Colons
Introduction
Colons are powerful tools in writing, used to signal to the reader that something important follows. For students aiming to master grammar in standardized tests like the DSAT, ACT, and EST, understanding the correct use of colons can boost not only test performance but also overall writing skills.
The primary audience for this topic includes students preparing for exams such as the Egyptian Scholastic Test (EST) or SAT, where grammar, punctuation, and writing conventions are tested. The secondary audience could be educators or writers who seek to clarify and enhance their grammatical accuracy.
A colon is frequently used before lists or to introduce explanations. For example, it can be placed after phrases like "as follows" to guide the reader: “The team consisted of three players: John, Sara, and Mike.” However, care must be taken to avoid common mistakes such as placing a colon after a verb, like in the incorrect usage, "She enjoys: swimming and hiking." Mastering such rules helps you excel in grammar and punctuation questions.
Lists
Use a colon to mean “note what follows.”
(1) Use a colon before a list of items, especially after expressions such as as follows and the following.
EXAMPLES
- The stew had several ingredients: potatoes, carrots, and celery. [The colon tells a reader that a list follows.]
- The recipe was as follows: brown the onions, add the broth, and stir in the chopped vegetables. [The phrase as follows and the colon tell the reader that a list follows.]
NOTE
Do not use a colon immediately after a verb or immediately after a preposition.
INCORRECT
- The school offered: fencing, archery, and karate. [The colon after the verb offered cuts off the verb from its complements fencing, archery, and karate.]
CORRECT
- The school offered fencing, archery, and karate.
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Quotations and Explanations
(2) Use a colon before a long, formal statement or quotation.
EXAMPLE
- Jane Austen opens Pride and Prejudice with a view of marriage: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” [A colon sets off the long quotation.]
(3) Use a colon between independent clauses when the second clause explains or restates the idea of the first.
EXAMPLE
- Gina grimaced suddenly: The kitten had attached itself to her ankle. [The second clause is set off with a colon because it explains the first clause.]
Conventional Situations
Use a colon in certain conventional situations.
Use a colon between the hour and the minute, between chapter and verse when referring to a passage from the Bible, between a title and a subtitle, and after the salutation of a business letter.
EXAMPLES
- 10:30 P.M.
- John 3:16
- Paw Prints: The Life of a Clever Cat [book]
- Dear Mr. Jones: