Colons
:
UWF Writing Lab
Grammar Mini- Lesson #32
The colon is often
used to introduce
explanatory
elements, often in
the form of a list.
The colon takes
the place of such
as, namely, or
for example.
The colon must
be preceded by
a complete
sentence.
Correct: I hate this one course: English.
•Notice the full sentence before the colon.
•Note that your list may include only one word.
Incorrect: One course that I hate: English
is the course I am failing.
•The statement preceding the colon is not a full
sentence.
The colon takes the place
of the following phrases:
such as, for example,
namely.
Do not use these phrases in
combination with the colon.
Incorrect: Some mammals have no hair: namely,
whales, porpoises, and bottle-nosed dolphins.
Correct: Some mammals have no hair, namely,
whales, porpoises, and bottle-nosed dolphins.
Do not use a colon after
a linking verb, which
connects the subject to
the complement.
Incorrect: The three parts of a chemistry course
are: lecture, recitation, and laboratory.
Correct: There are three parts to the chemistry
course: lecture, recitation, and laboratory.