A colon is used in two ways:
1) to introduce a list
- Please bring these items: a towel, a swimming suit, and a hat.
2) to connect a sentence with another sentence/clause/noun that explains the meaning of the first sentence.
- John realized why he loved his job: It made him a better person. (colon introducing a clause)
Here the second sentence explains the reason presented in the first sentence.
- Lisa only had one option left: divorce. (colon introducing a noun)
Again, here, the noun in after the colon ("divorce") explains the option introduced in the first sentence.
Below are the main rules for using a colon.
Please bring the following: a towel and sunglasses.
Rule 1: Use a Colon after an Independent Clause
An independent clause is a complete thought or complete sentence. Let's look at the same examples:
- Please bring these items: a towel, a swimming suit, and a hat.
- Lisa only had one option left: divorce.
- His father gave John several responsibilities: feeding the dog, taking out the garbage, and washing the dishes.
Here, the underlined independent clauses are complete thoughts because they make sense by themselves because they have a subject verb, and object (except in the second sentence where no object is needed). A colon should only be used after an independent clause. Another way to think about is that if you cannot put a period (.) after the clause (periods only go after complete sentences), then you should not put a colon.
Common Mistakes with Colons
Using a Colon after a Verb or Preposition Unnecessarily
Do not put a colon if the sentence doesn't need it. These sentences are mistakes:
I want to: eat, shower, and sleep. (Incorrect)
I want to is not an independent clause; it is an incomplete thought. You cannot put a colon here. Also, you don't need a colon to put a list after the verb want.
I want to eat, shower, and sleep. (Correct without a colon)
Here's another example:
She ordered: a pizza, chicken wings, and a drink. (Incorrect)
Again, there's no need for a colon here. We do not put colons after a verb if the sentence is not complete. The verb order here is being used in a transitive sense (it is followed by an object). Do not break up a verb and its object with a colon.
She ordered a pizza, chicken wings, and a drink. (Correct)
Common Colon Collocations (Words often used to Introduce a List)
Here...:
- Here's the shopping list: apples, bananas, and sugar.
- Here's what you should do: open the box, put it on a plate, and then eat it.
- Here are the answers: 1, 2, and 3.
.... the following: (useful for business/professional emails)
- Please do the following:
- Download the file.
- Open it.
- Read its contents.
.... as follows: (useful for business/professional emails)
- Please do as follows:
- Download the file
- Open it
- Read its contents
Capitalization with Colons
There is some debate about capitalization after a colon. You should not capitalize a list of words after a colon that do not form an independent clause. Nonetheless, if you have an independent clause after a colon, you can choose to capitalize the first letter.
- I don't like most fruit: bananas, apples, and oranges. (no capitalization)
- My father reminded me of an important thing: He loves me. (capitalization is possible here because He loves me is a full sentence/independent clause)
- There was still one issue the police didn't understand: How did the thief get into the building? (How is capitalized because of the independent clause (a question) after the colon).
Sidenote: How do I use a Semi-colon? (;)
A semi-colon is used differently. In short, a semi-colon is used to join two independent clauses that . In this sense, it is similar to a conjunction. See our full lesson here.
Found a mistake? Have a question? Leave a comment below.
- Created by Matthew Barton of Englishcurrent.com (copyright)
Related Pages:
To represent a list
for example:-
Hana bought a pencil case contains : pencils, pens and rulers.
Hana, that example isn’t correct because “Hana bought a pencil case contains” is not an independent clause (complete though). This is correct: “Hana bought a pencil case that had these items: x, y, z.”