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.

Do you 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.

What are the rules for using a colon?

When to Use A Colon Within a Sentence or Paragraph

1. The hard and fast rule is that a colon must ALWAYS follow a complete sentence.
2. A colon is used after a full sentence or independent clause to introduce something that illustrates, clarifies, or amplifies what was said in the sentence that preceded the colon.

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.

What can I use instead of a colon?

(3) The special conditions requiring a colon are absent. Here is a famous example: It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. A semicolon can always, in principle, be replaced either by a full stop (yielding two separate sentences) or by the word and (possibly preceded by a joining comma).

Can you use a colon after one word?

The colon can be used to emphasize a phrase or single word at the end of a sentence. Conclusion: This practice can be followed when that single word is at either end of the sentence.

Can you end a paragraph with a colon?

Typically, a colon appears to end a paragraph if it’s introducing a block quotation or a list (which actually continues the paragraph as a logical matter despite the change in typesetting). Your first sentence is a good introductory sentence and should just start the paragraph where you tell the milk-crate story.

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.

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.

Do you need two spaces after a colon?

Just as with the period, it used to be common to put two spaces after a colon, but now most style guides that address the matter (e.g., The Chicago Manual of Style) recommend using only one space after a colon.

Is there a space before and after a colon?

The colon is used to separate hours from minutes, with no space before or after the colon.

Do you need 2 spaces after a period?

According to the AP Stylebook, single-spacing is correct. The same goes for the Chicago Manual of Style. However, the Modern Language Association Style Center offers different advice, and suggests that writers use a single space after a period unless they have been explicitly told otherwise.

Why do people put one space after a period?

The two-space convention is left over from the days of typewriters. (This is called a mono-spaced font.) With a typewriter, it makes sense to add an extra space to make it clear that the sentence has ended. Today’s word-processing software makes fonts proportional, though, which is why we only need one space.

When did we stop putting 2 spaces after a period?

With the introduction of the typewriter in the late 19th century, typists used two spaces between sentences to mimic the style used by traditional typesetters. While wide sentence spacing was phased out in the printing industry in the mid-20th century, the practice continued on typewriters and later on computers.

How many spaces after a period is legal?

two spaces

Do you put a space after a comma?

Put a space after a comma. Do not put a space before a comma. In a sentence, the last two items usually do not need a comma between them as they are separated by “and”.

Should you use one or two spaces between sentences?

Nearly all style guides agree that one space is correct. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) was the only style guide that overtly recommended two spaces after a period, and even that long-time holdout for two spaces changed its guideline to one space in its 2019 update.

How do you double space?

To double-space the whole document, go to Design > Paragraph Spacing, and choose Double. Tip: To double-space only part of the document, select the paragraphs you want to change, go to Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing, and choose 2.0.

What does double spacing look like?

In text formatting, a double space means sentences contain a full blank line (the equivalent of the full height of a line of text) between the rows of words. By default, most programs have single spacing enabled, which is a slight space between each line of text, similar to how this paragraph looks.

How do I change from double space to single space in Word?

Change the line spacing in an entire document

1. Go to Design > Paragraph Spacing.
2. Choose the option you want. If you want to single space your document, choose No Paragraph Space.

How do I change to single spacing in Word 2010?

Single-space part of a document

1. Select the paragraphs you want to change.
2. Go to Home > Line and Paragraph Spacing .
3. Choose 1.0.