If you want to know more tricks on how to use colon wisely, you can check out our service and these tricks. It is important to know about colon use grammar because it’s a punctuation mark that consists of 2-equal-sized dots of the vertical configuration. It’s used in many things such as indicating summation, elaboration or implication. If you are hesitating to use it, you need to listen to your grammar.
If you still doubt you use it right, perhaps it’s high time you use a colon and semicolon checker.
Use Colon in Ending to Sentence When Listing Items
You have two choices:
- Buy the clothes.
- Buy the shoes.
Use the colon between 2 sentences if the 2nd sentence explains or elaborate content of your first sentence: For example, He had all: Intelligence, charm, wit and looks. He also had good gaze that is aimed at 1 place: my heart.
A colon is to reach when writing formal letter or business: If you will write a formal letter, you also need to use a colon. Here is a good example on what you need to do.
Dear Ms. Grace: You know that there happened in your place, but you do not know exactly what happened, do you?
When Not to Use the Colon
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You need to remember that you should not use a punctuation colon when it includes introductory like namely or for example.
He is a fan of new great movies. For instance, You’re the best. (No colon is required after “example.”)
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You should not also use colon in introducing a list that’s complement of object of preposition or verb.
Incorrect: I had vacationed in: China, Hong Kong, Thailand and Philippines. (Colon separates preposition from object).
Correct: I had taken vacation in following countries: China, Hong Kong, Thailand and Philippines.
Note to remember:
If the colon is being followed by complete sentence, you need to capitalize the 1stword after colon. For instance, “While in Philippines, she did something she hadn’t done: She took motor ride.” In addition, when the colon follows the quoted matter, then colon will goes outside quotation marks. For instance, “There were 2 persons to whom she sang “The Boy from Japan”: Her sister and her mother.”
You need to remember that it is important to add and before your last word, even you are using colon. For instance, “There are numerous things why you need to buy for his party: food, gifts, plates, soda and balloons.” but, comma before your final “and” is not required.
Use the colon before an explanation or list that is preceded by clause that can able to stand by itself. Think of colon as gate. Also, you often use the colon in separating independent clause from quotation that clause introduces. Another thing is that if you are asking if an independent clause comes after colon is formal quote, then you need to start that quoted with capital letter. You need to study the use of colon punctuation to learn more.
If all these rules are too much for you, try using a colon corrector instead to save time and efforts.
Start using colon punctuation wisely today!
