Usage of Colons

·         Use a colon to signal the reader that a series of words, phrases, or clauses follows a complete sentence.

The baseball coach claimed that the team's success stemmed from four things: consistent hitting, solid pitching, good fielding, and excellent teamwork

·         Use a colon to signal the reader that a second complete sentence explains a closely related preceding sentence.

The supervisor's remark was straight to the point: I won't tolerate workers who show up late.

·         Use a colon to signal the reader that a name or description follows a complete sentence when you want to put a lot of emphasis on that item.

The preoccupied burglar didn't notice who was standing right behind him: a smiling police officer.

·         Use a colon to introduce a long quotation after a complete sentence.

In his book, Language is Sermonic, rhetorician Richard Weaver described how language may influence us: Sophistications of theory cannot obscure the truth that there are but three ways for language to affect us. It can move us toward what is good; it can move us toward what is evil; or it can, in hypothetical third place, fail to move us at all. (60)

      ·         Colons are also used...

...to separate titles and subtitles:

Richard Nixon: The Tarnished President

·         ...to express time:

The accident occurred at approximately 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday.

·         ...to cite a law or Biblical passage:

According to Minnesota statute 1:49:002, it is unlawful to feed licorice or peanut butter to goats.

·         ...to end a salutation:

Dear Rachel:

·         ...to separate the place of publication and the publisher in a bibliographic entry:

West, Gerald. How to Write Best Sellers. New York: Henry

James Publishing, 1973.