What Is a Colon
A colon is used in a sentence to further demonstrate or exemplify the information. Colon is a silent message of “as follows,” “which is/are,” or “thus”.
Examples:
- There are five human senses: hear, touch, see, smell, taste
Colon can also be used for further clarification:
Examples:
- We have two options here: stay and fight, or run like the wind.
Colon can also introduce a quotation:
Examples:
- The host made an announcement: "You are all staying for dinner."
Capitalization after Colon
A capital letter generally does not introduce a word, phrase, or incomplete sentence following a colon.
Examples:
- He got what he worked for: a promotion
Misuse of Colon
Avoid using a colon before a list if it directly follows a verb or preposition that would ordinarily need no punctuation in that sentence.
- I want: butter, sugar, and flour. (Wrong)
- I want butter, sugar, and flour. (Correct)
- During my next vacation, I want to travel to: Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Goa. (Wrong)
- During my next vacation, I want to travel to Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Goa. (Correct)
Always Remember! A colon should not separate a noun from its verb, a verb from its object or subject complement, a preposition from its object, or a subject from its predicate.