All about the colon Ms. Sihrer :

Colon history The colon has been used as punctuation since at least the 1400s. William Caxton, the first printer of English, used the colon. The colon, the comma, and the semicolon were used interchangeably. Modern use of the colon was established in the 17 th Century. :

A colon: More than just for emojis The colon calls attention to the text that follows it. The colon also can be used to separate numbers or to separate titles and subtitles. :

A colon calling attention A colon can separate two independent clauses, signaling that the second clause explains or expands on the first. Example: No one expected the game to end as it did : after seven extra innings, the favored team collapsed. He got what he worked for : he really earned that promotion. :

Capitalizations following colons Whether you capitalize the first letter in a word directly following the colon depends on the style guide you’re using and your teacher’s preference. In MLA style, the first letter is LOWERCASE unless it begins a word that is normally capitalized, the independent clause is a quotation, or the clause expresses a rule or principle. :

A little practice I have everything I need to go swimming now I’m just waiting on my instructor to take me. Swimming is something my whole family loves we are all very good swimmers. I wish I had a pet I have always loved animals.

A colon introducing a quotation A colon is used after an independent clause to introduce a direct quotation. Example: Benjamin Franklin explained the best way to teach : “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and I learn.” But no colon here: Benjamin Franklin said, “Well done is better than well said.” :

A little practice Here is a famous saying by Mark Twain “Man is the only animal that blushes, or needs to.” The prisoner shouted “Leave me alone.” Dad said “Be home early, or else.” The police officer gave specific instructions to children “Never talk to strangers, regardless of how they look.”

A colon introducing a list Colons can be used to signal a list follows, but DO NOT put a colon between a verb and its complement. Example: Three students won awards : Vanessa, Bobby, and John. No colon here: The three students who won awards were Vanessa, Bobby, and John. :

A little practice I tried a lot of different food on the trip calamari, wagyu steak, kimchi, and schnitzel. She loves to buy candles, bath soaps, lotions, and hair products. She loves to buy many things bath soaps, candles, lotions, and hair products. I love dessert including cookies, pie, cake, brownies, and ice cream.

A colon separating a title and subtitle A colon is used between a work’s title and subtitle. Example: A Christmas Carol : A Ghost Story of Christmas :

Other uses for the colon A colon is used to separate numbers. It’s 2 : 15. A colon is used in business letters/ s. Dear Dr. Gooding : :