Eight Ways to Use Colons
+Create anticipation
+Introduce lists
+Introduce long quotes
+Introduce subtitles
+Make a formal salutation (in a business letter or email)
+Indicate ratios
+Suggest time
+Introduce dialogue in plays
The Rules for Using Colons
+In a sentence, a colon needs a complete sentence (subject + predicate) before the colon to use it properly.
+Words are not typically capitalized after a colon, but it is considered a stylistic choice and can be done. Just be consistent.
X-Don’t use a colon after a verb. (The people I want to talk to are: the dean, the president, and the president’s mother.)
X-Don’t use a colon after a preposition before a list. (I want to talk to: the dean, the president, and the president’s mother.)
X-Don’t use colons in headings if there is body text written underneath it, like in a resume (it just looks tacky).
Create anticipation
-I claim to have two favorite sports: college football and golf.
-It came from President Bush’s mouth: “Read my lips.”
-The band was wildly popular: they sold out at the Coliseum. (Used much like a semicolon)
Introduce Lists
-I bought several things I didn’t go to the store to buy: Cheese Whiz, smokies, chicken wings, and some weird but tasty blue licorice.
Long Quotes (typically four lines or longer)
-One of my favorite things I heard him say:
Book Titles
-Engagement Design: A Humanistic Approach to Designing Complex Information
Salutations
(in professional business letter format)
-Dear Dr. Dolittle:
Ratios
-The horse had a 10:1 chance of winning.
Time
-We stayed up until 2:30 last night watching Dumb and Dumber.
Try it!
+Introduce a quote you like using colon.
+Write a list using colon, but without saying “the following” before the quote.
+Write two consecutive sentences that merit a colon more than a semicolon.