alterlop.blogg.se - How to use a colon

#How to use a colon how to#

In short sentences, a comma often replaces the semicolon: Harry was an animal driven by primal need to gain immediate access to the goulash his options for achieving that aim were, however, limited.Ī semicolon can also join two statements when the second clause is missing some essential words that are supplied by the first clause. Such an adverb or phrase can also appear elsewhere in the second clause: Mabel did not take kindly to the encroachment of Harry into her personal cooking space indeed, she at one point responded to the sudden appearance of his muzzle at her elbow with a distinct and species-appropriate hiss. Semicolons are used especially when the second clause is introduced by an adverb or a short phrase, such as however, indeed, thus, in that case, as a result, on the other hand, for example, or that is:

Goulash was Harry the Dog's favorite the scent drew him to the kitchen.Ī semicolon can also replace a comma between two clauses that are joined by a coordinating conjunction like and in cases where the sentence might otherwise be confusing-for example, because of particularly long clauses, or the presence of other commas:Īs Mabel's culinary efforts continued, with bread baking in the oven and a cabbage dish just begun, she admonished Harry to keep out of her way but Harry's ability to remain at a decent distance from the stove was severely challenged. Mabel the Cat had made a big pot of goulash it was simmering on the stove. Semicolons Separate Independent ClausesĪ semicolon separates related independent clauses that are joined without a coordinating conjunction, such as and: It's definitely not a strict rule.Each semicolon brings us closer to the top. (Note: This is just a guideline to remove the need to think about what punctuation to use.

There is a useful guideline out there which states that if your quotation is longer than six words (and you're not worried about controlling the flow of text), then use a colon. However, it could have been introduced with a comma or with nothing. In this example, the quotation is introduced with a colon.

It's hard to disagree with Frank Zappa, who said: "Art is making something out of nothing and selling it.".

(Colons used as a separator in times.) Read more about colons in references, times and titlesĬolons can be used to introduce quotations. (Colon used as a separator in a Bible reference)Ġ8:30 - Meet at the lake and prepare the kayaks

Genesis 1:1 starts "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.".

(Here, the colon is used to separate the main title from the subtitle.)

I am currently reading "How To Get Your Own Way: Who's Manipulating You?".

Read more about using bullet points (3) Using Colons in References and TimesĬolons can be used to divide the parts of references, titles, and times. Note: You cannot use a semicolon ( ) for this purpose.

The Victorian printing set is missing the following characters: Q, R, K, and the question mark.

The wording to the left of the colon will introduce whatever follows on the right.

I would like to change just one aspect of your draft: then you can publish it.Ī colon can be used after an introduction.

I need one personal trait: I have others but not the one I need.

You cannot introduce a new idea with a colon.

I have made an important discovery: alcohol, taken in sufficient quantities, produces all the effects of intoxication.

Sometimes, the ideas either side of the "equals sign" are a little harder to marry up. (two reasons = the visa idea and the flying idea)

There are two reasons why I don't believe the alibi: there is no visa in his passport, and he is petrified of flying.

He blamed his divorce on one thing: beer.

Usually, the information on the right is an expansion of whatever is mentioned on the left. The information on the left of the colon equals the information on the right. Think of a colon (:) as the language version of an equals sign (=) in mathematics. (If you can master this idea, you'll have a useful tool in your writing toolkit.)

#How to use a colon how to#

It is worth learning how to use them - especially how colons allow you to expand on an idea previously mentioned in the sentence.