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Colon Punctuation Rules: Grammar Guide

The colon punctuation mark has several uses in English grammar and mechanics. Let’s take a look at what a colon is and how it’s used in writing.

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What Is a Colon in Writing and Punctuation?

A colon is a punctuation mark that looks like two dots stacked on top of each other (like this : ).

The colon has a few grammar usages in sentences and several other uses that are considered English “mechanics,” such as in titles and times.

British vs American English Use of a Colon

Most punctuation rules are the same for both British English and American English. The only difference in how a colon is used is in time.

In American English, we write times with a colon between the hour and minutes, e.g. 3:45 . British English uses a period, also called a full stop, instead, e.g. 3.45 .

How to Use a Colon Punctuation Mark

Let’s look at the mechanical uses of the colon. There are six major non-sentence uses:

• Periodical citations
• Bible verses
• Correspondence

We’ve already discussed how to use a colon to write times in American English.

Sometimes book, play, movie, or other media titles include colons to separate the main part of the title from the subtitle. Here are some examples:

• On Fire: The Case for a Green New Deal by Naomi Klein
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Star Wars: The Old Republic (video game)

Ratios are also written with colons. For example, you might tell someone to make a vinaigrette with a 3:1 oil to vinegar recipe.

When you cite a periodical or journal, use a colon between the volume and the page numbers, like this: American Journal of Archaeology 126: 3–17.

Bible verses always use a colon between the chapter number and the verse number (e.g. John 3:16).

Certain parts of correspondence, especially in a formal letter or business letter, use colons. Here are a few examples:

• To Whom It May Concern:
• Dear Ms. Potts:
• PS: I enjoyed the coffee you sent. Thanks!
• ATTN: Human Resources

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When to Use a Colon in a Sentence

There are three uses of the colon punctuation mark in sentences. Let’s look at each in detail.

1. To Introduce a List

The primary use of the colon in a sentence is to introduce items in a list. Not all lists use colons, however, so how do you know when to use one?

If a list appears in the flow of a sentence, do not use a colon.

Correct: I like to eat mangos, nectarines, and strawberries. Incorrect: I like to eat: mangos, nectarines, and strawberries.

A colon introduces a list that is set apart from the main part of the sentence.

Correct: I bought three types of fruit: mangos, nectarines, and strawberries. Incorrect: I bought three types of fruit, mangos, nectarines, and strawberries.

2. To Elaborate or Emphasize

Colons sometimes precede words or clauses that emphasize or provide an explanation of a previous clause.

In a complete sentence, you can use a colon between two independent clauses if the second clause further explains the first part of a sentence.

Alongside separating two independent clauses, the colon can also separate an independent and dependent clause .

If both independent clauses could stand on their own as a complete sentence, capitalize the first word of the second sentence as if it were separate.

The philosopher’s life work revolved around the following question: What does morality look like in late-stage capitalism?

If the clause after the colon is not a complete sentence, do not capitalize the first word of the second clause. The only exception is if the word after the colon is a proper noun .

My brother had shocking news: he was moving to Japan in just two weeks.

If the capitalization rules confuse you, don’t worry! ProWritingAid can correct incorrect capitalization after a colon.

Sometimes, a colon introduces more than one complete sentence. Capitalize the first word of each complete sentence.

Making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich has four steps: First, gather your bread, jelly, and peanut butter. Second, spread peanut butter on one side of the bread. Third, add jelly to the other piece of bread. Finally, put the bread together and enjoy!

Colons can also provide emphasis. In these cases, the information after the colon does not have to be complete sentences.

You can place one word, a phrase, or a dependent clause after the colon. Do not capitalize the first word after the colon, unless it’s a proper noun.

Here are some examples of colons for emphasis:

• The doctor said the word she feared most: cancer.
• I told him what I had never told anyone before: the truth.
• The verdict was shocking: not guilty on all counts.

3. To Introduce a Block Quote

When you put a long quotation in your writing, it’s a good idea to use a block quote. Block quotes do not use quotation marks.

Instead, write a colon after the introductory phrase, then start the block quote on a new line.

Let’s look at an example.

My life philosophy can be summed up in this quote by Ernest Hemingway:

Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste food when you eat, and when you sleep, really to sleep. Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell. And when you get angry, get good and angry. Try to be alive. You will be dead soon enough.

Colon Examples

Here are some more examples of how to use a colon.

• You can make the cold brew with a 1:3 coffee concentrate to water ratio.
• We have to be at the airport at 6:30 a.m.
• Have you seen Avengers: Age of Ultron ?
• He only lets three people hold him: his mom, his dad, and his grandma.
• That true crime documentary keeps me wondering: Can you actually trust anyone?

Colon Grammar: Punctuation

Like many punctuation marks, the colon has several grammar and mechanics uses in English.

Learning these rules will help you use colon punctuation correctly in your writing.

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Colons: How to Use Them

Like a semicolon, a colon can connect two independent clauses, but it has several other uses as well. Colons, like semicolons, should be used sparingly.

Joining Independent Clauses

A semicolon or colon joining two independent clauses signals a connection between them. When a semicolon is used, the nature of that connection is variable: the connection may be causal, sequential, oppositional, and so on. A colon, however, connects two clauses in a specific way, indicating that the second clause expands on the first. It alerts the reader to read on for an explanation or expansion of the first clause:

In that instant Brandon made a decision: he would fly to Toronto and propose to Sean.

Silvia slumped in her chair and closed her eyes: she had never felt so dejected.

Introducing a Series or List

Use a colon with the phrases as follows and the following .

To make a cake you need the following ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, milk, flour, leavener, and salt.

Combine the ingredients as follows: first, cream the butter with the sugar; second, add the eggs and milk; third, add the flour, leavener, and salt.

Use a colon before a series or list only if the words that introduce the list make up a complete sentence:

To make a cake you need a few basic ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, milk, flour, leavener, and salt.

If the words before the colon do not constitute a sentence, do not use a colon:

To make a cake you need butter, sugar, eggs, milk, flour, leavener, and salt.

Introducing Related Sentences

A colon may be used to introduce a series of related sentences:

Karen had the plan all worked out: She would take Dawn out to dinner for her birthday. While Karen and Dawn had dinner, Teresa would meet the guests at Karen’s house. Then Karen would bring Dawn to the house after dinner. Surprise!

A series of related questions is likewise introduced by a colon:

Karen started to worry: Would Teresa remember to pick up the cake? Would the guests arrive on time? And what would Karen do if Dawn wanted to go home after dinner?

Introducing Quotations

Use colons to introduce a quotation when it is not integrated into the syntax of your sentence or otherwise requires a formal introduction:

Nabokov opens his autobiography with a statement on mortality: “The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness.”

But use a comma after a verb of saying (e.g., says , exclaims , notes , writes ):

As Nabokov writes, “The cradle rocks above an abyss, and common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness.”

No punctuation is needed when the quotation is integrated into the syntax of your prose:

Nabokov writes that life is “a brief crack of light between two eternities of darkness.”

See the MLA Handbook 1.3.2 on using a colon to introduce block quotations.

Introducing a Rule or Principle

Use a colon to introduce the formal expression of a rule or principle:

Many books would be briefer if their authors followed the logical principle known as Occam’s razor: Explanations should not be multiplied unnecessarily.

Lowercase or Capital Letter after a Colon?

Use a lowercase letter when the word that follows the colon is normally lowercased:

Bonnie had to admit what was already obvious to her roommates: she was allergic to the cat.

Use a capital letter when the colon introduces

• a rule or principle
• several related sentences
• a capitalized word such as a proper noun

A Common Mistake

Do not use a colon after for example , that is , and namely . Use a comma instead:

There are many ways to flavor a cake—for example, with vanilla, with lemon or orange zest, or with cinnamon.

Olive or coconut oil can be substituted for butter in a vegan cake (that is, one made without animal products).

Cakes made with grated vegetables—namely, carrot cakes and zucchini cakes—stay moist for days.

Take the Quiz

Test yourself with our colon quiz !

41 Comments

Brenda palokangas 25 september 2017 at 10:09 am.

This is a great resource, but I found the "Lowercase or Capital Letter after a Colon?" section confusing because you seem to go against the rules in your examples. Could you clarify that rule?

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Erika Suffern 25 September 2017 AT 11:09 AM

Brenda, Thanks for noticing that! It was a typo, which we fixed. The post now instructs writers to use a capital letter in those instances.

Linda caniano 29 December 2017 AT 06:12 AM

Should a colon introduce a single author, for example, "written by: Linda"? This seems to be common practice in schools, and lately I have seen it in print an on TV.

Erika Suffern 02 January 2018 AT 09:01 AM

Thanks for your question, Linda. No, you would not use a colon in that example: "written by Linda" would be correct.

Ros 06 February 2018 AT 08:02 AM

Should a colon be usedvat the end of the below statement preceding the vertical list and should each first word be caputalized? E.g., The three stages are 1) dealing with darkness 2) bringing an end to disorder 3) reviving the planet

Erika Suffern 06 February 2018 AT 04:02 PM

Hi, Ros. Do not use a colon because "The three stages are" is not a complete sentence. The items do not need to be capitalized.

Jean 13 February 2018 AT 03:02 PM

You don't specify whether a quotation after a colon that begins with a lowercase letter in the original but is a grammatically complete sentence should be capitalized or lowercased. Which?? Using your example, here is my question: Nabokov writes: "C/common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light."

Jean 13 February 2018 AT 05:02 PM

Also, and related, what about after a verb of saying, then do you change a lowercase word in the original to capital, as in, "As Nabokov notes, 'Common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light.'"? Or would that be, "As Nabokov notes, 'common sense tells us that our existence is but a brief crack of light.'"?

Jean 14 February 2018 AT 02:02 PM

One more related question: what about when you quote something that's capitalized in the original but it's integrated into your syntax, e.g., "Everyone knows that since 'the cradle rocks above an abyss,' punctuation doesn't really matter that much."

Jean 06 April 2018 AT 01:04 PM

#4 and #5 should be capitalized and #6 should be lowercased--those are typically the correct answers, but my question is, what is MLA style on these? I don't believe you stipulate the answers to these questions in your book, but I've worked with authors who vehemently believe that you do, so please, please spell out what you want people to do in these cases.

Tamer 20 November 2018 AT 01:11 AM

It has made an appearance in the popular television show The Big Bang Theory.

should we use a colon before The Big Bang Theory?

and why. Thank you in advance

Erika Suffern 20 November 2018 AT 10:11 AM

No punctuation is needed before "The Big Bang Theory" in your sentence.

Caryl 07 January 2021 AT 12:01 PM

Erika, the only thing left out of your list of colon rules is something that often occurs on the ACT tests. I have put some examples below.

I think about this food all the time: sushi. The illusion results from one specific addition to the process: dust.

Michael 16 January 2019 AT 05:01 AM

Hello, I'd like to know what if I want to cite in superscript near a colon, is "A List^:" or "A List:^" more correct? Or would they be plain out wrong? Thanks in advance

Erika Suffern 16 January 2019 AT 10:01 AM

A superscripted note reference belongs after a colon. The first preference should be to place the note reference at the end of a sentence; place it after a colon only when it refers specifically to what precedes preceding the colon and not to what follows it.

Robin 07 June 2019 AT 05:06 PM

Is there one or two spaces after a colon?

Erika Suffern 10 June 2019 AT 08:06 AM

Ed taylor 22 july 2019 at 01:07 pm.

I often see a colon after the word "by" but my references say never use a colon after a preposition. Thus, a presentation title slide "The poetry of Wendell Berry" by: Ed Taylor would be wrong, as would "Added to the library by: StudySync." Still true?

Jessica Holman 07 August 2019 AT 01:08 PM

Hi there! I was wondering if the use of the colon in the example below is correct.

To make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, follow these steps: 1. Get two slices of bread 2. etc. etc.

Spirit 12 March 2020 AT 11:03 AM

MLA disallows the use of a colon after _namely_, but does it allow its use in place of _namely_? For example, _There is only one cake made with grated vegetables that I like: carrot cake_.

Erika Suffern 13 March 2020 AT 08:03 AM

The usage you show is fine. Thanks for asking.

Judith Halsey 23 April 2020 AT 10:04 PM

Hello and thanks in advance.

I'm editing something and think this sentence needs neither its colon or semicolon (although it's long). Am I correct?

“… my goals remain the same: to trace the origins of negative depictions of Africa and the economic motives behind them; and to fight the stereotypical racist representations of African people and African descendants that still persist in contemporary media and the cover-ups that go with them."

Erika Suffern 28 April 2020 AT 08:04 AM

The semicolon is not needed. Where you have a colon, some form of punctuation is needed there, but if you don't want to use a colon a dash could be used. A colon seems the best choice.

Melanie 27 April 2020 AT 04:04 PM

Can I uppercase after a colon if it is an independent clause?

Erika Suffern 28 April 2020 AT 07:04 AM

Generally, no. See the examples and guidelines in the post.

Dan Todd 06 May 2020 AT 07:05 AM

Hello, where is the colon in the sentence:

As Jane Friday noted in her "My Secret Garden": "I was beginning to believe..."

As Jane Friday noted in her "My Secret Garden:" "I was beginning to believe..."

Bivek Sah 16 May 2020 AT 01:05 PM

Hello there. I have got a query: can a sentence have two colons?

Erika Suffern 22 May 2020 AT 05:05 PM

It's best for a sentence to have only one colon.

Stephanie 19 May 2020 AT 10:05 PM

Can a colon be used to introduce news? For example, I have exciting news: I'm pregnant!

Would this be correct?

Yes. That would fall under the first usage discussed in the post: connecting two independent clauses.

Andy Lee 27 May 2020 AT 04:05 AM

Thank you for your explanation. I have a question about using colon in the title of paper.

If there is a colon which is followed by "the"(article), is it correct not to capitalize the "t"?

For example, MLA Handbook: the Best Book for Students

Thank you for your help in advance.

Erika Suffern 27 May 2020 AT 08:05 AM

Yes, capitalize the first letter of the first word of a subtitle that follows a colon , even if that word is an article.

eric 04 June 2020 AT 01:06 PM

Hello ! Here's my question : which of the following ways to introduce a question is correct ?

a) This raises the following question : To what extent did the Obama Administration succeed in.....? b) This raises the following question : to what extent did the Obama Administration succeed in.....? ( note the lowercase) c)This raises the following question, To what extent did the Obama Administration succeed in.....? ( comma instead of colon ) d)This raises the following question, to what extent did the Obama Administration succeed in.....? Thank you for your help !

Erika Suffern 31 August 2020 AT 08:08 AM

Check out our post on direction questions in sentences: https://style.mla.org/direct-question-in-a-sentence/

eric 10 September 2020 AT 03:09 PM

Thank you very much for pointing me in the right direction , I had not consulted that web page : it clearly answered all my questions!

Carla Israel 11 October 2020 AT 10:10 AM

Should there be a colon or a comma inserted after Harbour Station in this sentence. The home of the Sea Dogs is Harbour Station located at 99 Station Street, Saint John.

Mendy Hecht 04 January 2022 AT 05:01 PM

For the following example sentence (headline, actually), where would I find the rules on usage/placement of the colon?

"No link to hospital patient records for most U.S. EMS services: report."

Or is it supposed to be: "Report: no link to hospital patient records for most U.S. EMS services."

In other words, where does one place the word "report"?

Nicole 14 March 2022 AT 09:03 AM

Is it appropriate to use a colon after the words "because" or "it"? For example, the following sentences. "He argues that she is a bad dog because: 1) she pees on the floor, 2) she digs in the yard, and 3) she runs after cars." "The cake is easy to make because it: 1) only has five ingredients, 2) only uses one bowl, and 3) only takes 15 minutes to bake." Thank you for your help!

Erika Suffern 15 March 2022 AT 09:03 AM

No, colons are not used in those cases, because what precedes the "because" or the "it" is not an indendepent clause. The post says, "Use a colon before a series or list only if the words that introduce the list make up a complete sentence."

Steven Harvey 22 December 2022 AT 04:12 PM

Since middle school (they called in junior high in my day) I'd always thought that the word after a colon is always capitalized if the colon introduces an independent clause and always lower case if the colon introduces a dependent clause, unless, of course, the dependent clause begins with a proper noun. This has the advantage of being easy to remember. If I were to follow the capitalization rules you provide above, I would probably have to look them up every time. Why should grammar be so obtuse?

But my real question is: D/does the rule you mention belong to the inalterable rules promulgated by the Great Grammarian in the Sky or is it part of MLA style such that it could vary in some other style guide (grammar does contain some ambiguous issues that two different grammarians could legitimately resolve differently).

Also, when did "lower case" become a verb? I'm familiar with the term "capitalized," but I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've seen the term "lower cased." I would have thought it should be "put/left in lower case."

Rosanne Rodriguez 09 May 2023 AT 01:05 PM

should there be a colon after this in an invitation ....

Hosted by: and then there will be a series of individuals first and last names after "hosted by". not sure if Hosted by should also contain initial cap for both of these two words ?

Thank you !

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A Guide to Using Colons

What to Know Colons (:) introduce clauses or phrases that serve to describe, amplify, or restate what precedes them. Often they are used to introduce a quote or a list that satisfies the previous statement. For example, this summary could be written as "Colons can introduce many things: descriptors, quotes, lists, and more."

What Is a Colon?

We all know the colon, right? It's a punctuation mark that looks like two dots stacked, like a period with another period hovering above it :

It's typically a mark of introduction, used to let the reader know that what follows the colon has been pointed to or described by what precedes the colon. (This is quite a different function from that of the semicolon , which is mostly used to separate two independent sentence parts that are related in meaning.)

In the running prose that we encounter in books, magazines, articles, and the like, colons are mostly used to introduce a clause or a phrase that explains, illustrates, amplifies, or restates what precedes them. (Reminder: clauses and phrases are both groups of words within a sentence; the basic difference between them is that a clause has its own subject and verb, while a phrase does not.)

Colons are also hard to find in stock photography, so just go with it.

Colons Introduce Clauses and Phrases

Let's first look at some colons introducing clauses and phrases that explain, illustrate, amplify, and restate what's come before:

Harry the Dog and Mabel the Cat were having an impassioned argument about umbrellas: are umbrellas properly to be used only for rain?

In this example, what comes after the colon explains just what the argument referred to in the first part of the sentence is all about. Note that what follows the colon is not capitalized, but it could be. As a clause—it has its own subject and verb and could in fact function alone as its own sentence, albeit a sentence of the question variety—it certainly looks like something that can start with a capital letter, but whether it does or not is simply a matter of style. (Note that in British English the style is typically to go lowercase. Lowercase also happens to be Merriam-Webster's style.) Be consistent: capitalize the first letter in every clause that follows a colon, or always use lowercase.

Mabel the Cat was adamant that Harry recognize the usefulness of umbrellas for all wet weather: as protection against rain, sleet, and snow.

Here, the phrase following the colon illustrates what comes before it. Being a phrase and all, there is no capital letter. (There of course would be a capital letter if the first word of the phrase were a proper noun or acronym.)

"But why limit it, then, to wet weather?" Harry wanted to know. "Sun too beats down: is not an umbrella also appropriate protection against sun?"

Harry's clause, which would begin with a capital "I" if that were our style, amplifies what precedes it.

Mabel was having none of it: she remained unmoved.

Here, the clause following the colon restates what precedes it.

A colon can also introduce something that acts as an appositive. (Reminder: An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that refers to the same thing as another noun or noun phrase in the same sentence, and is usually right next to that other noun or noun phrase, like in "my neighbor the doctor." The two nouns/noun phrases—in this case "my neighbor" and "the doctor"—are said to stand "in grammatical apposition," which means that they have the same syntactical relation to the rest of the sentence.) The appositive that follows the colon can be an amplifying word, phrase, or clause:

"Harry," said Mabel, "umbrellas are about one thing: dry fur."

The noun phrase "dry fur" is in apposition to the "one thing" noun phrase on the other side of the colon.

"But Mabel," Harry pressed, "isn't the crux of it all in truth this: an umbrella is a collapsible shield for protection against weather generally?"

The clause following the colon is in apposition to "this" (which is a pronoun referring to "the crux of it all," if we're going to get technical about it).

"Oh Harry," replied Mabel, "a similar object that protects against sun has another name altogether: parasol."

The word "parasol" is in apposition to the noun phrase "another name altogether."

How NOT to Use Colons

We note in this aside that a colon is not used to separate a subject from its predicate ; a noun from its verb; a verb from its object or complement ; or a preposition from its object:

• avoid - The sheer size of Mabel's umbrella collection: is stunning.
• avoid - Harry's favorite umbrella: broke.
• avoid - The umbrella's opening mechanism was: hopelessly jammed.
• avoid - Mabel presented Harry with a choice umbrella of: her own.

Colons Can Introduce Lists and Series

And then there is the colon that introduces a list or series. What follows the colon is typically a word or phrase, so capitals are not be expected unless there's a proper noun or acronym:

Harry was not about to abandon his position. If Mabel was going to insist that umbrellas be conceived as appropriate for more than rain, then he was going to insist that they be deemed appropriate in all weather conditions: rain, sleet, snow, hail, and sun.

The list or series can also be composed of phrases:

Mabel's reply was emphatic. "You may be eternally encumbered by an umbrella then, Harry, but I will bear the following: an umbrella for wet weather, a parasol for hot sun, and a beret whenever I feel like it."

The list or series can also come before a summary statement:

Harry's rejoinder was equally emphatic. "Rain, sleet, snow, hail, sun: an umbrella will work for me, Mabel."

Colons Can Introduce Quotations

Colons are also commonly used in prose to introduce quotations. When the quoted material is lengthy, it's usually set off from the rest of the text by indentation but not by quotation marks:

Mabel was suddenly inspired to recite a bit of Lewis Carroll—specifically an excerpt from his 1871 Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There : All this time Tweedledee was trying his best to fold up the umbrella, with himself in it…. But he couldn't quite succeed, and it ended in his rolling over, bundled up in the umbrella, with only his head out: and there he lay, opening and shutting his mouth and his large eyes—'looking more like a fish than anything else,' Alice thought.

A colon can also be used before a quotation in running text, especially when the quotation is lengthy; or when it is a formal statement or a statement being given special emphasis; or when a full independent clause precedes the colon. Here's an example of the first kind:

"You know, Mabel," mused Harry, "while an avalanche perhaps does not quite qualify as 'weather,' an umbrella can also be used as protection against it. According to Mark Twain, anyway: 'We might have made the summit before night, but for a delay caused by the loss of an umbrella. I was allowing the umbrella to remain lost, but the men murmured, and with reason, for in this exposed region we stood in peculiar need of protection against avalanches; so I went into camp and detached a strong party to go after the missing article.' That's from A Tramp Abroad ."

And here's an example with a formal statement, or statement given special emphasis:

"I'll remind you, Harry," stated Mabel somewhat imperiously, "that this same text poses the absurd rhetorical question: '… what is an umbrella but a parachute?'"

And here's an example in which a full independent clause precedes the colon:

Harry, nonplussed, lunged toward a non sequitur. "I recently learned," he averred, "that the word 'umbrella' appears 26 times in James Joyce's Ulysses , and that three of those appearances occur in a single sentence: 'She disliked umbrella with rain, he liked woman with umbrella, she disliked new hat with rain, he liked woman with new hat, he bought new hat with rain, she carried umbrella with new hat.'"

Mabel's response is unknown, which is just as well: the fact is that we've got nothing more to say about colon use in prose.

MORE TO EXPLORE: A Guide to Using Semicolons

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When to Use a Colon (:)

Use a colon to explain, illustrate, and elaborate. A colon directs the reader’s attention to the information that follows.

• The pandemic didn’t create the digital divide: it revealed a problem that already existed.
• There was just one thing we needed now: luck.

Place a colon after a grammatically complete sentence to introduce a list.

• We want three things: equality, opportunity, and liberty.
• Log into your account.
• Request cancellation.
• Take a screenshot of the message you see on the screen.
• Build a time machine.
• Go back in time, and don’t ever subscribe to anything you don’t want to be stuck with forever.

A colon may also be used instead of a comma to introduce quoted text and emphasize it.

• The writer speaks of growing old: “Time is suddenly your worst enemy and your closest friend.”
• Camus says: “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”

Use a colon to separate a title from a subtitle.

• On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

A colon is also used as a separator in listings, citations, dialogue, and ratios.

What is the colon?

The colon (:) is a punctuation mark used to introduce a list or a quotation, or to explain and amplify a statement. Its purpose is to direct attention to the information that follows. It can also serve as a sign or separator.

• Anita collects antiques: typewriters, lanterns, clocks, and cameras.
• Woolf provides useful advice: “So long as you write what you wish to write, that is all that matters.”
• Maya likes to travel: it lets her escape reality by immersing herself in it.
• Non-voters outnumber voters 4:1 in this state.

The colon, which conveys the sense of “as follows” or “which is/are,” is a useful punctuation mark to present ideas clearly to your reader. In this article, we discuss when and when not to use the colon.

To introduce a list

Use a colon after a complete sentence to introduce a list . It is often used after expressions like “as follows” and “the following.”

• Here are two things you will need in the apocalypse: tissues and moisturizer.
• The steps are as follows: first, cut the board to size; second, cut the legs and trim; third, glue legs and board together; fourth, dry and sand.
• A successful birder always has the following: (1) a pair of binoculars, (2) some chocolate, (3) a book on birds, and (4) patience.
• Weigh out the ingredients.
• Mix them together.
• Bake for 40 minutes.
• Go online and order pizza.
• Three nails
• A step ladder
• The phone number of a good carpenter

After expressions like “for example,” “for instance,” “namely,” and “that is,” a comma is generally used instead of a colon.

• You can present this information in various ways. For example, you could include some charts.
• The class (that is, the students who filled the feedback form) wanted additional coaching.

Don’t use a colon if a list starts with an incomplete sentence or a fragment . Also note that no colon is needed after including , such as , and like .

• Incorrect: We need emergency supplies like: blankets, medicines, food packets, and water bottles. Correct: We need emergency supplies like blankets, medicines, food packets, and water bottles. Correct: We need emergency supplies: blankets, medicines, food packets, water bottles, etc.
• Dig a hole in the garden.
• Bury a decoy jar full of pebbles.
• Keep the real gold in a safe.
• dig a hole in the garden,
• bury a decoy jar full of pebbles,
• keep the real gold in a safe.

Don’t use a colon after a list heading or caption.

• Completed application form
• Recommendation letter
• List of all social media handles

A colon can sometimes also follow a list of words or phrases, with an explanatory statement after. Such usage is seen more often in creative than in formal writing.

• Buttons, thread, scissors, and fabric: that’s all you need to stitch a shirt.
• Raindrops, whiskers, snowflakes, mittens: these are some of her favorite things.
• Work, work, work: that’s all we ever talk about.

To explain and amplify

Use a colon to introduce information that describes, explains, or amplifies. It is a way of saying “which is/are” or “as follows.” By using a colon, you ask the reader to focus on the information that follows.

• She wants just one thing: a room of her own. The colon replaces the phrase “which is” and emphasizes what follows.
• We knew what we had to do: run for our lives.
• You have two choices: you can either run or make a stand.
• I can’t go to next screen: neither of the buttons is working.

A colon can be used between two independent clauses to indicate that the second clause explains or builds upon the first. (An independent clause is one that can stand by itself as a sentence.)

• Farley chose to ignore our advice: he went alone on the road trip. You could also say, “Farley chose to ignore our advice and went alone on the road trip,” but then the emphasis is lost. The colon makes the reader focus on the clause that follows.
• My grandmother loved to bake: she baked cakes for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, funerals, fine-weather days, I-woke-up-early-today days, and who-wants-some-cake days.
• Only one piece of advice he gave me has stayed: trust no one.

Thus, a colon can replace a semicolon or a period between two independent clauses.

• Correct: Farley chose to ignore our advice. He went alone on the road trip. The two sentences are related, but we are not emphasizing this fact. Correct: Farley chose to ignore our advice; he went alone on the road trip. The semicolon indicates that the two clauses are closely related. Correct: Farley chose to ignore our advice: he went alone on the road trip. The colon tells the reader that the second clause explains or amplifies the first.

Don’t use a colon between two clauses unless the second clause illustrates or explains the first.

• Incorrect: Farley chose to ignore our advice: nothing we said could change his mind. The second clause does not amplify or illustrate the first. It merely presents related information. Correct: Farley chose to ignore our advice; nothing we said could change his mind. If the second clause doesn’t explain the first, but you still want to show that the clauses are closely related, use a semicolon rather than a colon. Correct: Farley chose to ignore our advice: he went alone on the road trip. The second clause explains the first one: it illustrates how Farley ignored the advice. A colon is now appropriate.

Capitalization after a colon

Don’t capitalize words or phrases following a colon within a sentence.

• You need just three things: scissors, glue, and paper.
• You have what you asked for: a miracle.
• This shelter is home to various animals: cats, dogs, donkeys, turtles, parakeets, and even a chimpanzee.

When a colon is used between two independent clauses (each of which could stand alone as a sentence), the second clause is generally not capitalized.

• My mother loved the outdoors: she would spend all her free time in the garden.
• Farley is unfortunate: in the last year he has fallen down the stairs, crashed his motorcycle, and missed the bus to work forty-two times.
• I cannot emphasize this enough: do not go out tonight.
• That’s what I said: none of us is wrong.

Capitalization is a matter of style rather than grammar. Some style manuals , like the Chicago Manual of Style , suggest lowercasing an independent clause that follows a colon. Others, like the AP Stylebook and APA Publication Manual , recommend capitalizing it.

In general, a single clause after a colon is lowercased, as can be seen in the following examples.

• But that’s the deal: you have to live. — Zadie Smith , On Beauty (2005)
• All male friendships are essentially quixotic: they last only so long as each man is willing to polish the shaving-bowl helmet, climb on his donkey, and ride off after the other in pursuit of illusive glory and questionable adventure. — Michael Chabon , Wonder Boys (1995)

When a colon is followed by a series of sentences, all the sentences are capitalized.

• She makes the effort: She goes out. She exercises. She lives on coffee and hope.
• Self-help books can be downright dangerous: They misdiagnose. They make you think you are the problem. They give false hope.

Also see this article on capitalizing list elements after a colon.

For emphasis

A colon, which directs the reader’s attention to what follows, can be used for emphasis.

• What we needed we didn’t have: a boat. We could also say, “What we needed we didn’t have, which was a boat,” but then the emphasis provided by the colon is lost.
• Two kinds of people attend our workshops: those who have hope and those who don’t.
• I know just the woman for the job: Minerva Dash.
• She loved just one thing: sewing.

Before a definition

As a punctuation mark that explains and amplifies, a colon can be used to define, describe, and explain.

• Colon: A punctuation mark that precedes an explanation.
• VPN: virtual private network
• Hope: that which is left when all else is lost.
• The only one I could count on was Tumkin: he was a man who kept his promises.

Between a title and a subtitle

Use a colon to set off a subtitle from the main title , or a subheading from the main heading.

• Tamburlaine the Great: A Play in Two Parts
• The Zombie Apocalypse: A Documentary
• Path to Recovery: The Book of Hope

Always capitalize a subtitle or subheading after a colon.

• Incorrect: Twenty Long Years: my Story of Redemption Correct: Twenty Long Years: My Story of Redemption

To introduce a quotation

If you use a complete sentence to introduce quoted text, follow it with a colon rather than a comma .

• The poet speaks of the very nature of the universe: “Gravity cannot prevail, the stars move away seeking solitude.”
• The author leaves us with hope: “She hadn’t found the answer; she never would. But she would remain a traveler, a seeker.”
• Dash speaks of loneliness in cosmic terms: “Physics tells us a time will come when all the stars in the sky will be too far away for us to even know they exist.”
• Atwood’s character suggests caution in interpreting history: “Nothing is more difficult than to understand the dead, I’ve found; but nothing is more dangerous than to ignore them.”

A colon also replaces a comma to introduce quoted text when the quotation is more than one sentence long or when it needs to be emphasized.

• Maya said: “We all dream, awake and asleep.” You could also use a comma after the word said , but a colon places greater emphasis on the quote.
• Dash then continues: “It is true that two and two make four. But one and three also make four, as do four and zero.”
• Farley replied: “The money is gone.”

A colon may also replace a comma to introduce a question or a thought.

• She whispered to herself: What if I was wrong?
• He wondered: What’s the point of it all?
• As I grew older, I began to think: I too could be frivolous.

Also use a colon to set up a block of quoted text.

Happiness is not an ideal of reason, but of imagination.

An entire paragraph of quoted text is introduced by a colon.

To address someone

In formal communication, a colon can be used in place of a comma after a salutation or to address someone.

• Mr. President :
• Dear Madam :
• Ladies and Gentlemen:
• To whom it may concern:

In dialogue and Q&A

Use a colon to introduce a character’s speech in dialogue .

• Rita: We need more time. Anita: We always need more time. We never find it.

In an interview transcript or a list of FAQs, use a colon to introduce question and answer.

• Q: When did you decide to publish the report? A: When I realized it could change everything.
• Q: How do I cancel my subscription? A: You can try, but you never will.

To show time

The colon is used as a separator to show time of day or to speak of duration.

• Shall we meet at 2:30 p.m. ?
• Our flight is at 15:45 PST on January 3.
• Lap time: 2:22:23

In British usage, a period (or full stop) is often used instead of a colon to separate hours from minutes: 2.30 pm .

In ratios and proportions

A colon can be used to express a ratio or a proportion. It replaces the word to . Don’t use spaces around a colon in a ratio.

• Add butter and sugar in a 2:1 ratio. Read aloud as “two-to-one ratio”; can also be written as such, unless you prefer to use numerals .
• Boys outnumber girls 7:1 in these schools.
• Mendel observed a phenotype ratio of 3:1.
• The proportion (nitrogen) was 4:1.
• The ratio of bleach to water should be 1:4.

In citations

In citations , a colon indicates a subsection of a larger work. For example, in biblical citations, a colon separates chapter and verse.

• Isaiah 53:5

In reference lists, a colon is used as a separator between location and publisher in most citation styles.

• Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica
• Oxford: OUP
• Gurugram: Penguin
• New York: Wiley
• Manila: University Press

Colon vs. dash

Both a colon and an em dash can be used to explain, illustrate, and amplify. Both punctuation marks emphasize what follows. But a colon is preferred in formal usage.

• Informal: It was unfortunate—all the flights out were canceled. Formal: It was unfortunate: all the flights out were canceled.
• Informal: The truth—what we think we want but never do. Formal: The truth: what we think we want but never do.
• Informal: I know what you need—tea. Formal: I know what you need: tea.

A colon is precise: it explains and illustrates. Dashes are more versatile. They can show vague connections between ideas and thoughts, which is why they work in informal writing but are avoided in formal usage. In the following examples, an em dash works, but a colon would not.

• It was unfortunate—just how unfortunate they didn’t yet know.
• The truth—is that really what you want?
• We needed three things—not much, just three things.

Colon vs. semicolon

Both a colon and a semicolon can be used instead of a period between two grammatically complete sentences (or independent clauses). A semicolon merely shows that the two clauses are closely related; a colon indicates that the second clause amplifies or explains the first.

• Period: Farley is scared of dragonflies. As a child, he thought they were baby dragons. Two separate sentences. Semicolon: Farley is scared of dragonflies; as a child, he thought they were baby dragons. The semicolon tells the reader that the two clauses are closely related. Colon: Farley is scared of dragonflies: as a child, he thought they were baby dragons. The colon indicates to the reader that the second clause explains and amplifies the first one.

In the following examples, a semicolon works but a colon would not. This is because the second clause does not in any way explain or illustrate the first.

• It’s not the discrimination I mind; it’s the fact that nothing ever changes.
• There are only three types of people in the world; perhaps there are more but I have never met them.
• She may be richer than me; she can’t possibly be happier than me today.

The following quotes illustrate the difference between a colon and a semicolon . Note how a colon presents explanatory information, while a semicolon connects two closely related clauses.

• Districts face a hard reality, though: Many children lost a great deal of academic growth last year; some kids didn’t attend school at all. — Ron Berger, “Our Kids Are Not Broken,” Atlantic (March 2021)
• It strikes me that this may be one of the differences between youth and age: when we are young, we invent different futures for ourselves; when we are old, we invent different pasts for others. — Julian Barnes , The Sense of an Ending (2011)

In the following examples, a semicolon is used instead of a colon. The clause after the semicolon is related to the one before but does not illustrate or explain it.

• It wasn’t only wickedness and scheming that made people unhappy, it was confusion and misunderstanding; above all, it was the failure to grasp the simple truth that other people are as real as you. — Ian McEwan , Atonement (2001)
• She was quite pretty too in those days; indeed, perhaps she still was. — Vikram Seth , A Suitable Boy (1993)

Colon vs. period

A colon can replace a period to present a series of related sentences. The colon helps build upon the statement that precedes it.

• It was impossible: He had no money. He had no phone. He had nowhere to go.
• Lulu had no choice but to leave: She had signed a contract. She had made a promise. And she was a woman of her word.
• Maya had a choice to make: She could nod and smile. She could walk away. Or she could make a stand.

Don’t use a colon between two statements simply because they are related. Unless one clause builds upon the other, explains it, or needs to be emphasized, a colon can leave the reader dissatisfied by an apparent lack of logic.

• Incorrect: Lulu likes to sing: She likes to dance as well, but singing is her passion. The colon does not work: the clauses that follow it don’t explain the one that precedes it. A period would work better after the first sentence. Correct: Lulu likes to sing. She likes to dance as well, but singing is her passion.

Misuse of colon

Don’t use a colon within a sentence unless after an independent clause (which could stand by itself as a grammatically complete sentence).

• Incorrect: Maya wanted to spend her birthday: reading a book, sipping on tea, and looking out her window. Correct: Maya wanted to spend her birthday reading a book, sipping on tea, and looking out her window. Correct: Maya wanted a quiet birthday: she would read a book, sip on tea, and look out her window.

Don’t use a colon between two clauses unless the second clause explains or amplifies the first.

• Incorrect: Nesbit loves video games: he also likes to read science fiction and fantasy. The second clause doesn’t explain, illustrate, or amplify the first one. A period would be more appropriate than a colon. Correct: Nesbit loves video games: he enjoys escaping reality. The second clause builds upon the first to explain why Nesbit likes video games. A colon is now appropriate.

Don’t use a colon at the start of a list unless the list is introduced by a complete sentence.

• Incorrect: Lulu had to: order the cake, buy flowers, and find a gift. Correct: Lulu had to order the cake, buy flowers, and find a gift. Correct: Lulu had a lot to do: order the cake, buy flowers, and find a gift.
• a piece of string,
• a half-eaten candle,
• a skeleton.
• A piece of string
• A half-eaten candle

Don’t use a colon after a heading or a caption. Since such material is already set off from the rest of the text, a colon is unnecessary. Prefer to use formatting options (like fonts and indentation) to indicate a heading.

• Dutch truffle gateau
• Banoffee pie
• Japanese cheesecake

Examples from literature

The following examples from published writing illustrate how to use the colon correctly to explain and amplify.

• Call it gossip, if you will, but when Nurse Rooke has half an hour’s leisure to bestow on me, she is sure to have something to relate that is entertaining and profitable: something that makes one know one’s species better. — Jane Austen , Persuasion (1817)
• The arguments employed are of very different value: some are important and sound, others are confused or quibbling. — Bertrand Russell , The Problems of Philosophy (1912)
• It comes to him: growth is betrayal. — John Updike , Rabbit Redux (1971)
• The wheel turns and turns and turns: it never stops and stands still. — Anita Desai , The Village by the Sea (1982)
• Gradually the waiting began to feel less like waiting and more like this was simply what life was: the distracting tasks undertaken while the thing you are waiting for continues not to happen. — Sally Rooney , Conversations with Friends (2017)

Share this article

Use a colon after a grammatically complete sentence to emphasize what follows.

Use a colon to explain, not simply to provide related information.

Use a colon after a grammatically complete sentence to introduce a list.

Capitalize a subtitle after a colon.

A direct quote is generally introduced by a comma, but a colon may be used for emphasis.

Punctuation Marks in Writing: Essential Guide for Flawless Essay

Table of contents

• 0.0.1 Key points to be covered:
• 1 What Is Punctuation?
• 2 Common Punctuation Marks
• 3.1 Other Places to Use Commas:
• 4 Comma Splice
• 6 Apostrophe
• 7 Quotation Mark
• 8.1 Question Mark
• 8.2 Exclamation Point
• 9.2 En Dash
• 9.3 Em Dash
• 10.1 Parenthesis ( )
• 10.2 Bracket [ ]
• 10.3 Braces { }
• 11 Ellipsis
• 13 Semicolon
• 14 Capitalization
• 15 Make Your Essay Stunning with Accurate Punctuation Marks

Are you struggling to master punctuation in your essays, assignments, or written work? Look no further! In this article, we will explore the importance of punctuation and how  PapersOwl can assist you in acing this vital aspect of writing.

Punctuation is crucial in conveying your texts’ meaning, clarity, and coherence. Whether you struggle with commas, semicolons, or dashes, PapersOwl is here to help. With their expert writing assistance and comprehensive proofreading services, you can enhance your punctuation skills and elevate the quality of your academic or professional work.

Let’s dive in and discover the different punctuation marks and why PapersOwl can be your ultimate punctuation companion.

Key points to be covered:

• How to use punctuation correctly
• The significance of punctuation in effective writing
• Common punctuation mistakes to avoid
• Enhancing clarity and coherence through proper punctuation
• Tips for mastering punctuation in essays, assignments, and more

What Is Punctuation?

Punctuation refers to the marks and symbols used in formal writing to enhance clarity, convey meaning, and guide the reader’s understanding. It includes commonly recognized punctuation marks such as commas, periods, question marks, and exclamation points.

Proper punctuation is crucial in English language academic writing essays, as it helps structure ideas, organize information, and maintain coherence. PaperOwl follows all essential rules in academic essays to give your work a professional and clean look. Rest assured, with us, scoring high grades is inevitable.

Common Punctuation Marks

Common punctuation marks play a fundamental role in written communication. They include the comma, period, question mark, exclamation point, and colon. Here are the most common punctuation marks you need to know about:

A comma serves various purposes in a sentence. It clarifies and organizes the sentence by indicating natural pauses and separating different sentence parts.

Incorrect: I went to the store and bought some groceries.

Correct: I went to the store, and I bought some groceries.

A comma is missing between the two independent clauses in the incorrect example. Adding a comma, as shown in the correct example, separates two sentences appropriately and improves clarity.

Point to Remember:

Use commas purposefully, avoiding overuse or omission. Proper comma usage enhances readability and ensures clarity in your writing.

Other Places to Use Commas:

To separate items in a series:

• Her favorite colors are red, blue, and green.

To set off introductory elements:

• After finishing her work, she went for a walk.

To indicate a pause between two sentences in a compound sentence:

• He studied hard, but he didn’t pass the exam.

To separate coordinate adjectives:

• She wore a beautiful, elegant dress to the party.

To set off nonessential information:

• John, my best friend, is coming over for dinner.

To indicate direct address:

• Mom, I need your help with this math problem.

Comma Splice

A comma splice occurs when two complete sentences are joined together using only a comma, without a coordinating conjunction or correct punctuation.

Incorrect: I enjoy hiking, it helps me relax.

Correct: I enjoy hiking. It helps me relax.

In the incorrect example, the two independent clauses “I enjoy hiking” and “it helps me relax” are incorrectly joined with only a comma. The correct example shows the appropriate separation of the two sentences into separate sentences or the use of coordinating conjunctions like “and” or “but” to connect them.

Point to Remember: Avoid using a comma alone to join two independent sentences. Instead, use a coordinating conjunction (such as “and,” “but,” “or”) or separate the clauses into individual sentences.

Comma splices can be found in various writing situations, such as:

• Combining two complete sentences with a comma:

Incorrect: She loves swimming, it’s her favorite activity.

Correct: She loves swimming. It’s her favorite activity.

• Using a comma to separate ideas in a series of complex phrases:

Incorrect: He was tired, he had worked late, he needed rest.

Correct: He was tired because he had worked late, and he needed rest.

• Joining independent clauses in compound sentences without proper punctuation:

Incorrect: We went to the beach, the weather was perfect.

Correct: We went to the beach, and the weather was perfect.

In each incorrect example, a comma joins independent clauses without proper punctuation. The correct examples demonstrate the use of appropriate punctuation, such as replacing the comma with a period or using a coordinating conjunction (like “because” or “and”) to connect the clauses.

A period is a correct punctuation mark that indicates the end of a declarative sentence or an imperative sentence that is not a command. It is a small dot placed at the end of a sentence.

Incorrect: She is going to the store. To buy some groceries.

Correct: She is going to the store to buy some groceries.

In the incorrect example, an unnecessary space exists before the period, creating an error. The correct example demonstrates the proper placement of the period without any additional spaces.

Point to Remember: Always place a period at the end of a complete sentence to signify its conclusion.

Other places a period is used:

• Abbreviations: e.g., Mr., Dr.
• Decimal numbers: 3.14, 25.50
• Acronyms: NASA, FBI
• Website addresses: www.example.com

Apostrophes, which look like single quotation marks, have multiple uses in English writing. It primarily indicates possession or apostrophe replaces letters in contractions.

Incorrect: The dog’s are barking loudly.

Correct: The dogs are barking loudly.

In the incorrect example, the apostrophe is incorrectly placed before the “s” in “dogs,” suggesting possession instead of indicating the plural form. The correct example demonstrates the absence of the apostrophe when showing the plural noun.

Point to Remember: Use an apostrophe to show possession by adding ‘s to the noun, except for plural nouns ending in “s,” where only an apostrophe is added. For contractions, use an apostrophe to replace omitted letters.

Other places where the apostrophe is used:

• Possessiveness: John’s book, the cat’s toy
• Contractions: can’t (cannot), don’t (do not), it’s (it is)
• Numbers and omissions: ’80s (1980s), rock ‘n’ roll (rock and roll)
• When apostrophe is not used: pronouns (hers, its), plurals (dogs, cats), decades (the 1990s)

Quotation Mark

The question mark is used at the end of a sentence to indicate a direct question.

Incorrect: She said, “I love cooking”.

Correct: She said, “I love cooking.”

The closing quotation mark is missing in the incorrect example, resulting in incorrect punctuation. The correct example includes the opening and closing quotation marks, properly enclosing the direct speech.

Point to Remember: Use double quotation marks (” “) to enclose direct speech, dialogue, or a quotation within a sentence.

Other places quotation marks are used:

• Long direct quotations: When  using quotation marks , a substantial amount of text (typically four or more lines) uses block indentation or formatting instead of quotation marks.
• Direct quotations: Use quotation marks to enclose the exact words spoken by someone.
• Indirect quotations: When paraphrasing or summarizing someone’s words or ideas, quotation marks are unnecessary.

For example:

• Long direct quotation: According to the author, “The story begins…”
• Direct quotation: She exclaimed, “I can’t believe it!”
• Indirect quotation: He mentioned that he was excited about the upcoming event.

Question and Exclamation

Question mark.

The question mark is a punctuation mark used at the end of a sentence to indicate a direct question.

Incorrect: She is coming to the party right?

Correct: Is she coming to the party?

In the incorrect example, the question mark is incorrectly placed at the end of a statement instead of forming a direct question. The correct example uses the question mark to properly indicate an interrogative sentence, asking whether the person mentioned is coming to the party.

Point to Remember: Use a question mark at the end of a sentence to indicate a direct question.

Question marks are also used in various cases, such as rhetorical questions, indirect questions, and to express uncertainty or doubt. They can also be used in certain expressions or phrases that convey a questioning tone or seek clarification. For example, “Who doesn’t love a good cup of coffee in the morning?”

Exclamation Point

Exclamatory sentences or exclamation marks express strong emotions, surprise, emphasis, or exclamatory statements.

Incorrect: The cake is delicious!

Correct: Wow! The cake is absolutely delicious!

In the incorrect example, the exclamation mark is used to state a fact without conveying a strong emotion. The correct example adds an enthusiastic “Wow!” to show genuine excitement and emphasize just how delicious the cake truly is.

Point to Remember: Use an exclamation mark to express strong emotions, excitement, emphasis, or exclamatory statements.

Hyphen and Dash (En dash, Em dash)

A hyphen (-) is used to combine words or parts of words and create compound adjectives and words.

Incorrect: The well-known scientist.

Correct: The well-known scientist.

An en dash (–) indicates a range or connection between two things, such as numbers, dates, or places.

Incorrect: The event is scheduled for 5-7pm.

Correct: The event is scheduled for 5–7 pm.

An em dash (—) is a versatile punctuation mark that indicates a significant break in thought or a parenthetical statement. It is usually written without spaces on either side, although some style guides do recommend using spaces.

When in doubt, opt for no spaces, and make sure you’re consistent throughout your text, whatever you choose. The em dash can add emphasis or drama to a sentence—drawing attention to an important point—or it can create a strong interruption in thought.

Incorrect: She packed her bags – which were brand new – and left.

Correct: She packed her bags—which were brand new—and left.

Other places where Hyphens and Dash are used:

• Hyphen: Used in compound words (e.g., well-known), prefixes (e.g., pre-existing), and suffixes (e.g., self-confidence).
• En Dash: Used to indicate a range (e.g., pages 10–15), connections between places (e.g., New York–London), or connections between dates (e.g., 2010–2015).
• Em Dash: Used to set off parenthetical statements (e.g., She—along with her friends—decided to go), indicate a sudden change in thought, or create emphasis in a sentence.

Parenthesis, Bracket, Braces

Parenthesis ( ).

Parentheses are punctuation marks that enclose additional or explanatory information within a sentence.

Incorrect: The weather is nice (I hope so).

Correct: The weather is nice (I hope so).

Bracket [ ]

Brackets are punctuation marks that enclose inserted information or editorial comments within a quoted text.

Incorrect: She said, “I am [not] going to the party.”

Correct: She said, “I am not going to the party.”

Braces are punctuation marks used in mathematics, programming, or to show sets or groups.

Incorrect: The equation {x + 2 = 5} is solved.

Correct: The equation x + 2 = 5 is solved.

• Parenthesis: Use parentheses to enclose additional or explanatory information that is not essential to the main sentence but provides extra context or clarification.
• Bracket: Use brackets to enclose inserted information within a quotation, especially when the inserted content is not part of the original quotation.
• Braces: Use braces in mathematics, programming, or to indicate sets or groups.

Other places where Parenthesis, Brackets, and Braces are used:

• Parenthesis: Used in writing to clarify or provide additional information (e.g., “The concert (which was sold out) was amazing.”).
• Bracket: Used in quotations to add editorial comments or clarifications (e.g., “He said, ‘I am [not] going to the party.'”).
• Braces: Used in mathematics or programming to indicate sets or groupings (e.g., “{1, 2, 3}” represents a set of numbers).

An ellipsis (…), or three periods, consists of three dots that indicate the omission of words, a pause, or trailing off in thought.

Incorrect: I went to the store and bought… milk, bread, and eggs.

Correct: I went to the store and bought… milk, bread, and eggs.

The ellipsis is incorrectly placed after “bought,” disrupting the sentence flow in the incorrect example. The correct example shows the proper use of an ellipsis to indicate an omission.

Point to Remember: Use an ellipsis to indicate the omission of words in a quotation, pause, or trailing off in thought. An ellipsis usually consists of three dots with spaces between each dot.

Other places Ellipses are used:

• In literature: “She whispered, ‘I love you… forever.'”
• In quotations: “To be, or not to be…”

A colon (:) is a punctuation mark consisting of two dots, one above the other. It is primarily used to introduce or emphasize information in a sentence.

Incorrect: She went to the store: milk, bread, and eggs.

Correct: She went to the store and bought the essentials: milk, bread, and eggs.

In the incorrect example, the colon is misused to separate the subject from the bought items. The correct example demonstrates the proper use of a colon to introduce a list.

Point to Remember: Use a colon after an independent clause to introduce or emphasize information that follows it. The colon indicates that what comes after it is closely related to and expands upon what precedes it.

Other places Colon is used:

• In time expressions: The train departs at 9:00 AM: don’t be late.
• In titles and subtitles: Chapter 3: The Final Showdown.
• In ratios or proportions: The recipe calls for a 2:1 flour-to-water ratio.
• In formal greetings or salutations: To Whom It May Concern:
• In biblical references: John 3:16 is a well-known verse.

A semicolon (;) is a punctuation mark that functions as a stronger pause than a comma but not as final as a period. It joins closely related independent clauses or separates items in a series when the items contain internal punctuation.

Incorrect: She loves reading books; her favorite genre is fantasy.

Correct: She loves reading books; however, her favorite genre is fantasy.

In the incorrect example, the semicolon in  order custom writing is used incorrectly to join an independent clause with a dependent clause. The correct example demonstrates the proper use of a semicolon to join two closely related independent clauses.

Point to Remember: Use a semicolon to connect two closely related independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction or to separate items in a series when the items contain internal punctuation.

Other places Semicolon is used:

To separate items in a series when the items contain commas:

The restaurant offers various options: pasta with tomato sauce, a classic Italian dish; pizza with mushrooms, onions, and olives; and salad with feta cheese, walnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette.

Capitalization

Capitalization is using capital letters (uppercase) at the beginning of a word to signify its importance or to distinguish it from other words in a sentence.

Incorrect: i went to the store to buy groceries.

Correct: I went to the store to buy groceries.

In the incorrect example, the sentence starts with a lowercase “i” instead of the capitalized “I.” The correct example demonstrates the proper capitalization of the pronoun “I.”

Point to Remember: Capitalize the first letter of a sentence, proper nouns (names of people, places, organizations), and the pronoun “I.” Lowercase letters are used for common nouns unless they are part of a title or heading.

Other places Capitalization is used:

• Titles: Capitalize the main words in titles of books, articles, movies, etc. (e.g., “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”).
• Proper adjectives: Capitalize adjectives derived from proper nouns (e.g., American cuisine, Shakespearean sonnets).
• Acronyms: Capitalize all letters in acronyms (e.g., NASA, UNESCO).
• Days, months, and holidays: Capitalize the names of days (e.g., Monday), months (e.g., January), and holidays (e.g., Christmas).

Make Your Essay Stunning with Accurate Punctuation Marks

Now you know how to use proper punctuation. Proper grammar and punctuation play a crucial role in enhancing the quality and impact of your essay. Accurate punctuation ensures clarity, coherence, and readability. To make your essay truly shine, consider utilizing professional editing services.

If you want to edit any paper from a professional service provider, PaperOwl is the perfect option. We will meticulously review and polish your essays. Visit PapersOwl’s website to elevate the punctuation quality of your essay and take it to the next level.

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Thursday, April 25, 2024

Whether to use colons in titles

March 30, 2010 Filed under Blog , Popular , Presentations , Writing  

For an example, take a look at this issue of Progress in Human Geography . Of the 9 scientific articles, all but one use a colon in the title. Two even use a colon and an em dash! Do people in these disciplines have more to say in the titles than us in the physical sciences? I don’t know. It certainly seems commonplace, if not nearly mandatory in those disciplines.

By comparison, atmospheric science (as well as the other physical sciences) tend not to have as many titles with colons in them. Peter Thrower, the long-time editor of the journal Carbon , wrote an editorial derogatorily calling titles with unnecessary colons in them colonic titles . (If that joke doesn’t make sense to you, check out this definition of colonic .)

Colons, like anything, lose their novelty and effectiveness when overused. Titles with colons often make the titles longer and cutsier than necessary. Of my roughly 80 published papers, I have used a colon or a two-phrase title 14 times, and only four of those cases was I the lead author. Here are some of those titles.

Historical research in the atmospheric sciences: The value of literature reviews, libraries, and librarians. Castellanus and elevated convection: Ambiguities, significance, and questions. Maintaining the role of humans in the forecast process. Analyzing the psyche of expert forecasters. False alarms and close calls: A conceptual model of warning accuracy. The mysteries of mammatus clouds: Observations and formation mechanisms. Toward improved prediction: High-resolution and ensemble modeling systems in operations. Field significance revisited: Spatial bias errors in forecasts as applied to the Eta model. The use of moisture flux convergence in forecasting convective initiation: Historical and operational perspectives. The 1993 Superstorm cold surge: Frontal structure, gap flow, and tropical impact. The March 1993 Superstorm cyclogenesis: Incipient phase synoptic- and convective-scale flow interaction and model performance.

Two cases had trivial uses of the colon.

Evolution of the U.S. tornado database: 1954–2004. Climatology of severe hail in Finland: 1930–2006.

In only two cases, I might have pushed some people’s buttons as the title might have been perceived as too cutsy or unnecessary. For those cases, I was trying to be a little more provocative.

Are three heads better than two? How the number of reviewers and editor behavior affect the rejection rate. Weekly precipitation cycles? Lack of evidence from United States surface stations.

Looking back, I think that most of my colonic titles were not excessively long, and the second part of the title after the colon amplified the first part. So, I thought these titles were mostly effective. Sure, many of them could have been written as a single phrase, but then what I wanted to emphasize as the first part would have necessarily been subservient in a revised title. (Writing the Superstorm titles without the colon but trying to keep the word “Superstorm” early in the title is a challenge.)

If an author vowed to never use colons in his titles, I would support that person 100%. But, I would also support others’ ability to use them in a limited and specific sense.

I ran across your blog post as I was trying to find out if the part of the title that comes after the colon has a name. I want to call it a subtitle, but that’s confusing. That word refers to the words that run across the screen during foreign films. While I didn’t find the answer I was looking for I was, quite entertainingly, given yet more issues to mull over. Thank you!

PS Are they really called colonic titles or were you just using the joke moniker throughout the post?

Thanks for your comment, Annie. Yes, indeed, Peter Thrower does refer to them as colonic titles (his term). I looked in my dictionary and found that subtitle could also mean “a subordinate title of a published work or article giving additional information about its content.” So, I think it is accurate to refer to them as subtitles.

Titles with two colons _really_ drive me nuts.

Is it acceptable to use TWO colons in one title? Someone I know is writing a book and the working title has two colons it. I just don’t think this is good at all, even if it is acceptable. Thanks.

I can imagine that you might have a main title that has a colon in it ( Blue: The Best Color ), and then a subtitle ( The Story of Why the Sky is Blue ). I guess the way the full title would be referenced would be with two colons ( Blue: The Best Color: The Story of Why the Sky is Blue ). That seems a bit excessive when written that way. But, I can see the appeal of having the main title have a colon. Is there any way for this author to avoid using two colons?

[…] are many out there who will tell you how the colon is overdone and poorly used (hear it from a scientist, an English major, and a Princetonian).  Do a little research on how your own professors have […]

[…] opinion on the topic of colons. Like this:LikeBe the first to like this post. Posted in: community, […]

[…] Titles should be appropriately balanced with the style and content of the article. The colon is commonly used to expand on the core idea of the title or present a cool statement or image to draw in a reader. There is some debate about the appropriateness of the colon in the titles of some disciplines. (2010 Eloquent Science) http://eloquentscience.com/2010/03/whether-to-use-colons-in-titles/ […]

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David M. Schultz is a Professor of Synoptic Meteorology at the Centre for Atmospheric Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and the Centre for Crisis Studies and Mitigation, The University of Manchester. He served as Chief Editor for Monthly Weather Review from 2008 to 2022. In 2014 and 2017, he received the University of Manchester Teaching Excellence Award, the only academic to have twice done so. He has published over 190 peer-reviewed journal articles. [Read more]

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Best Tips on How to Title an Essay

How to Make a Good Title for an Essay

The success of an essay heavily depends on its title. This may not come as a surprise given that the essay title is the first aspect to provide the reader with a sneak peek into the text. It piques our interest to read the paper in the first place and gives us a preview of what to expect from the author.

Our research paper writing help prepared a thorough guide on how to title an essay. Here you may find tips and tricks for developing an effective APA or MLA essay title. So, let's dive straight into the article for more exciting details!

Essay Title Format

During your essay writing process, ensure you know the stylistic requirements before beginning an essay. Knowing the format you need to employ is crucial because different style manuals may have varying requirements. Mostly, you could have used an APA or MLA essay title format. Our service, where you can buy essay online , explains these two in more detail below.

Essay Title MLA

If you're required to create an essay title MLA format, check whether your instructor wants you to make a separate cover page. If not, put a heading at the beginning of your work that includes your name, the name of your professor, the course ID, and, lastly, the date.

On the other hand, if you must present a cover page for your essay title MLA, then you need to include the following:

• The name of the college
• The title of your paper
• The subtitle of your paper, if applicable
• Your first and last name
• Your teacher or professor's name
• The class name or course number
• The date the paper is due

The formatting instructions are as follows:

• Double-spaced
• Times New Roman font
• Size 12 font
• Apart from very short terms, each word's initial letter should be capitalized. The initial word, however, must always be uppercase.
• The title page shouldn't include a header with the page numbers.

Essay Title APA

Having discussed the MLA format essay title, let's explore what the APA student title page includes:

• The paper title
• Author names
• Institutional affiliation where the author carried out the study
• Name and number of the course
• Professor name
• Page number

The title of an essay format instructions:

• double-spaced
• 1" margins
• 12-point Times New Roman
• According to APA, your title should be targeted and brief, without unnecessary words or abbreviations

How to Choose a Good Title for an Essay: Important Qualities

Nobody will read a dull headline. Your title should grab your audience's attention and encourage them to read the rest of the work. As it is one of the initial things readers see, having a strong attention grabber is essential when writing an essay from scratch. To fully understand how to come up with a title for essay that is strong and exciting, let's consider a few following factors:

Employ a Catchy Hook - Usually, the title of essay format follows a similar basic structure, especially if they are used for an academic article. The hook serves as a unique component that attracts the reader. It's a captivating statement informing others about the topic of the essay. You can also explore several types of sentences with examples that can help you develop the ideal hook structure.

Consider Topic Keywords - These are essential terms or expressions pertinent to your subject and help your reader understand the focus and body of your article. These focus keywords should serve as a brief, one- to two-word article summary. You can choose some terms from the research topic your instructor gave you, but after your thesis statement is formed, this is where you should hunt for ideas.

Use a Colon - A colon is frequently used in academic titles to separate concepts and sentences. The standard procedure is to place a clever remark or brief quotation before the colon. Although these beginning words offer flavor, they can be overdone. Because of this, some individuals find using the colon to be repugnant. Therefore be careful not to misuse this method.

Ask a Question - To write essay title that is strong, consider asking a question. But, use it with caution because posing a question will make your tone less formal. As long as the question is suitably phrased to meet the subject of your essay, feel free to employ it. Always check to see if the title question still applies to your points in the essay's body. The thesis statement should be appropriately reflected as well.

Find Inspirational Quotes - There is no formula for selecting essay titles from the textual content. You may get playful and choose any quotation, proverb, or catchphrase that applies to your particular publication and works as a title. You may also create a great essay title using well-known expressions or idioms. Doing so will help your readers relate to and feel more comfortable discussing your subject.

Here are other rules for how to create a good title:

• Title every section of writing: In the process of writing, create interesting subheadings to give your paragraphs an identity. Also, they make your text look ordered and clear. 
• The title must bear the theme of the text: choose a title that summarizes the essay. 
• Capitalize all words with certain exceptions: Capitalize the first letter of every word in the title, but do not capitalize pronouns, articles, prepositions, and conjunctions.
• Avoid underlining the title: Since topics come in boldface, underlining it will amount to overemphasis. Some authorities say that if you must underline it, do not bolden it.
• Review the final version of the title: Do not forget to do a quick review of the final version of the title—check for grammar, structure, spelling and so on. Re-read it to determine if the title has given justice to the essay. Confirm if the topic is catchy enough to attract your reader’s attention. 
• When using a colon in your title, follow the rules: Since we are dealing with punctuation rules here, let us talk about the colon – when you have two eye-catching topics, separate them with a colon.

Student’s Guide on How to Come Up with a Title for an Essay

Titling an essay can be easy, but there are a few core principles to be taken into account. The following tips will help you stay on track and avoid any common pitfalls.

Essay Goes First

Never start with a title! If you write it before the rest of the text, it will be based on it, and it should be vice versa. Writing an essay before choosing a heading will give you a clear understanding of what should make sense to the reader. Re-read the finished paper several times to decide on the title. The last thing to create is a title - such strategy will give more time to spend on crafting an essay outline, conducting research, or writing the paper itself.

What are you writing about? What is the style of your paper, and is it an academic essay or a free-form essay like a narrative essay? If the topic of your essay is “Do people who commit heinous crimes deserve the death penalty?” your title should not be humorous; it should be strict and to the point.

If your topic is “Why do people like watching funny cat videos?”, feel free to craft a funny title. Determine the tone of your essay and base your title on it—in consideration with the essay’s topic.

The tone can be:

• Serious - “The implications of global warming”
• Funny - “How cats and dogs love their masters”
• Amiable - “Ways to fight depression”
• Persuasive - “Why positive thinking is a must have skill for every person”
• Informative - “Ten rules for creating a chemical at home”

The main goal of a title is to name its paper. There is no need to tell an entire story in the title, or provide any useless details. Sum up your paper in a few words! Another way to do this is to sum up your thesis statement, as it represents the main idea of your essay. Take your thesis and squeeze it into 3-4 words. Imagine that you are creating a title for your favourite newspaper or a slogan for Coca-Cola.

Don’t use fancy words! Take 2-3 main words (keywords), put them together, and stop wasting your time. Avoid jargon and abbreviations.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is something that can help any student and young writer reap benefits. While working on a title, detect the words related to the central idea of the paper. Type the words into the search field of Google and add the word “quote.” A search engine will show numerous web pages with in-text quotations that could be useful. Select the fragment you like. It is possible to learn how to make a creative title for an essay in this way.

Discover several more tips from experts:

• Never forget the “What,” “Who,” “When,” “How,” “Why,” and “Where” questions (if you start with one of these questions, your title has a chance of getting noticed);
• Come up with an unexpected image not related to the selected topic;
• Sometimes, starting with a lie increases the chances of a title being able to catch an eye;
• Review our catchy essay title examples.

Need Some Help With Your Essay's Title?

Feel free to contact EssayPro and we will provide you with a writing help at a moment’s notice. With the years of essay writing experience, titling becomes second nature, so you no longer need to worry about having a catchy headline on your paper.

Essay Title Examples: Bad vs Good

The strongest essay titles condense lengthy essays into concise statements. When wondering how to make an essay title, think carefully about your stylistic choices and essay format to produce an excellent one. Our dissertation help has provided essay title examples to let you understand the difference between good and bad ones more vividly.

Bad Essay Title Examples

As we discussed how to create an essay title and the specific elements that go into it, you should have a clear idea of how important it is to craft a strong title. In contrast, first, look at weak essay title ideas that can break your paper. This should serve as an example of why your heading should not be like this:

Ex 1: ' How Television Has Changed Our World ' - too vast and not informative

Ex 2: 'The Ara Pacis Augustae' - unclear for those who don't know Latin

Ex 3: 'The Most Poisonous Frog' - does not provide any insight

Ex 4: 'A Brief History of Subcultures and How They Manifest Themselves in a Constantly Changing Socio-Economic Environment' - too long and complicated

Ex 5: 'The Little Mermaid 29 Years Later: Selling a Harmful Sexist Message Through a Naughty Image' - inappropriate language

Good Essay Title Examples

Now that you know what a bad essay title looks like, let's explore good essay title examples as their substitutes. Examine the following essay title format styles that will give you a clear understanding.

Ex 1: ' The Electronic Babysitter: A Social History of Uses of the Television' - gives an exact description of what the essay will be about

Ex 2: ' The Modern Historical Significance of the Ara Pacis Augustae to the City of Rome' - here, the reader can understand what they will be reading about

Ex 3: ' A Deadly Beauty: The Evolution of Skin Coloration and Toxicity of the Poisonous Dart Frog' - clear, informative, and on-point.

Ex 4: 'Reconsidering Counterculture in Contemporary Society' - informative enough and brief

Ex 5: 'The Projection of Gender Stereotypes in The Little Mermaid' - employs appropriate language

Catchy Essay Title Ideas

You now understand that long, complicated headlines do not accurately convey the paper's main idea. Take ample time to consider the word choice before tilting your work. How do you create good essay titles? Think creatively and with common sense. But meanwhile, for your convenience, we compiled title ideas for essays you may use as inspiration.

Persuasive Essay Titles

• Why Receiving College Education is Important: Examining Long-term Benefits
• Face-to-Face Courses Cannot Be Replaced by Online Learning
• An MBA Does Not Ensure Corporate Success.
• Every Company Should Adopt a Green Strategy.
• Energy Drinks Represent a Lucrative Market Segment.
• Aircraft, Excess Weight Charges, Need to be Prohibited.
• Patients' Life Shouldn't be Put to Death by Nurses.
• Google Glasses May Increase the Number of Auto Accidents.
• All of the Conventional Malls Will Soon be Replaced By Online Shopping
• How Do Team-building Exercises Contribute to the Development of Inventions?
• Illegal immigrants are entitled to remain in the US.

Academic Essay Titles

• Several English Dialects: The Link Between Various Cultures
• Instagram: A social media innovation
• Is it possible to reverse drug-induced brain damage, and if so, how?
• What the Future Holds for Humans in the Light of Artificial Intelligence
• The Story of Two Nations after Decades of Conflict: North and South Korea
• Video Games and Their Learning Context in Schools
• Free Wi-Fi: Strategies for Enhancing the City's Economy

Strong Research Paper Titles

• Digital World Cybersecurity
• E-business to Provide New Paths for Booksellers
• Outsourcing for Large Businesses
• Preparing for College Costs for High School Students
• What News Reporters Should Do in the Digital Age and How to Do It: Examples
• The Transformative Power of Music: How Heavy Metal Impacted My Life

Best Essay Titles for College Students

• The Possible Benefits and Risks of Artificial Intelligence for Humans
• The Potential for Time Travel in Virtual Reality
• What Role Has Mathematics Played in Human History?
• How to Succeed in the Real Estate Industry
• E-Commerce: An Empire of Virtual Businesses Worth Millions of Dollars
• How to Achieve Financial Independence in the Digital Age Without Opening a Real Business

More Creative Titles for Essays

• When getting rewarded for their grades, would kids do better left alone?
• How Does Fake News Impact the Mainstream press?
• Homelessness in Contemporary Society: A Dilemma
• What News Reporters' Best Job Is in the Digital Age and How to Uphold It
• Elon Musk: Brilliant Mind or Insane Person?
• Positives and Negatives of Employing a Smoker
• Do We Employ the Appropriate Student Success Metrics?

Professional Academic Help

Now that you know how to make a good title for an essay, you should also understand that you should approach the task as a process. While composing your essay title, you must condense your whole thesis and point of discussion into a single, concise, yet powerful sentence. If you have time before your deadline, give it some thought and don't hurry.

Don't forget that you can always rely on our professional academic assistance, whether you need a reflection paper , ideas for a strong essay title, or any other academic papers. Consider the following words - write my essay for me - magic keywords for delegating your most complex tasks to our skilled writers!

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How To Title An Essay?

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When to Use a Colon: 10 Rules You Should Follow

You’ve probably already come across the two vertical dots known as a colon. But have you wondered how to use this punctuation mark in writing? If your answer is a resounding yes, this article is precisely made for you, as we will dive down on proper colon usage and when to use a colon. 

Table of Contents

What Is a Colon?

It is a punctuation mark that you can use in a sentence to show time, present dialogue, and introduce quotations. If you’re wondering about the difference between a semicolon and a colon, a semicolon has a dot and a comma (;), while a colon’s symbol is two dots (:). In terms of usage, you should  use semicolons  for connecting independent clauses.

• Go buy: sugar, flour, and baking powder.
• I left: I wasn’t comfortable.
• You remember Walt Disney’s quote: “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
• The verse John 3:16.

When to Use a Colon

If you want to perfect your colon usage, you should follow these rules on when to use a colon.

Introduce Extended Quotations

You use a colon to introduce a quotation that follows an independent clause. The quotation should be a full sentence and a direct speech. Capitalize the first word of the quotation.

• I will quote Eleanor Roosevelt: “If life were predictable it ceases to be life, and be without flavor.”
• The young man concluded his speech: “In seeking happiness for others, you will find it in yourself.” 

Connect Independent Clauses

Here, the second clause is used to explain the first clause. You summarize and give an example of the first clause. The second clause may be capitalized.

• She is sad: she had a bad day.
• They have been together for ten years: they love each other.

Introducing a Bulleted /Numeral List

The colon precedes a list after an independent clause. You give a list of things that relate to what you have written before the colon. It is also applicable in a serial list.

• He knows three countries: Brazil, Mexico, and Germany
• My favorite desserts are:
• Chocolate 
• Vanilla Ice Cream 

Directly Related Complete Sentences

A colon is used to link two sentences that are directly related. You use the colon for pausing purposes. The second sentence gives an explanation or a restatement.

• Bilha won the medal: she was the fastest runner.
• I went to the zoo: I saw a tiger.

Separate a Title and Subtitle

It separates a title and subtitle unless the title ends with an exclamation mark or a question mark. It is placed between the title and the subtitle. When a title has two subtitles use two colons.

• One More Chance: The Hunter is Back.
• Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Cassy: Cassy’s Story.

Emphasize a Dialogue

Place a colon right after the speaker’s name, then add their statement. This is mostly done in scripts, legal transcripts, and open-ended interviews. It enhances readability.

• Police: stop your car!
• Mike: I am tired.

After a Salutation

If you’re writing a letter to your professor or a client, use a colon right after the salutation. However, make sure that it is a formal letter. For less-formal letters, you will need to use a comma instead. 

• Dear Professor Grant:
• To whom it may concern:

Separate Hours and Minutes

Use it to separate hours and minutes. Place the colon between the hours and minutes to indicate time. It is also used to express ratios of two numbers.

• Arrive at 12:43 pm.
• The ratio is 1:7.

Separate Information in a Bibliography

Different citation styles use it differently. In the Chicago Manual of Style, you capitalize the word after the colon only if it is followed by two or more independent clauses. In MLA, you will only capitalize when introducing a rule, several related sentences, and a proper noun.

On the other hand, APA style requires you to use a colon when it is preceded by an introductory clause. You will only capitalize the first letter only when it is followed by a proper noun and one complete clause. Lastly, in AMA style, when you use a colon, capitalize the first word after the colon.

• Jackie Collins(1998)Thrill.New York: Simon and Schuster.
• Prince Harry(2023)Spare.USA: Penguin Random House.

Before a Noun or Noun Phrase

Use a colon when a noun or noun phrase does not fit perfectly in a sentence. By doing this you direct the attention to the noun. This helps to modify the sentence.

• She has the ideal qualities: kindness and humility.
• He is everything despicable: an arrogant and proud man.

When Not to Use a Colon

To truly grasp the proper usage of a colon, you should also be aware and understand when you should use one.

After a Sentence Fragment

Never use a colon after a sentence fragment. Instead, use a comma or a semicolon. In other instances, the two clauses need conjunction.

• (Wrong) she prefers dresses: because they make her feel pretty
• (Correct) She prefers dresses because they make her feel pretty.

After Such As, Including, More and Especially

When using the words, such as, including, more, and especially, you may think a colon should be placed. However, the right punctuation mark is a comma.

• (Wrong) Eat healthy food such as: apples and oats
• (Correct) Eat healthy food, such as apples and oats

Separate a Noun From Its Verb

A noun and a verb are different parts of the speech. You may place a colon between them to pause. The pause happens orally, but in writing, it seems odd.

• (Wrong) Claire: is a creative person
• (Correct) Claire is a creative person

After a Preposition

A preposition shows the relation between two clauses. A colon shouldn’t be placed after a preposition as much as it seems as the best position. The preposition joins the two clauses to form a complete sentence.

• (Wrong) Place the cup on: the table.
• (Correct) Place the cup on the table.

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Semicolons, colons, and dashes

What this handout is about.

This handout explains the most common uses of three kinds of punctuation: semicolons (;), colons (:), and dashes (—). After reading the handout, you will be better able to decide when to use these forms of punctuation in your own writing.

The semicolon looks like a comma with a period above it, and this can be a good way to remember what it does. A semicolon creates more separation between thoughts than a comma does but less than a period does. Here are the two most common uses of the semicolon:

1. To help separate items in a list, when some of those items already contain commas.

Let’s look at an example, as that is the easiest way to understand this use of the semicolon. Suppose I want to list three items that I bought at the grocery store:

apples grapes pears

In a sentence, I would separate these items with commas:

I bought apples, grapes, and pears.

Now suppose that the three items I want to list are described in phrases that already contain some commas:

shiny, ripe apples small, sweet, juicy grapes firm pears

If I use commas to separate these items, my sentence looks like this:

I bought shiny, ripe apples, small, sweet, juicy grapes, and firm pears.

That middle part is a bit confusing—it doesn’t give the reader many visual cues about how many items are in the list, or about which words should be grouped together. Here is where the semicolon can help. The commas between items can be “bumped up” a notch and turned into semicolons, so that readers can easily tell how many items are in the list and which words go together:

I bought shiny, ripe apples; small, sweet, juicy grapes; and firm pears.

2. To join two sentences.

An independent clause is a group of words that can stand on its own (independently)—it is a complete sentence. Semicolons can be used between two independent clauses. The semicolon keeps the clauses somewhat separate, like a period would do, so we can easily tell which ideas belong to which clause. But it also suggests that there may be a close relationship between the two clauses—closer than you would expect if there were a period between them. Let’s look at a few examples. Here are a few fine independent clauses, standing on their own as complete sentences:

I went to the grocery store today. I bought a ton of fruit. Apples, grapes, and pears were on sale.

Now—where could semicolons fit in here? They could be used to join two (but not all three) of the independent clauses together. So either of these pairs of sentences would be okay:

I went to the grocery store today; I bought a ton of fruit. Apples, grapes, and pears were all on sale.

I went to the grocery store today. I bought a ton of fruit; apples, grapes, and pears were all on sale.

I could NOT do this:

I went to the grocery store today; I bought a ton of fruit; apples, grapes, and pears were all on sale.

But why would I want to use a semicolon here, anyway? One reason might have to do with style: the three short sentences sound kind of choppy or abrupt. A stronger reason might be if I wanted to emphasize a relationship between two of the sentences. If I connect “I bought a ton of fruit” and “Apples, grapes, and pears were all on sale” more closely, readers may realize that the reason why I bought so much fruit is that there was a great sale on it.

Colons follow independent clauses (clauses that could stand alone as sentences) and can be used to present an explanation, draw attention to something, or join ideas together.

Common uses of colons

1. To announce, introduce, or direct attention to a list, a noun or noun phrase, a quotation, or an example/explanation. You can use a colon to draw attention to many things in your writing. The categories listed below often overlap, so don’t worry too much about whether your intended use of the colon fits one category perfectly.

Lists/series example:

We covered many of the fundamentals in our writing class: grammar, punctuation, style, and voice.

Noun/noun phrase example:

My roommate gave me the things I needed most: companionship and quiet.

Quotation example:

Shakespeare said it best: “To thine own self be true.”

Example/explanation example:

Many graduate students discover that there is a dark side to academia: late nights, high stress, and a crippling addiction to caffeinated beverages.

2. To join sentences. You can use a colon to connect two sentences when the second sentence summarizes, sharpens, or explains the first. Both sentences should be complete, and their content should be very closely related. Note that if you use colons this way too often, it can break up the flow of your writing. So don’t get carried away with your colons!

Example: Life is like a puzzle: half the fun is in trying to work it out.

3. To express time, in titles, and as part of other writing conventions. Colons appear in several standard or conventional places in writing. Here are a few examples:

• With numbers. Colons are used to separate units of time (4:45:00 expresses four hours, forty-five minutes, and zero seconds); ratios (2:1), and Bible verses and chapters (Matthew 2:24).
• In bibliography entries. Many citation styles use a colon to separate information in bibliography entries.

Example: Kurlansky, M. (2002). Salt: A world history. New York, NY: Walker and Co.

• With subtitles. Colons are used to separate titles from subtitles.

Example: Everest: The Last Frontier

• After the salutation in a formal business letter. A colon can be used immediately after the greeting in a formal letter (less-formal letters tend to use a comma in this location).

Example: To Whom It May Concern: Please accept my application for the position advertised in the News and Observer.

Common colon mistakes

1. Using a colon between a verb and its object or complement

Example (incorrect):The very best peaches are: those that are grown in the great state of Georgia.

To correct this, simply remove the colon.

2. Using a colon between a preposition and its object

Example (incorrect): My favorite cake is made of: carrots, flour, butter, eggs, and cream cheese icing.

3. Using a colon after “such as,” “including,” “especially,” and similar phrases. This violates the rule that the material preceding the colon must be a complete thought. Look, for example, at the following sentence:

Example (incorrect): There are many different types of paper, including: college ruled, wide ruled, and plain copy paper.

You can see that “There are many different types of paper, including” is not a complete sentence. The colon should simply be removed.

How to check for mistakes

Ask yourself a question: does the material preceding the colon stand on its own? One way to tell if the colon has been properly used is to look only at the words that come in front of the colon. Do they make a complete thought? If not, you may be using the colon improperly. Check above to see if you have made one of the most common mistakes.

Should you capitalize the first letter after a colon?

Different citation styles (such as MLA, APA, Chicago, and AMA) have slightly different rules regarding whether to capitalize the first letter after a colon. If it is important that you follow one of these styles precisely, be sure to use the appropriate manual to look up the rule.

Here’s our suggestion: generally, the first word following the colon should be lower-cased if the words after the colon form a dependent clause (that is, if they could not stand on their own as a complete sentence). If the following phrase is a complete (independent) clause, you may choose to capitalize it or not. Whichever approach you choose, be sure to be consistent throughout your paper.

Example with an independent clause, showing two different approaches to capitalization: The commercials had one message: The geeks shall inherit the earth. (correct) The commercials had one message: the geeks shall inherit the earth. (correct)

Example with a dependent clause (which is not capitalized): There are three perfect times to smile: when I’m with friends, when I’m alone, and when I’m with my dog. (correct)

The first thing to know when talking about dashes is that they are almost never required by the laws of grammar and punctuation. Overusing dashes can break up the flow of your writing, making it choppy or even difficult to follow, so don’t overdo it.

It’s also important to distinguish between dashes and hyphens. Hyphens are shorter lines (-); they are most often used to show connections between words that are working as a unit (for example, you might see adjectives like “well-intentioned”) or to spell certain words (like “e-mail”).

With that background information in mind, let’s take a look at some ways to put dashes to work in your writing.

1. To set off material for emphasis. Think of dashes as the opposite of parentheses. Where parentheses indicate that the reader should put less emphasis on the enclosed material, dashes indicate that the reader should pay more attention to the material between the dashes. Dashes add drama—parentheses whisper. Dashes can be used for emphasis in several ways: A single dash can emphasize material at the beginning or end of a sentence.

Example: After eighty years of dreaming, the elderly man realized it was time to finally revisit the land of his youth—Ireland.

Example: “The Office”—a harmless television program or a dangerously subversive guide to delinquency in the workplace?

Two dashes can emphasize material in the middle of a sentence. Some style and grammar guides even permit you to write a complete sentence within the dashes.

Example: Everything I saw in my new neighborhood—from the graceful elm trees to the stately brick buildings—reminded me of my alma mater.

Example (complete sentence): The students—they were each over the age of eighteen—lined up in the streets to vote for the presidential candidates.

Two dashes can emphasize a modifier. Words or phrases that describe a noun can be set off with dashes if you wish to emphasize them.

Example: The fairgrounds—cold and wet in the October rain—were deserted.

Example: Nettie—her chin held high—walked out into the storm.

2. To indicate sentence introductions or conclusions. You can sometimes use a dash to help readers see that certain words are meant as an introduction or conclusion to your sentence.

Example: Books, paper, pencils—many students lacked even the simplest tools for learning in nineteenth-century America.

Example: To improve their health, Americans should critically examine the foods that they eat—fast food, fatty fried foods, junk food, and sugary snacks.

3. To mark “bonus phrases.” Phrases that add information or clarify but are not necessary to the meaning of a sentence are ordinarily set off with commas. But when the phrase itself already contains one or more commas, dashes can help readers understand the sentence.

Slightly confusing example with commas: Even the simplest tasks, washing, dressing, and going to work, were nearly impossible after I broke my leg.

Better example with dashes: Even the simplest tasks—washing, dressing, and going to work—were nearly impossible after I broke my leg.

4. To break up dialogue. In written dialogue, if a speaker suddenly or abruptly stops speaking, hesitates in speech, or is cut off by another speaker, a dash can indicate the pause or interruption.

Example: “I—I don’t know what you’re talking about,” denied the politician.

Example: Mimi began to explain herself, saying, “I was thinking—” “I don’t care what you were thinking,” Rodolpho interrupted.

We hope that this handout has helped you better understand colons, semicolons, and dashes! For more information about punctuation, be sure to check out our handout on commas .

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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What are the rules for colons in academic writing?

This is the second of three chapters about Colons and Semicolons . To complete this reader, read each chapter carefully and then unlock and complete our materials to check your understanding.   

– Focus specifically on using colons in English

– Explore the ten functions of colons as a punctuation mark

– Discuss any related rules and common errors when using colons

Chapter 1: Which punctuation marks are colons/semicolons?

Chapter 2: What are the rules for colons in academic writing?

Chapter 3: What are the rules for correctly using semicolons?

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In Chapter 1 of this short reader on colons and semicolons , we introduced basic definitions for these punctuation marks and outlined their fifteen most useful functions. This second chapter on the topic now focuses specifically on colons, identifying the many rules that must be followed by a writer if accuracy is important. After exploring the relevant rules for each of the ten functions of colons, a brief discussion about the most common mistakes when using this symbol is provided:

Function 1: Connecting Two Independent Clauses

While both colons and semicolons may be used to join two independent clauses instead of a comma and conjunction  (such as ‘and’), a colon should only be used if the second clause amplifies, explains, paraphrases or summarises the first:

As can be seen in the first example, these two clauses are both independent in nature because they can stand alone as complete sentences . By using a colon in the second example, however, the writer is able to create a closer connection between the rigorous IELTS exam and what makes that exam so difficult. It’s important to remember that when using colons in this way, the first rule is to not use this punctuation mark to combine more than two clauses. Secondly, a writer should make sure that the two clauses they’ve joined are both closely related, with the second clause explaining, paraphrasing or summarising the first.

Function 2: Expressing Time

When writing the time, particularly in the format of a 24-hour clock, it’s possible to use a colon to separate the hours from the minutes, as is shown below:

The only rule to remember here is consistency. Clearly there is some variation in how American and British people write the time, with Americans preferring the colon and British people preferring the full stop. Whichever you choose as a writer, remember to stay consistent with that choice.

Function 3: Highlighting a Single Word

Colons may also be occasionally used when the writer wishes to point the reader toward a single cause, effect, concept or idea – as in the following:

The only rule to remember here is to make sure that the preceding expression makes it clear to the reader that you’re about to focus on only one thing.

Function 4: Introducing a Definition

Sometimes a writer may wish to produce a concise definition of an important term or a subject-specific   item of vocabulary . While there are many ways of doing this successfully, one method is to precede that definition with a colon:

When introducing a definition in this way, a writer should always remember to place the colon directly between the word  being defined (‘morphology’) and its associated definition (‘the study of word forms’).

Function 5: Introducing a Dialogue

Likely only useful if you’re a scriptwriter or are studying drama or media (although everyone will no doubt see colons being used in this way at some point) is that colons may be used to introduce dialogue, separating one character from another:

When a character’s name and speech are separated by a colon, it then becomes unnecessary to use speech marks (“) to indicate dialogue, as is the norm.

Function 6: Introducing a List

One of the most important functions of a colon is to introduce a list of items, whether following an independent clause or as bullet-pointed or numbered list:

Whether you capitalise or punctuate the items in a bullet-pointed or numbered list is up to you so long as you’re consistent. However, for listed elements within a sentence that do not form an independent clause, such as ‘a pen, a dictionary and identification’, the rule here is to never capitalise the first letter following the colon.   

Function 7: Introducing a Long Quotation

One way in which colons are particularly useful for academic writing is that they’re able to introduce long quotations , such as the following:

There are many rules to including quotations, however, with some arguing that the quoted material should be on a new line, separately indented and without quotation marks (“) – unlike the example we’ve provided (see our short reader on quoting   for more information). Whichever format you follow, be consistent, and remember that when using a colon to introduce a longer quotation, a short piece of text such as ‘as Smith (2010) said:’ should also be included.

Function 8: Providing Emphasis:

The eighth function of colons is useful for providing emphasis or an emphatic assertion about something, as in the following:

Much like when connecting two independent clauses with a colon, when adding emphasis in this way remember that the two propositions must be strongly connected together, with the second providing the main emphasis.

Function 9: Separating the Title from the Subtitle

Colons are also particularly useful when correctly formatting a reference list as they may be used to separate the title from the subtitle of a piece of work, such as a book or journal article: 

In a full reference , you may in fact see the colon being used more than once, with common practice being to also separate the place of publication from the publisher: 

Function 10: Using an Appositive

Finally, colons may also be used to introduce an appositive , which is when two terms that mean the same thing (but are expressed in different words) are placed next to each other. In the example below, the expression ‘the second biggest commodity’ indicates the same item as the word ‘coffee’, which follows the colon:

Of course, appositives such as this are not common in academic writing. As with the many other uses of colons, try to include expressions such as this sparingly and thoughtfully in your own work.

What are some common colon mistakes?

In addition to the rules provided for the above ten functions, we’ve also highlighted three common mistakes that students should avoid when using colons:

a) Using a colon after listing phrases

Try to avoid using a colon after phrases like ‘such as’, ‘especially’ or ‘including’ that precede lists. Remember that colons generally join two independent clauses , which is not the case when using these listing phrases. Instead, use a comma .

b) Using a colon between a verb and its object/complement

Again, if you use a colon in-between a verb   and its object or complement   (as in the example below) then you’re not joining two independent clauses together. The following example would therefore be considered ungrammatical:

c) Using a colon between a preposition and its object

Likewise, a colon should never be used to separate a preposition   from its object in an oblique object phrase, such as the following:

Should I capitalise the first letter following a colon?

This is a common question that many students ask, mainly because it was traditionally necessary to do so in almost all instances. If you’re following a particular style, such as MLA or Chicago, then you should of course follow how these styles describe the interaction between colons and capitalisation. However, for all other instances, the general advice is as follows:

• Always capitalise the first letter of the word   following a colon if that word is a proper noun , such as the name of a place or person.
• Choose whether to capitalise the first letter of a word if it starts a new independent clause or a list following a colon, and be consistent.
• Never capitalise the first letter of the word that follows a colon if that word is the start of a dependent clause   (which cannot stand on its own as a sentence).

Having now explored colons in some detail, Chapter 3 next focuses on their cousin: the semicolon. Continue reading if you wish to learn more about grammar and sentence punctuation .  

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Once you’ve completed all three chapters about colons and semicolons , you might also wish to download our beginner, intermediate and advanced worksheets to test your progress or print for your students. These professional PDF worksheets can be easily accessed for only a few Academic Marks .

Our colons and semicolons  academic reader (including all three chapters about this topic) can be accessed here at the click of a button.

Gain unlimited access to our colons and semicolons  beginner worksheet, with activities and answer keys designed to check a basic understanding of this reader’s chapters.

To check a confident understanding of this  reader’s chapters , click on the button below to download our  colons and semicolons   intermediate worksheet with activities and answer keys.

Our colons and semicolons  advanced worksheet with activities and answer keys has been created to check a sophisticated understanding of this  reader’s chapters . 

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Colons – How to Use them Correctly in Academic Writing

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The colon, an important component of language rules , represents one of the most advanced punctuation marks in English. However, its application often poses challenges and leads to frequent misuse, leaving many uncertain of its proper usage. This article aims to demystify the colon by providing a clear definition, addressing common queries surrounding this punctuation mark, elucidating its uses and rules, and distinguishing it from semicolons. Moreover, understanding the correct usage of colons can greatly enhance the clarity and structure of your writing.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 1 Colons – In a Nutshell
• 2 Definition: Colons
• 3 What are the rules for using colons?
• 4 The uses of Colons
• 5 Colons vs. semicolons

Colons – In a Nutshell

The rules for using colons are straightforward, and you shouldn’t interchange them with a comma , period, or semicolon. Using this punctuation mark makes your writing more effective. This is because a colon:

Definition: Colons

Colons (:) are punctuation marks that introduce phrases, elaborations, words, quotations, and explanations. Often, independent clauses precede a colon: an independent clause is a sentence that makes sense on its own.

What are the rules for using colons?

There are plenty of rules surrounding the use of punctuation marks in English. Here are some of the rules to keep in mind when using a colon:

Bullet lists

Colons precede bullet lists, for instance:

Some mental health disorders include:

• Schizophrenia

Introducing extended quotations

Introduce extended quotations with a colon (avoid quotation marks) and single space the indent and quote from the left margin.

Dyer’s philosophy stipulates that thoughts manifest reality:

Act as though your thoughts and desires are already a reality. Remove any thoughts of its limitations, conditions, and possibilities not manifesting.

Separating a full sentence quote looks like this (remember to start the quote in CAPS):

Joyce announced to the team: “I intend to quit.”

Formal letters

The salutations of formal or personal letters use a colon. Follow the name of the person you’re writing to with a colon.

Dear Mr. Griffin:

Dear Professor Jackson:

The uses of Colons

A colon has three grammatical uses with several non-grammatical uses, as explained below:

Grammatical uses of the colon

The grammatical uses of a colon are:

Introducing a list

When introducing a list, use the colon if the items aren’t incorporated into the sentence’s flow.

Take this sentence as an example

The book store sells three genres: horror, romance, and thriller.

Correct: The book store sells horror, romance, and thriller genres.

Incorrect: The book store sells: horror, romance, and thriller genres.

Between independent clauses

Use a colon to separate two independent clauses when the second sentence amplifies the first one.

My new job starts in a month: I have little time left to learn the guitar.

When two or more sentences come after the colon, capitalize the first word of the first sentence.

She made three observations: First, they were losing millions yearly. Second, the rate of employee turnover was low. Third, managers and immediate employees didn’t get well together.

A colon also emphasizes a single word or phrase at the end of a sentence.

The jury reached the uncontended verdict after a month: guilty.

Four continents, two dozen countries, unimaginable cities: this was the vacation of his lifetime.

Non-grammatical uses of the colon

Non-grammatical use of a colon involves:

Colons vs. semicolons

Both colons and semicolons are used between two independent clauses or grammatical sentences. Semicolons only show that the two sentences are related; a colon shows the second sentence amplifies the first.

Semicolon: Jane is afraid of windows; as a child, she thought an alien world existed beyond them.

Colon: Jane is afraid of windows: as a child, she thought an alien world existed beyond them.

Can you use colons in an incomplete sentence?

No. You should only use a colon with two complete sentences.

Can you interchange the semicolon and colon?

No. A colon amplifies two sentences, while a semicolon shows that two sentences have a relation.

What are the common mistakes when using colons?

You should avoid using colons before a verb and number and after a preposition.

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• Writing Tips

How to Use the Semicolon in Academic Writing

3-minute read

• 21st October 2016

Today, friends and frenemies (we know you’re out there), we’re looking at the semicolon, including when this punctuation mark should be used in formal writing (i.e. not for making emoticons wink ). We’ll also take a look at the difference between semicolons and colons.

Using a Semicolon to Link Sentences

The main use of the semicolon is to link two sentences. This emphasizes a connection between independent clauses that would otherwise be separated by a period. For instance, the following sentences work by themselves:

My favorite food is spam. I spend a fortune on tinned meat.

However, we could link them with a semicolon to show that they are connected:

My favorite food is spam; I spend a fortune on tinned meat.

This makes it obvious that my love of spam and my meat expenses are related.

Linking sentences like this is common when the second sentence starts with a conjunctive adverb (e.g., “however” or “furthermore”) or a transition phrase (e.g., “as a result”):

I love spam; consequently, I eat it for every meal.

As above, this emphasizes the connection between the two statements.

Generally speaking, you shouldn’t use a semicolon before conjunctions like “but” or “and,” although they can be used for clarity if either of the clauses being joined contains a comma .

Using Semicolons in a List

The second important use of semicolons is to separate items in a list . Usually, commas are enough for short, simple lists (like the following):

The menu offered four choices: spam, eggs, grits or pancakes.

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However, if the listed items are more complex and already include commas, using semicolons to distinguish between them aids clarity:

The menu offered four choices: spam, fries and beans; pancakes, syrup and spam; egg, bacon and spam; or spam, spam, spam, spam and spam .

Here, for instance, using semicolons clearly shows where one item on the menu ends and another begins. Using only commas in a list like this, by comparison, could be confusing.

Semicolon or Colon?

Knowing when to use a semicolon and when to use a colon can be tricky, since colons can also be used to link two related sentences. There are two factors to consider here.

The first is that semicolons can only be used to link complete sentences, whereas the information following a colon can be as little as a single word. For instance:

There’s only one food I can’t stand: spam.

If we wanted to rewrite this using a semicolon, we’d have to use two independent clauses:

There’s only one food I can’t stand; I hate the taste of spam.

The second consideration is that the information following a colon is usually an explanation or specification of a general statement (i.e., more general: more specific ).

With a semicolon, however, the sentences linked are typically of equal weight or importance.

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