Using Colons

Colons Announce Things They announce rules and explanations Remember this: College grads earn 72% more than high school grads The wires must be connected correctly: Red is positive and black is negative.

Colons Announce Formal Quotations One instructor has this quotation from Woody Allen posted on his website: “Eighty percent of success is showing up.”

Colons Announce Lists English grammar contains various parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions, electrons, neutrons, and protons. Please delete the following items from the previous list:  Electrons  Neutrons  Protons Lists can be either horizontal or vertical. Vertical lists usually capitalize each item

Rules for Using Colons in Lists The lead-in to the list must be a complete clause (sentence)  I find that grammar is: boring, difficult, and confusing.  I find that grammar is boring, difficult, and confusing.  I like everything else about communication except these topics: grammar, punctuation, and mechanics. Not a clause Colon removed Lead-in converted to a clause