Colons

What is a Colon?

The colon is a softer punctuation break than a period and is meant to help the reader understand that two sentences or clauses relate to the same subject.

Where Did Colons Come From?

Colon comes from the Greek word, kōlon, which literally means “part of a limb.”

The colon is thought to have originated from Aristophanes subordinate, intermediate, and full points, generally dots of ink aligned with the middle (ᐧ), bottom (.) or top (ᣟ) of each line, to help relieve an unbroken stream of text.

 

How Do You Use a Colon?

Some Good Rules to Follow:

  1. Capitalize the first word after a colon only if the colon is followed by a proper noun or an independent clause.

  2. Colons come after other punctuation marks.

  3. When two or more sentences follow a colon, capitalize the first word following the colon.

When to Use Colons:

To Introduce a List

Colons help introduce a group of closely related items

Between Independent Clauses When the Second Clause Explains or Illustrates the First

Colons placed between two independent clauses help elaborate upon the point made in the first clause.

To Emphasize a Phrase or Word at the End of a Sentence

Colons placed between an independent clause and a dependent clause can draw the reader’s attention to the specific word or phrase.

In Written Dialogue

Colons can be used instead of quotation marks when writing dialogue.

As Salutations in a Business Letter

Colons are used instead of a comma when opening a formal letter.

Between the Title and Subtitle of a Book or Article

Colons are used when notating a specific section of a book or article.

References

  1. Nordquist, Richard. "Definition and Examples of Colons." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-colon-punctuation-1689868 (accessed April 14, 2021).

  2. “Colon.” Colon. The Punctuation Guide. https://www.thepunctuationguide.com/colon.html Accessed April 14, 2021

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This page was published January 25, 2023.