Colons (:) introduce clauses or phrases that describe, amplify, or restate what precedes them. Usually they are used to introduce a quote or a list that satisfies a previous statement. For example, this summary could be written as “A colon can introduce many things: description, quote, list, etc.”
What is colon?
We all know the colon, right? It’s a punctuation mark that looks like two dots stacked on top of each other, like a dot with another dot hovering above it:
It is usually an introductory sign, used to let the reader know that what follows the colon is indicated or described by what precedes the colon. (This is a completely different function than the semicolon, which is mainly used to separate two independent sentences that are related in meaning.)
In running prose that we come across in books, magazines, articles and the like, the colon is mainly used to introduce a clause or a phrase that explains, illustrates, amplifies or presents. represent what precedes them. (Note: clauses and phrases are both groups of words in sentences; the basic difference between them is that a clause has its own subject and verb, while a phrase does not.)
The colon is also hard to find in stock photos, so just go for it.
Colons introduce clauses and phrases
Let’s first look at some colons that introduce clauses and phrases that explain, illustrate, amplify, and restate what came before:
Harry the dog and Mabel the cat are having a heated debate about umbrellas: are umbrellas only used to cover the rain?
In this example, what comes after the colon explains all that the argument is about in the first part of the sentence. Note that what follows the colon is not capitalized, but it can. As a clause—it has its own subject and verb and can in fact function independently as a sentence of its own, despite being a sentence of the question type—it certainly sounds like something that can be started. begins with a capital letter, but whether it is or not is simply a matter of style. (Note that in British English, the lowercase style is lowercase. Lowercase is also the Merriam-Webster style.) Be consistent: capitalize the first letter of every clause followed by a colon, or always use use lowercase letters.
Mabel the Cat is adamant that Harry must realize the usefulness of umbrellas in all wet weather: for protection from rain, sleet, and snow.
Here, the phrase after the colon illustrates what precedes it. Is a phrase and all, no capital letters. (There will of course be a capital letter if the first word of the phrase is a proper noun or acronym.)
“But why limit it to wet weather?” Harry wanted to know. “The sun goes down too: isn’t an umbrella suitable for sun protection?”
Harry’s clause, which will begin with a capital “I” if that’s our style, amplifies what precedes it.
Mabel has none of that: she remains motionless.
Here, the clause following the colon repeats the clause that precedes it.
The colon can also introduce something that acts as an appositive. (Note: A pronoun is a noun or noun phrase that refers to the same thing as another noun or noun phrase in the same sentence, and is usually right next to that noun or noun phrase, as in “my neighbor’s doctor.” Two nouns/phrases—in this case, “my neighbor” and “the doctor”—are said to stand “grammatically”, meaning they has the same syntactic relation to the rest of the sentence.) after the colon can be an amplified word, phrase, or clause:
“Harry,” said Mabel, “umbrellas have only one thing: dry feathers.”
The noun phrase “dry fur” is in addition to the noun phrase “one thing” on the other side of the colon.
“But Mabel,” Harry insisted, “isn’t the crux of the truth: an umbrella is a retractable shield for protection against general weather?”
The clause after the colon corresponds to “this” (which is a pronoun that refers to “the crux of it all”, if we’re going to be technical about it).
“Oh Harry,” replied Mabel, “a similar sun protection has another name: an umbrella.”
The word “umbrella” is placed in the noun phrase “a completely different name.”
How NOT to use Colons
In addition, we note that the colon is not used to separate the subject from its predicate; a noun from its verb; a verb from the object or its complement; or a preposition from its subject:
- avoid – The sheer size of Mabel’s umbrella collection: awesome.
- avoid – Harry’s favorite umbrella: broken.
- avoid – The opening mechanism of the umbrella is: hopelessly stuck.
- avoid – Mabel gives Harry an umbrella of choice: her own.
Colons can introduce lists and series
And then a colon introduces a list or a string. What follows a colon is usually a word or phrase, so it should not be capitalized unless there is a proper noun or acronym:
Harry wasn’t about to give up his position. If Mabel was going to insist that umbrellas are considered suitable for more than rain, he would insist that they are considered suitable for all weather conditions: rain, sleet, snow, hail and sunny.
Lists or strings can also include the terms:
Mabel’s answer is very clear. “Then you can be hidden forever by an umbrella, Harry, but I will bring the following: an umbrella for wet weather, a parasol for hot sun and a beret whenever I feel like.”
Lists or strings can also appear before a summary statement:
Harry’s reply was equally emphatic. “Rain, hail, snow, sleet, sun: an umbrella would suit me, Mabel.”
A colon can introduce a quote
Colons are also commonly used in prose to introduce quotes. When the quoted document is long, it is usually separated from the rest of the text by indentation rather than double quotes:
Mabel was suddenly inspired to recount a passage of Lewis Carroll’s poem—specifically, an excerpt from his 1871 book. Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There:
All this time Tweedledee is trying his best to fold the umbrella, with himself in it…. But he couldn’t quite succeed, and it ended with him rolling around, curled up in an umbrella, just sticking his head out: and there he lay, mouth open and closed and his big eyes. he – ‘looks more like a fish than anything else,’ thought Alice.
A colon can also be used before a quote in a running text, especially when the quote is long; or when it is an official statement or a statement of particular emphasis; or when a fully independent clause is preceded by a colon. Here is an example of the first type:
“You know, Mabel,” mused Harry, “while an avalanche probably doesn’t quite qualify as ‘weather’, an umbrella can also be used to protect against Anyway, according to Mark Twain: ‘We could have reached the top before the night, but because of the delay due to the loss of an umbrella. I let the umbrella be lost, but the men whispered, and there’s a reason, because in this open-air area we especially need protection from avalanches; so I went into camp and split up a strong group to track down the missing item.’ that’s the word A wanderer in a foreign country.”
And here is an example with a formal statement or specially emphasized statement:
“Harry, I repeat to you,” said Mabel somewhat overbearingly, “that this very text poses a silly rhetorical question: ‘… what is an umbrella if not an umbrella?'”
And here’s an example where a fully independent clause is preceded by a colon:
Harry, unfazed, dashed toward someone out of order. “I recently learned,” he asserted, “that the word ‘um’ appears 26 times in James Joyce’s novel. Ulyssesand three of those occurrences occur in a single sentence: ‘She doesn’t like rain umbrellas, he likes women holding umbrellas, she doesn’t like new rain hats, he likes women wearing hats. new, he bought a new rain hat, she brought an umbrella with a new hat.'”
Mabel’s answer is unknown, which is fine: in fact, we have nothing more to say about the use of colons in prose.
DISCOVER MORE: A Guide to Using Semicolons
Categories: Usage Notes
Source: vothisaucamau.edu.vn
