The colon is an oft-misunderstood punctuation mark. I oftentimes avoid using colons because, well, I don't like them. However, if you're a colon-friendly writer, you may find the following tips to be useful.
Don't use colons and semicolons interchangeably. Semicolons are used to separate two independent clauses that are part of the same sentence. While some authorities say that you can use a colon instead of a semicolon if the second part of the sentence follows naturally from the first, why not play it safe and stick with the semicolon? Here is an example:
· The murderer got what he deserved; he was executed at midnight. (The second part follows naturally from the first, but the semicolon works well)
· The murderer got what he deserved: He was executed at midnight. (This isn't technically incorrect. Some would call it a judgement call, but as I said, a semicolon is a tad safer.)
If what follows a colon is a complete sentence, capitalize the first letter (again, there are varying opinions on this, and there is no hard and fast rule). However, if what follows the colon is more than one complete sentence, always capitalize the first letter of the first sentence.
· He always worked hard: He got up early every day to go to the office.
· He always worked hard: He got up early every day to go to the office. He stayed late every day.
Use colons to introduce a list.
· Pick up the following items at the grocery store: milk, eggs, and bread.
However, you wouldn't use a colon if the list beings naturally from what precedes it.
· When you're at the grocery store, pick up milk, eggs, and bread. (You wouldn't put a colon after "pick up")
What are your thoughts on colons (the punctuation mark, not the body part)?
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