Tricky Punctuation: Colon
Proper punctuation is really important! The punctuation mark you use can totally change the meaning of the sentence. I’m not going to go over simple punctuation marks here—comma, period, question mark. (Although those can get really tricky too!)
Today we will be learning about a lesser-known, obscure punctuation mark and how to use it in CMOS style. Many of these rules carry over to other style guides, but keep in mind that this was written with CMOS in mind. (If you don’t know what I just said, check out this post about style guides.)
Colon :
My high school English teacher told us that a colon is the most dramatic punctuation mark ever. It’s true. It introduces things with lots of gusto and creates anticipation. Normally, it’s not exactly necessary to use a colon; you can easily recast the sentence to avoid a colon, but it looks fancy, so let’s figure out how to use it.
1. Colons introduce more information: I used a colon just now to demonstrate that I’m going to talk more about whatever I wrote before the colon. If you have more information you want to share to illustrate or underline the previous sentence, use a colon. You must have a complete sentence before the colon. Example,
I have to tell you a secret: there’s a surprise party tonight for Jodi.
I’m very busy this weekend: I have to finish my project and go to Jodi’s surprise party.
Wait. Can’t both of those examples have a semicolon or a period rather than a colon? Yep. Like I said, a colon is dramatic. It creates a sense of anticipation, but no, it’s not normally necessary.
Do not capitalize the first word after a colon when using it this way unless the part after the colon is more than one sentence or a quotation.
Let’s prepare for the party: We need balloons and streamers. Someone needs to pick up the food too.
When Jodi comes in, we should all sing her favorite song: “You’re gonna hear me roar!”
2. It can introduce a list. As mentioned before, the sentence before the colon must be a complete sentence, and the first word after the colon should not be capitalized (normally). Example,
I would like three pizzas: pepperoni, cheese, and Hawaiian. (Correct.)
I would like: pepperoni, cheese, and Hawaiian. (Incorrect. Not a complete sentence before colon.)
Pretty easy, right?
3. Introduce a quote. Just like #1, but with dialogue. There must be a complete sentence before the colon.
Susan screamed at him: “What’s wrong with you?”
I don’t think this is very common because you can just use a period rather than a comma. It’s not that much more dramatic to use a colon here because I’m already anticipating what’s going to happen because she’s screaming . . . but maybe that’s just me.
4. When formally addressing someone in correspondence, you can use a colon. Think of a cover letter or something similar.
Mrs. Jensen:
I use this for some of my business emails depending on the recipient. If it’s more casual, I’ll use a comma. Colons here are very formal.
5. Sometimes, special formatting requires a colon. Ratios, books of the Bible, time, and legal citations all require colons. Examples,
The men to women ratio is 3:2.
Genesis 22:13 KJV
It is 4:15 p.m. She finished the race at 1:38:22.
Phoenix Municipal Code 5:229
If you never use a colon except for the last uses, you’re probably okay. But they are fun to use for some extra pizzazz!
Now you know how to use colons, practice, practice, practice. The more you use it, the more comfortable you get with using it properly.
I hope you learned a lot from this post! If you have more questions about any of these topics, feel free to email me! If you’re looking for more professional help on punctuation, you can hire me as an editor or proofreader! Contact me here! Happy writing!
Now that you know how to use semicolons, practice, practice, practice. The more you use it, the more comfortable you get with using it properly. To learn about em dashes, parentheses, or semicolons, click on the words!
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