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Colons :. UWF Writing Lab Grammar Mini - Lesson #32. The colon is often used to introduce explanatory elements, often in the form of a list. The colon takes the place of such as, namely , or for example. The colon must be preceded by a complete sentence.
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Colons: UWF Writing Lab Grammar Mini- Lesson #32
The colon is often used to introduce explanatory elements, often in the form of a list. The colon takes the place of such as, namely,or for example.
The colon must be preceded by a complete sentence. • Correct: I hate this one course: English. • Notice the full sentence before the colon. • Note that your list may include only one word. • Incorrect: One course that I hate: English is the course I am failing. • The statement preceding the colon is not a full sentence.
The colon takes the place of the following phrases: such as, for example, namely. Do not use these phrases in combination with the colon. Incorrect: Some mammals have no hair: namely, whales, porpoises, and bottle-nosed dolphins. Correct: Some mammals have no hair, namely, whales, porpoises, and bottle-nosed dolphins.
Do not use a colon after a linking verb, which connects the subject to the complement. Incorrect:The three parts of a chemistry course are: lecture, recitation, and laboratory. Correct: There are three parts to the chemistry course: lecture, recitation, and laboratory.