that a list or sentences) must be closely related.
Colon (punctuation) - Wikipedia
The colon, :, is a punctuation mark consisting of two equally sized dots aligned vertically. A colon often precedes an explanation, a list, [1] or a quoted sentence. [2]
Semicolons, colons, and dashes - UNC Writing Center
This handout explains the most common uses of three kinds of punctuation: semicolons (;), colons (:), and dashes (—). After reading the handout, you will be better able to decide when to use these forms of punctuation in your own writing.
When to Use a Colon (:) - The Editor's Manual
Oct 2, 2021 · Use a colon to introduce a list or a quotation, or to explain and amplify a statement. It directs the reader’s attention to the information that follows. It can also serve as a sign or separator.
What is a Colon? How, When to Use a Colon - Writing Explained
Colons promise the completion of something and are used to explain an idea in more depth, to begin a numbered series, or to start a list. Colons are used at the end of an independent clause, but what follows a colon does not need to be a complete thought itself.
Colons: How to Use Them - MLA Style Center
Sep 20, 2017 · Use colons to introduce a quotation when it is not integrated into the syntax of your sentence or otherwise requires a formal introduction: Nabokov opens his autobiography with a statement on mortality: “The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness.”
Colon Punctuation Rules: Grammar Guide - The Grammar Guide
What Is a Colon in Writing and Punctuation? A colon is a punctuation mark that looks like two dots stacked on top of each other (like this : ). The colon has a few grammar usages in sentences and several other uses that are considered English “mechanics,” such as in titles and times.
When to Use a Colon: Rules and Examples - Daily Writing Tips
Whether you’re writing an essay, a non-fiction book, or a blog post, there’ll be times when you want to quote someone else at some length (more than a sentence or two). This means using a “block quotation” that goes in its own standalone paragraph.
When to Use a Colon (:) | Rules, Guide & Examples - Scribbr
May 30, 2019 · A colon (:) can be used to introduce words, phrases, lists of items, explanations, and elaborations. It can also be used to introduce a quotation. In general, you can think of colons as saying “what comes next explains what came before.”