How do you use a colon in a sentence?

How do you use a colon in a sentence?

Colons in Sentences

1. There are two choices at this time: run away or fight.
2. We knew who would win the game: the Eagles.
3. He wanted to see three cities in Italy: Rome, Florence, and Venice.
4. Here are three states that begin with M: Michigan, Mississippi, and Maine.

When to use a colon or a semicolon?

Semicolons should introduce evidence or a reason for the preceding statement; for example, this sentence appropriately uses a semicolon. A colon, on the other hand, should be used for a stronger, more direct relationship. It should provide emphasis, an example, or an explanation.

Do I use a colon before a list?

Use a colon to introduce an item or list, if the list comes after a complete sentence or independent clause. For example: There are three things every dog needs: food, water and healthcare.

How do you use a colon effectively?

The colon is used to separate two independent clauses when the second explains or illustrates the first. In such usage, the colon functions in much the same way as the semicolon. As with the semicolon, do not capitalize the first word after the colon unless the word is ordinarily capitalized.

When should you not use a colon?

Do not use a colon in a complete sentence after phrases such as “such as,” “including,” and “for example.” Because phrases like these already indicate to the reader that a list of examples will follow, there is no need to introduce them with a colon, which would merely be redundant.

How do you list after a colon?

When listing items one by one, one per line, following a colon, capitalization and ending punctuation are optional when using single words or phrases preceded by letters, numbers, or bullet points. If each point is a complete sentence, capitalize the first word and end the sentence with appropriate ending punctuation.

How many times do you space after a colon?

A. One space after a colon. There is a traditional American typing practice, favored by some, of leaving two spaces after colons and periods. This practice is discouraged by the University of Chicago Press, especially for formally published works and the manuscripts from which they are published.

Can you use a colon and semicolon in the same sentence?

Colons and semicolons can be used in the same sentence, but they are each used for different purposes. In this example, the colon is used to introduce the cities.

Can you continue a sentence after a colon?

The hard and fast rule is that a colon must ALWAYS follow a complete sentence. Do not use a colon after a sentence fragment, ever.

Do you need a capital after a colon?

A colon is nearly always preceded by a complete sentence; what follows the colon may or may not be a complete sentence, and it may be a mere list or even a single word. A colon is not normally followed by a capital letter in British usage, though American usage often prefers to use a capital.

When would you use a semicolon examples?

A semicolon may be used between independent clauses joined by a connector, such as and, but, or, nor, etc., when one or more commas appear in the first clause. Example: When I finish here, and I will soon, I’ll be glad to help you; and that is a promise I will keep.

Do you capitalize a question after a colon?

Capitalization: First Word After a Colon When a colon introduces a list of things, do not capitalize the first word after the colon unless it is a proper noun. When a colon introduces a complete sentence, you may capitalize the first word after the colon according to some style guides.

What can follow a semicolon?

Rule. Use a semicolon between closely related independent clauses which are not joined by a coordinating conjunction. This rule means that semicolons are used between two complete sentences which are not already linked by words like and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet.

Do you capitalize after a colon Chicago Manual of Style?

A. It’s fine to capitalize there, although Chicago style is to lowercase after a colon unless what follows consists of two or more complete sentences. Please see CMOS 6.61–67 for examples and exceptions.

Do you Capitalise after an ellipsis?

Use a capital after an ellipsis only if what follows is the beginning of a sentence. Text that includes a sentence ending in a full stop followed by an ellipsis then a sentence beginning with a capital letter indicates that at least one complete sentence is missing.

What is the point of a semicolon?

A semicolon has two general uses: to clarify a series and to indicate two closely related sentences. Series—If one or more elements in a series contain a comma, use semicolons to separate them. Include a semicolon before the final conjunction.

Can you use semicolons in a list?

It is usual to use commas to separate the items in a list. However, when the list items themselves contain commas, you can “outrank” those commas by using semicolons as the separators for your list items.

When to use a semicolon instead of a comma in a list?

Usually, we use a comma to separate three items or more in a list. However, if one or more of these items contain commas, then you should use a semicolon, instead of a comma, to separate the items and avoid potential confusion.

Do you use a colon before bullet points?

1. The text introducing the list of bullet points should end with a colon. 2. If the text that follows the bullet point is not a proper sentence, it doesn’t need to begin with a capital letter, nor end with a period.

Should a list have full stops?

If a complete sentence introduces the bulleted list, each item in the list should end with a full stop, not a colon, and each point should begin with a capital letter.

Should you put full stops after bullet points?

Use bullet points to make text easier to read. you do not use full stops within bullet points – where possible start another bullet point or use commas, dashes or semicolons to expand. you do not put “or”, “and” after the bullet points. there is no punctuation at the end of bullet points.

How do I type a bullet point?

Bullet Point [•] Quick Guide To type the Bullet Point symbol on Mac, press Option+8 shortcut on your keyboard. For Windows users, press down the Alt key and type 0149 on the numeric keypad, then release the Alt key.

Do bullet points need periods in a resume?

Skip the periods. Remember: Bullet points are often fragments rather than complete sentences. But if you choose to use a period for one phrase, use one for every bullet to maintain consistency and make your resume look more uniform and professional.

How many skills should you list on a resume?

You should list between 5 and 10 skills on a resume, depending on how you choose to present them. For bulleted lists of software programs, hard skills, and soft skills, around 10 is the sweet spot. In functional, skills-based resumes, focus on 4–6 most relevant general skill sets.