Colons Copy
Click on the Play button to hear a message from Anne.
The colon is two dots, one above the other.
The colon appears immediately after the end of the previous word with a single space to follow.
What does a colon mean?
The colon means ‘that is to say’ or ‘here’s what I mean’ and what follows must explain / illustrate / expand / paraphrase what came before.
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- For a vegetarian stir-fry, collect these ingredients: bean sprouts, carrots, mushrooms, red capsicum, garlic and parsley.
- She wrote in her first chapter: Harry knew what was to come.
Using colons in a list stem
Colons can be used for the stem introducing a bullet list.
As proof of identity, please bring any two of the following:
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- Your passport
- Your driving licence
- A recent utility bill
However, the sense is maintained if you use a full point instead.
We look at options for lists in a later lesson.
Avoiding using colons
Colons are rarely needed in a short sentence, and you can avoid colons altogether if the construction is made simple enough.
So, if a sentence is complicated, consider simplifying it. Break long sentences into shorter ones.
Non-grammatical uses of colons
Colons might also be used for non-grammatical uses.
Non-grammatical use |
Example |
24-hour clock time |
14:45 |
Ratios |
1:3 |
Biblical references |
Genesis 2:14 |
Correspondence |
cc: James Bond |