COLONS:

Use a colon when you want to say “here comes an example” or “here’s what I’m talking about.”

RIGHT:

This sentence is grammatically correct: I wonder if wolves actually wolf down their pizzas the way I wolf down mine.

RIGHT:

There’s only one sport for me: alligator wrestling.

RIGHT:

Notice how colons are used after the words right and wrong in this book. The colon says “here comes an example.”

Use a colon before some lists.

A colon is needed before these phrases: these are, there are, the following, as follows, such as, or these things.

RIGHT:

My favorite sports are the following: baseball, basketball, soccer, football, squash, racketball, tennis, lacrosse, golf, and every other game that’s played with a ball.

WRONG:

The ingredients are: flour, eggs, sugar, milk, and chocolate.
(Don’t use a colon if the list comes right after a verb.)

RIGHT:

The ingredients are flour, eggs, sugar, milk, and chocolate.

ALSO RIGHT:

These are the ingredients: flour, eggs, sugar, milk, and chocolate.

WRONG:

I want to travel to: New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Montreal.
(Don’t use a colon if the list comes right after a preposition.)

RIGHT:

I want to travel to New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Montreal.

ALSO RIGHT:

I want to travel to the following cities: New York, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Montreal.

Use a colon before subtitles of books, articles, chapters, etc.

The title of the book is Michael Jordan: Basketball Superman.

Use colons with expressions of time.

It’s 12:15 p.m. His record for the mile is 4:06:27.

Use a colon in the greeting part of a formal letter or business letter.

To Whom It May Concern:
Dear Senator Kirkpatrick:

Use a colon in literary references between volume and page or between chapter and verse.

John 3:16 [the book of John, chapter 3, verse 16] Encyclopedia Brittanica IV:425 [volume 4, page 425]

Use a colon with ratios.

The bill passed easily; the vote was 3:1. [three to one]

Use colons to indicate dialogue when you’re writing a play or a script (and notice there are no quotation marks when you write dialogue this way).

Brian: I want to play baseball.
Mike: Great idea.
Brian: I’ll get my gear and you get yours.
Mike: Meet you at the field.

Use a colon before a long, formal quotation.

Governor Smith stated to the press: “I think that children should study grammar for at least six hours a day. Learning to speak and write correctly is far more important than anything else – including eating. In fact, I believe that eating is a complete waste of valuable time. And that is why I’m suggesting that lunch period be canceled and that students study grammar instead of eating while they are at school.”
Fortunately, Governor Smith then said, “April Fools’!”

Use a colon after words such as caution, wanted, or note.

Caution: slippery floor
Wanted: part-time waitresses and waiters
Note: We’re almost finished with colons!

Capitalize the first word after a colon if it begins a complete sentence – and if you want to. Either way is okay; it’s your choice.

WRONG:

These are the ingredients: Apples, olives, sugar, onions, artichokes, and chocolate. Sounds yummy, doesn’t it? (Apples does not begin a complete sentence.)

RIGHT:

These are the ingredients: apples, olives, sugar, onions, artichokes, and chocolate. Sounds yummy, doesn’t it?

RIGHT:

I’m sure you know the old saying about apples: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. (An begins a complete sentence.)

ALSO RIGHT

:I’m sure you know the old saying about apples: an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

SEMICOLONS:

Use a semicolon between two sentences that are very closely related.

RIGHT:

My family is Jewish. We celebrate Chanukan but not Christmas.

BETTER:

My family is Jewish; we celebrate Chanukah but not Christmas.
(Being Jewish and celebrating Chanukah are very closely related, and that relationship is emphasized by putting them in the same sentence.)

WRONG:

My family is Jewish; not Christian.
(Not Christian is not a complete sentence. Use a semicolon only between two complete sentences.)

RIGHT:

My family is Jewish, not Christian.

RIGHT:

My dad is a coach at the university. We get free tickets to any sports event we want to see.
(These two sentences are very closely related.)

BETTER:

My dad is a coach at the university; we get free tickets to any sports event we want to see.

WRONG:

My dad is a coach at the university; we have some cousins who live in Texas.
(Being a coach and having cousins in Texas are not closely related.)

RIGHT:

My dad is a coach at the university. We have some cousins who live in Texas.

WRONG:

I have three dogs; and two of them are golden retrievers.
(When you use a semicolon, don’t use a conjunction.)

RIGHT:

I have three dogs; two of them are golden retrievers.

ALSO RIGHT:

I have three dogs, and two of them are golden retrievers.

Use a semicolon before however and similar words (these words are called conjunctive adverbs) that show a relationship between two complete sentences.

WRONG:

I bet you thought you wouldn’t have to learn another semicolon rule, however, you were wrong.

RIGHT:

I bet you thought you wouldn’t have to learn another semicolon rule; however, you were wrong.

ALSO RIGHT:

I bet you thought you wouldn’t have to learn another semicolon rule. However, you were wrong.

Here are some other conjunctive adverbs: also, besides, indeed, otherwise, therefore, in fact, meanwhile, in addition, consequently, nevertheless, next, still, finally, earlier, naturally, certainly.

A semicolon is stronger than a comma but slightly weaker than a period.

Use semicolons between clauses or phrases that contain a lot of commas.

CONFUSING:

Wesley likes books about baseball, biplanes, and bagels, Brian likes books about antique cars, blimps, and rare fish, and Tori likes books about racehorses, dolls, and military jets.

BETTER:

Wesley likes books about baseball, biplanes, and bagels; Brian likes books about antique cars, blimps, and rare fish; and Tori likes books about racehorses, dolls, and military jets.

CONFUSING:

We saw Meg, captain of the basketball team, Marshall, captain of the tennis team, Syman, captain of the crew, and Lisa, captain of the volleyball team.

BETTER:

We saw Meg, captain of the basketball team; Marshall, captain of the tennis team; Syman, captain of the crew; and Lisa, captain of the volleyball team.

ALSO GOOD:

We saw Meg (captain of the basketball team), Marshall (captain of the tennis team), Syman (captain of the crew), and Lisa (captain of the volleyball team).

Find the goofs in these sentences and correct

1. I want to see the new ninja movie, I want to see the new Addams Family movie, too.
2. When you go to the store, please pick up: apples, bread, and juice.
3. Mom said that only one thing will earn me an increase in allowance: A consistently clean room.
4. I love the colors green, blue, and red, the names Vanessa, Charlotte, and Cassandra, the states Iowa, Idaho, and Illinois, but not the foods anchovies, olives, and eggplant.
5. I was on the swim team last year, we had a winning season.
6. I like chocolate cake; my dad cooks great spaghetti.
7. This is the weather report for tomorrow, heavy rain, gusty winds, and a chance of flooding.
8. I hoped it would snow, finally, it did.

Answers:

1. I want to see the new ninja movie, I want to see the new Addams Family movie, too.
Two separate sentences are joined by a comma. That won’t do! Either join them with a semicolon or separate them with a period. Both of these are correct:

• I want to see the new ninja movie; I want to see the new Addams Family movie, too.

• I want to see the new ninja movie. I want to see the new Addams Family movie, too.

2. When you go to the store, please pick up: apples, bread, and juice.
Don’t use a colon if the list comes immediately after the verb, as it does here. (The verb is pick up.) Both of these are correct:

• When you go to the store, please pick up apples, bread, and juice.

• When you go the store, please pick up the following: apples, bread, and juice.

3. Mom said that only one thing will earn me an increase in allowance: A consistently clean room.
Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it begins a complete sentence. A consistently clean room is not a complete sentence. Mom said that only one thing will earn me an increase in allowance: a consistently clean room.

4. I love the colors green, blue, and red, the names Vanessa, Charlotte, and Cassandra, the states Iowa, Idaho, and Illinois, but not the foods anchovies, olives, and eggplant.
Very confusing! This sentence needs to be given a healthy dose of semicolons. I love the colors green, blue, and red; the names Vanessa, Charlotte, and Cassandra; the states Iowa, Idaho, and Illinois; but not the foods anchovies, olives, and eggplant.

5. I was on the swim team last year, we had a winning season.
A comma is not strong enough to separate two complete sentences. You have three options for cleaning up this sentence:

• I was on the swim team last year; we had a winning season.

• I was on the swim team last year, and we had a winning season.

• I was on the swim team last year. We had a winning season.

6. I like chocolate cake; my dad cooks great spaghetti.
These two sentences are not closely related, so the semicolon is wrong. Here are two possible ways to clean it up:

• I like chocolate cake. My dad cooks great spaghetti.

• Two of my favorite foods are chocolate cake and my dad’s great spaghetti. (Notice that this sentence creates a link between chocolate cake and spaghetti, so it now makes sense to put them in the same sentence.)

7. This is the weather report for tomorrow, heavy rain, gusty winds, and a chance of flooding.
A comma is not strong enough here. This is the weather report for tomorrow: heavy rain, gusty winds, and a chance of flooding.

8. I hoped it would snow, finally, it did.
A comma is not strong enough here. Both of these are correct:

• I hoped it would snow. Finally, it did.

• I hoped it would snow; finally, it did.