Writers often confuse the colon with the semicolon, but their uses are entirely different.
When to Use a Colon
The colon focuses the reader's attention on
what is to follow, and as a result, you should use it to introduce a
list, a summation, or an idea that somehow completes the introductory
idea. You may use the colon in this way, however, only
after an independent clause:
- He visited three cities during his stay in the Maritimes: Halifax, Saint John and Moncton.
- Their lobbying efforts were ultimately useless: the bill was soundly defeated.
- My mother gave me one good piece of advice: to avoid wasting time and energy worrying about things I cannot change.
When Not to Use a Colon
You should not place a colon between a
verb and its object or subject complement, or between a preposition and its
object:
- [WRONG] His neighbour lent him: a pup-tent, a wooden canoe, and a
slightly battered Coleman stove. (colon between
verb and objects)
- [RIGHT] His neighbour lent him a pup-tent, a wooden canoe, and a
slightly battered Coleman stove.
- [WRONG] Her three goals are: to improve her public speaking skills, to
increase her self-confidence and to sharpen her sales techniques.
(colon between verb and subject complement)
- [RIGHT] Her three goals are to improve her public speaking skills, to
increase her self-confidence and to sharpen her sales
techniques.
- [WRONG] We travelled to: London, Wales and Scotland.
(colon between preposition and
objects)
- [RIGHT] We travelled to London, Wales and Scotland.
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