why are colons important? colons to mean “note what follows” colons in conventional situations...
TRANSCRIPT
Why are colons important?
Colons to mean “note what follows”
Colons in conventional situations
Review A
Review B
Using Colons
At the mall I will buy the following items:
Why are colons important?
The colon is a special punctuation mark that can serve several different purposes.
A colon can be used to mean “note what follows.”
:
The colon says, “Take note. The items are are about to be listed.”
a sweater, a watch, and some socks.
All of these would be difficult to read without the colon to mark the separate parts.
Why are colons important?
Colons are also used to separate elements in certain conventional situations.
5:45 P.M.
Proverbs 3:3
Impression: Sunrise
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Colons to mean “note what follows”
Use a colon before a list of items, especially after expressions such as the following and as follows.
Central America has seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
The animal shelter needs the following items: blankets, dog and cat food, toys, and office supplies.
Colons to mean “note what follows”
Do not place a colon right after a verb.
The emergency kit included: safety flares, jumper cables, and a flashlight.
Incorrect
The emergency kit included safety flares, jumper cables, and a flashlight.
Correct
Verb
The emergency kit included the following: safety flares, jumper cables, and a flashlight.
Correct
Colons to mean “note what follows”
Do not place a colon right after a preposition.
Each student was provided with: two sharp pencils, some paper, and a ruler.Incorrect
Each student was provided with two sharp pencils, some paper, and a ruler.
Correct
Preposition
Each student was provided with the following items: two sharp pencils, some paper, and a ruler.
Correct
Colons to mean “note what follows”
Use a colon before a long, formal statement or quotation.
Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address begins with these famous words: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
Colons to mean “note what follows”
Use a colon between independent clauses when the second clause explains or restates the first.
Those hanging lamps are the most popular kind: They are inexpensive, available in many colors, and easy to install.
Add colons where they are needed in the following sentences.
1. Bryan was sure about one thing He would never give in to peer pressure again.
2. The president read the mission statement “We dedicate ourselves to the education of young people and to preparing them for the world.”
3. You’ll need the following for the hike sturdy boots, a waterproof jacket, bottled water, and a hat.
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On Your Own
Colons to mean “note what follows”
Colons in conventional situations
Use a colon in certain conventional situations:
7:45 in the morning
Luke 17:1–4
Between the hour and the minute in times
Between chapter and verse in biblical references
Colons in conventional situations
Use a colon in certain conventional situations:
Desert Plants: How They Live
Dear Mrs. Rodriguez:
Between a title and a subtitle
After the salutation of a business letter
On Your Own
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Colons in conventional situations
Add colons where they are needed in the following sentences.
1. My mother was a big fan of the TV series Star Trek The Next Generation.
2. The biblical story of the battle between David and Goliath is told in I Samuel 17 4–58.
3. Groups of art students boarded the bus at 8 30 A.M. and arrived at the museum at 10 00 A.M.
4. The letter began, “To Whom It May Concern Please consider me for admission to your institution.”
Review A
Add colons where they are needed in the following sentences.
1. She revised her report twice She looked first at content and then read the report for style.
2. Your reading assignment is as follows pages 217–232, pages 275–302, and the summary.
3. Daryl titled his essay “Educators Heroes of Everyday Life.”
4. Ms. Wesley began her speech by thanking all the volunteers “On this very special day, let me first express
my undying thanks for your devotion to our cause.”
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Review B
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Add colons where they are needed in the following sentences. If a sentence is already correct, label it C.
1. On their vacation the Youngs traveled through four states Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts.
2. There on my brother’s nightstand I saw a broken marble, a hunk of moss, and four sticks of varying lengths.
3. The lecture will begin promptly at 6 45.
4. The story of the good Samaritan is in Luke 10 25–37.
5. I began the letter, “Dear Mr. McLellan Thank you for sending me the information I requested.”
The End