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Episode Transcript

Colons
Episode 27: November 24, 2006

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Grammar Girl here.

This podcast is sponsored by GoToMyPC. Use GoToMyPC to take your office computer with you wherever you go. Visit http://gotomypc.com/podcast for your free 30 day trial.

Today's topic is how to use colons.

Sallie in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, and a listener named Mike wondered when to use a colon and when to capitalize the first word after a colon.

One of my favorite grammar books, titled* Punctuate It Right, has a wonderful name for the colon: the author calls it the mark of expectation or addition (1). That's because the colon signals that what comes next is directly related to the previous sentence.

The most important thing to remember about colons is that you only use them after statements that are complete sentences. Never use a colon after a sentence fragment.

For example, it's correct to say, "Grammar Girl has two favorite Thanksgiving dishes: green-bean casserole and stuffing." That's correct because "Grammar Girl has two favorite Thanksgiving dishes" is a complete sentence all by itself.

Notice how the items after the colon expand on or clarify what came before the colon. I referred to my favorite dishes before the colon and then specifically named them after the colon. A quick and dirty way to decide whether a colon is acceptable is to test whether you can replace it with the word namely. For example, you could say, "Grammar Girl has two favorite Thanksgiving dishes, namely, green-bean casserole, and stuffing." Most of the time, if you can replace a colon with the word namely, then the colon is the right choice.

Let's go back to the complete-sentence issue: it would be wrong to say, "Grammar Girl's favorite Thanksgiving dishes are: rolls and cranberry sauce" because "Grammar Girl's favorite Thanksgiving dishes are" is not a complete sentence by itself (and because those aren't my favorite dishes). You can often fix that problem by adding the words the following after your sentence fragment. For example, it would be fine to say, "Grammar Girl's favorite Thanksgiving dishes are the following: green-bean casserole and stuffing" because you've made the thing before the colon a complete sentence by adding the words the following.

For some reason, people seem to get especially confused about when to use colons when they are introducing lists, and Mike specifically asked about using colons before lists, but the good news is that the rules are the same whether you are writing lists or sentences: you use a colon when you could use the word namely and after something that could be a complete sentence on its own.

Finally, everyone always wants to know whether they should capitalize the first word after a colon. The answer is that it's a style issue, and it depends on what is following the colon. Although the most conservative grammarians would say that you should capitalize the first word after a colon when the colon introduces a complete sentence, there are a lot of grammarians who say that it isn't necessary. Since you never capitalize the first word after a colon if it is introducing something that isn't a complete sentence, I find it easier to adopt the less conservative rule for introducing complete sentences, and then all I have to remember is that the first word after a colon is always in lowercase (unless, of course, it is a proper name or something else that's always capitalized). But if you are writing for someone who uses a style guide, you should check to see if they have a preference because it is a style issue.

So those are the rules about colons for today: use a colon when you could use the word namely, only use a colon after a complete sentence, and don't capitalize the first word after a colon.

That's all. As always, this is Grammar Girl. I'm very excited today because I have a book giveaway! An author named Mark Phillips publishes grammar and vocabulary books, and he was kind enough to send me copies so that I can give them away to listeners. So, this is the first official Grammar Girl book giveaway! The book is titled Tarzan and Jane's Guide to Grammar, and it has a really clever premise: Mark took the story of Tarzan and Jane, which is from a novel that's in the public domain, and adapted it to include grammar lessons.

I randomly picked a name out of the e-mails I have from people who have contacted me or made a donation, and Donna H. is the winner. So Donna, I hope you enjoy Tarzan and Jane's Guide to Grammar! For everyone else, it is also available for sale in the Grammar Girl section of QuickAndDirtyTips.com, and I will also have other books to give away in the next three episodes! Thanks again to the author, Mark Phillips, for providing the books.

Thank you for listening. The Grammar Girl web site is at QuickAndDirtyTips.com, and I can be reached by e-mail at feedback@quickanddirtytips.com and voice-mail at 206-338-GIRL (4475).

References

Shaw, H. Punctuate It Right. New York: HarperPaperbacks, 1993, p. 68.

*Yes, titled is the right word here.

Comments (57) for Colons | Subscribe to Comment

francine Says:
6/16/2008 4:40:15 PM

do you still use the period before the colon in abbreviations like Re.: or No.:

Kristin Says:
3/20/2008 12:20:11 AM

I hope I don't take over the comments section. This one is for William McLaughlin, who asked about the semicolons in a list that follows a colon. In my experience, semicolons are generally used in lists where commas or other punctuation would make reading the list difficult. e.g., "I have many hobbies: writing and grammar; sports, like hockey and bowling; and learning to cook." This becomes more difficult to read when only commas are used. Wouldn't it be harder to understand or at the very least look inconsistent to write the previous sentence like this: "I have many hobbies: writing and grammar, sports, like hockey and bowling, and learning to cook." However, this method is commonly used in regular lists too. e.g., "Some of my favorite hobbies are writing and grammar; sports, like hockey and bowling; and learning to cook."

Kristin Says:
3/20/2008 12:07:05 AM

Mary, "a good night's sleep" is correctly punctuated, just the same as "two weeks' notice" is correct. The idea is that you are having the good sleep in a night, or "of" a night. Basically, the night owns the good sleep, even though you are the one sleeping through it. In the same vein, when we say "two weeks' notice," we are giving the notice "of" two weeks, therefore we use the possessive apostrophe, *not* a contractive apostrophe. I hope this helps.

Celeste Says:
2/14/2008 6:19:30 PM

Grammar Girl, My students keep using the colon after "By." Where can I find the rule for this use. For example, if they write a paper, they will write _George Orwell's Relevance for Today's World_ By: Jocelyn Medina. I have tried to make them stop writing the colon after "By," but it seems that I am wrong since no one has stopped writing it.

Mary Says:
11/11/2007 12:15:14 PM

Grammar Girl: I wanted to ask about punctuating 'a good night's sleep' - as I've seen it written. I think that is incorrect - doesn't that mean 'a good night is sleep'?! How is this phrase properly punctuated?! Thank you!

Grammar Says:
8/10/2007 5:59:05 AM

"Girls" should be possessive; think of it as the night out of a group of girls.

So the proper way to write the phrase is "girls' night out."

Allison Says:
8/9/2007 5:07:06 PM

I would like to know the proper punctuation to use on "girls" in the phrase "Girls Night Out."

Grammar Girl Says:
6/18/2007 5:20:01 PM

When I was growing up my mom would refer to things that were fast and short as "quick and dirty." She might have said something like, "Let's just do a quick and dirty job on these dishes and let the pans soak overnight." Or if she was telling a short version of a story, she might say, "Well, the quick and dirty version is that Bob got fired, but the whole story is that . . . ."

As opposed to the many wonderful sites that go into great depth about grammar and langauge issues, I think of this podcast as the quick and dirty version of the grammar rules--a just-the-basics grammar show.

Grammar Girl Says:
6/18/2007 5:08:04 PM

http://media.libsyn.com/media/absolutescience/grammar027_colon.MP3

CeAnne Says:
6/17/2007 10:16:28 AM

I would like to buy the Grammar Girl talking book. I would like a number to call, so that I can purchase the book ; I do not like using my card on the inter net.

CeAnne

Grammar Girl Says:
5/27/2007 5:28:36 PM

In case you missed it, I just covered how to use colons in a vertical list: http://grammar.qdnow.com/2007/05/24/formatting-vertical-lists.aspx

Meg Says:
4/11/2007 9:15:58 PM

Most of the shows have a downloadable audio file. Can I get a downloadable file for your episode on the colon (Rollin' Rollin' Colon)?

Melissa Says:
4/11/2007 6:47:45 PM

Help, I need your wisdom! What is the difference between using the words “consequently” and “consequentially” in a sentence?

Michael Says:
4/3/2007 4:06:13 PM

Yes, out of the question. I failed to link somehow, but here's my joke: http://www.drunkduck.com/Puff_the_Magic_Daddy/index.php?p=162087

Lydia Says:
4/3/2007 3:01:11 PM

So I guess colouring within the lines is out of the question? Fawlty indeed!

Michael Says:
4/3/2007 5:18:28 AM

If that bugs you, this will drive you nuts; I homophones get my goat too, to I try to vent by doing comic strips filled with as many errors as I think anyone can believe. (This isn't self-promotion because it's an intentional faultier.)

Lydia Says:
4/3/2007 4:47:45 AM

Point taken! I know I am just frustrated. I see mistakes every day, even on the front page of major newspapers. Your posts (articles?) are very good and interesting to see the U.S. differences. I knew the spelling anomalies but not the grammar.

Grammar Girl Says:
4/2/2007 7:02:00 PM

I don't correct any of the comments. I can barely handle the flood of questions without trying to correct the little errors too.

Also, I think it seems combative if I'm correcting people's grammar when they are attempting to correct me. I want people to learn, not to be intimidated. So I try to focus on the main point.

Lydia Says:
4/2/2007 6:41:19 PM

I've noticed you don't correct comments for spelling or incorrect usage of homophones. Is there a reason for this? Politeness should not count in your case especially if they are attempting to correct you. To, too and two. Seam and seem. You're and your bugs me the most!

Grammar Girl Says:
3/28/2007 5:24:28 PM

Check out the transcript or podcast about semicolons.

Anonymous Says:
3/28/2007 5:14:01 PM

Hey just wondering: when do you use the mysterious semi colon?

sgrgrl8967@yahoo.com Says:
3/27/2007 12:04:31 AM

Could Therese Terns be referring to the word "dirty" in the name of this website? My daughter, age 10, did not want to search Quick and Dirty because she was afraid of the websites that would come up. Why dirty?

Alita Dueringer Says:
3/15/2007 9:30:26 PM

I need help regarding punctuation with a bulleted list. I have looked at various reference manuals, but they are not clear. I know to set off the list with a colon; however, what is the proper punctuation at the end of a list? For example, "The items to bring include:
- four forks
- two knives
- three spoons

It would seem that for a short list like the above, no punctuation is necessary. But what do you do with a more lengthy bulleted item that is not a complete sentence? I would think that if the bulleted items are a complete sentence, you would use a period, right? Is there a standard rule for each usuage? I am in the middle of a report and I can't seem to get proper guidance. Help! I love your site. If you could differentiate for me when to use what punctuation, I would be most grateful.

Grammar Girl Says:
3/11/2007 2:50:53 PM

I don't know what "dirty" word you would have seen here. I definitely consider this site to be appropriate for kids in junior high.

Therese Terns Says:
3/8/2007 3:16:37 PM

I wanted to give this to our elementary English Comp teacher for her students to check out, but I don't care for the "dirty" word, and I am wondering why the author uses it. Please coment, and let me know if this site is appropraite for junior high kids.

Michae Says:
2/8/2007 7:47:38 PM

I'm swayed.

SW Lenz Says:
2/8/2007 7:01:32 PM

Sure you could use a semi-colon: It can be used to join two independent clauses. But it does not work as well as a colon. The second clause in the example exemplifies why the podcast was "flawed."
The semi-colon works best to join two related clauses, but it does not have the same power to relate the second clause back to the first. If I were to rewrite the sentence with a semi-colon, I'd toss in an adverb to show the relationship. For example:
"Grammar Girl's podcast on joining two independent clauses with a colon was good but flawed; namely (or better, 'specifically'), it lacked an example of joining to independent clauses."
... I'm not the greatest grammartician, but I love the colon.

Michael Says:
1/31/2007 6:42:35 AM

In most of the examples here, e.g., "Grammar Girl's podcast on joining two independent clauses with a colon was good but flawed: It lacked an example of joining to independent clauses. (namely works)", I'd have used a semicolon.

SW Says:
1/27/2007 12:51:06 AM

Dear GG:
First let me say I love your podcasts: I listened to all of them in my limited spare time over the space of three days – and I am looking forward too more!
Second, I’m a lawyer. I often write persuasive documents. I am always looking to improve my writing and your podcasts help. But after listening to the first twenty or so, I stumbled. I don’t think you did the colon justice: It is one of the most useful tools I know in persuasive writing.
Unlike other punctuation marks, the colon implies a “logical” connection between two clauses. The colon has an “if...then” quality.
Your Quick and Dirty rule about substituting the word “namely” for the colon doesn’t always work. There are often times when there is a logical connection between to clauses –- where the second clause exemplifies the first –- but substituting “namely” for a colon just doesn’t sound right.
I have sprinkled a lot of colons throughout this post as examples of using a colon(to the point of nausea). Some additional examples of what a colon can do include:
The Grammar Girl podcasts have quickly attracted a large following: They are full of wit and tips on improving one’s writing. (namely doesn’t work)
Grammar Girl’s podcast on joining two independent clauses with a colon was good but flawed: It lacked an example of joining to independent clauses. (namely works)
Grammar Girl recently inked a multi-million dollar book deal: Can she translate her success in podcasting into writing? (namely doesn’t work)
A personal style point on colons in persuasive writing: I always give two spaces and capitalize the second clause. Why? I am a lawyer. I know that Judges will often just scan a document. I need my important points to stand out and a colon followed by a capital letter helps. While not capitalizing the second clause may work well for most forms of writing, it does not for me when I am trying to be persuasive.
I will get one or two chances to use a ‘logical’ colon -– or for that matter, a dash –- in a document without it seaming redundant. I want the reader to recognize the logical connection between the two clauses implied by the colon. If you read the above examples, each would lose a lot of punch if the second clause is not capitalized.
Best Regards

BD Says:
1/14/2007 12:06:45 AM

I was just scrolling through, looking for clarification on colon use, when I caught this and had to chime in. Lately I feel like everyone--friends, coworkers, strangers ahead of me in line at the grocery store--is using "actually" excessively and incorrectly, as if for purposes of clarification where none is needed. For example:

X: Did you go to that concert you were planning on going to?
Y: Actually, I did.
X: Was it as much fun as you'd expected?
Y: Actually, it was.

If X is indicating an expectation that Y's answers will be in the affirmative, and Y's answers are in the affirmative, then why is Y using "actually"? Wouldn't correct usage be something like this:

X: Did you go to that concert you were planning on going to?
Y: Actually, no, I went to a beekeeping workshop instead.
X: Was it as much fun as you'd expected?
Y: Actually, no, beekeeping isn't that interesting.

What do you think, Grammar Girl?

Gabby Says:
1/5/2007 9:48:53 PM

Hello Grammar Girl, My husband says that the word 'actually' is unneccessary in most sentences. I actually love using that word and use it quite often actually. Sorry for the overuse right now, but I am showing how it can be used. What do you think? Gabby (from Australia)

Michael Says:
1/3/2007 6:51:45 AM

A complete sentence before a colon?
How about:
This?
Or something like:
My favorite numbers: One, three, and six.

Is this casual writing?

Michael Says:
1/3/2007 6:40:09 AM

I'm interested in your opinion of semicolins. I use the hell out of them in personal writing, but wouldn't want to make someone else look nerdy by using them professionally.

Grammar Girl Says:
12/4/2006 7:52:53 AM

There are important exceptions that I didn't talk about in the episode because it was getting too long: you must capitalize the first word following a colon if the colon introduces more than one sentence or introduces a direct quotation. (Please forgive me if this isn't worded eloquently; it's nearly 1:00 a.m.)

Grammar Girl Says:
12/4/2006 7:19:00 AM

the transcript went out, I started thinking about a hyphen for green-bean casserole too! Campbell's doesn't write it that way on the soup-can recipe that I'm so familiar with, but we all know that you can't rely on marketing copy for correct grammar and punctuation! I agree that the hyphen belongs there, and I've gone back into the transcript and added it.

Grammar Girl Says:
12/4/2006 7:13:00 AM

Here are my references for following a colon with a lowercase letter (even if what follows is an independent clause):

The Gallaudet Writer's Handbook (via Pearson Education's The Little, Brown Essential Handbook)

Scharton, M. and Neuleib, J. Things Your Grammar Never Told You. New York: Longman, 2001, p. 108.

Faigley, L., The Little Penguin Handbook. New York: Pearson Education, 2006, p.230.

Anson, C.M., Schwegler, R.A., and Muth, M.F. Pocket Writer's Companion. New York: Pearson Education, 2006, p.205.

The Chicago Manual of Style, Fourteenth Edition. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1993, p.5.103.

I'm not saying these are the only opinions. For example, The Associate Press Stylebook says the first word of an independent clause following a colon should be capitalized. That is why I said it is a style issue.

Nevertheless, given all the references saying it is acceptable to use the lowercase, I don't think advising people to use the lowercase is pointing them to usage that most grammarians would consider to be wrong.

melonbee Says:
12/3/2006 3:51:30 PM

I'm also a longtime professional copy editor, and I second this point. (The solution is not to add punctuation willy-nilly but to rephrase the sentence.) But more important, the problem here is copy-editor-itis, or getting carried away with grammar! Who would ever think that you mean green bean stuffing?! Maybe one in a million people might misread that (and that person would probably be a copy editor who is overthinking it).

I take issue with a few other points here. For one, some grammar guides may give the green light to lowercasing a full sentence after a colon, but it is far from a widely accepted practice. (You may see it all the time, but that doesn't make it correct.) Shouldn't the point be to show people the most accepted route and then note that there is some leeway, versus advising a style that many if not most grammarians would consider to be wrong?

Nancy Friedman Says:
12/2/2006 6:15:06 PM

Just discovered this podcast--kudos! But as a former newspaper and magazine copy editor and longtime grammarphile, I must take issue with the green-bean comma. Commas are almost never appropriate in two-element series; I suggest your copy editor read Chicago Manual of Style 6.20 ("In a series whose elements are all joined by conjunctions, no commas are needed unless the elements are long and pauses helpful"). The way to clarify the phrase in question is to reverse the order of the elements: "stuffing and green-bean casserole" (and yes, I'd insert a hyphen to create a compound adjective that further clarifies the meaning).

Grammar Girl Says:
12/1/2006 10:02:20 PM

No. I plan to cover this soon. (In fact, I planned to cover it in the last episode, but got sidetracked by dashes--they're so exciting that they're hard to resist!)

Grammar Girl Says:
12/1/2006 10:00:29 PM

I usually write "website," but I don't think there is a firm rule. I have it on my topic list to cover both website (web site) and email (e-mail).

I've been thinking it would be fun to interview someone who decides what words get added to a dictionary, so there may be a special, longer Grammar Girl episode like that sometime in the next few months (if I can swing it).

Grammar Girl Says:
12/1/2006 7:24:00 PM

Good question! I originally wrote it without the comma, but my new volunteer copy editor suggested the comma to make the sentence more clear. If the comma is left out, then it is conceivable that someone could think that it was green bean casserole and green bean stuffing.

jen Says:
12/1/2006 5:38:31 PM

hi, what is the reasoning behind the comma after green bean casserole? i was taught to use the colon before a list, were you as well? thanks

DesignDroide Says:
12/1/2006 2:48:05 AM

Ok, I will try. I am still in High School. I NEED to learn formal writing to pass this year of English. It is a habit right now; If in the summer I tend to relax. The biggest issue is that my stress probably leaks through to my writing, I am in a a AP like program, some might argue that it is even harder.

If you look at some of my friends blogs you notice that they constantly tell me I need the little brown book.( not in words but things to that effect)

lisa Says:
11/30/2006 10:39:30 PM

impart not import, I just noticed that! How embarrasing!

lisa Says:
11/30/2006 10:37:33 PM

Grammar Girl:
First of all I love the show. Could you import your wisdom on this topic: web site vs. website. According to the dictionary the correct spelling is web site but it just looks incorrect. It seems as if it makes more sense as a compound word and not two words. Who decides how these new words will be spelled? Thanks!
-L

Grammar Girl Says:
11/30/2006 8:28:15 PM

I took a look at your blog (nice design) and I think it might help you to read your writing out loud. Your writing sounds overly formal, as if you are trying too hard. If you relax and write more like you would speak (keeping in mind the rules of grammar), I think it might help.

Also, I know it is very common to relax grammar rules on blogs, but I think it would help if you capitalize the first word in each sentence. It really does help the reader follow what you are saying.

Grammar Girl Says:
11/30/2006 8:23:36 PM

Entitled isn't wrong, but titled is better. When many people think of entitled they think of the sense of being owed something. For example, The children thought they were entitled to candy.

Entitled is also a transitive verb meaning to give title to, but it sounds pretentious and a lot of people think it is wrong.

See these two disagreeing links to get a better idea of the arguments involved: http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/agcomm/ontarget/0506/GrammarTraptitledvs.entitled.htm http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/nonerrors.html

Also, I've added your question to the list of future episode topics.

Thanks.

DesignDroide Says:
11/30/2006 3:26:35 AM

Hey,
I find myself annoying people with the way I type. I try to improve. I listen to your podcast, yet I cannot quite get it. I know this wont happen over night. but I was wondering if you have any suggestion about how to improve my writting?

Thanks, DD

Kellie Says:
11/28/2006 4:03:40 AM

What is the difference between "titled" and "entitled"? I noticed in your transcript you said "one of my favorite grammar books, titled..." with a note that "titled" was the right word. Why not "entitled"?

My second question is general, a pet peeve, and has nothing to do with this entry. I really hate when people say "very unique". It is not possible to be very unique, because unique already means one-of-a-kind. There is no way something could be more unique than the definition of unique, so the word "very" is useless and wrong. Am I correct?

Thanks again for a great podcast.

Aria Says:
11/28/2006 2:52:14 AM

What about colons in titles? Does it still need to be a complete sentences?

ganesan Says:
11/28/2006 12:24:10 AM

Extremely useful site. Please continue the good work. Thank you.

-Ganesan

Grammar Girl Says:
11/27/2006 7:21:07 PM

Thanks Ben!

I see that we disagree about capitalizing the first letter after a colon. I almost put references in the transcript for that rule but ended up leaving them out because I said it was a style issue! Some of my sources for allowing a lowercase word after a colon include the following books:

The Little Brown Essential Handbook
The Little Penguin Handbook
Things Your Grammar Never Told You
Punctuate It Right

Ben Says:
11/27/2006 12:49:54 PM

Good one, Mignon. We've written about colon usages (among other things) here too, but, as always, you're much more eloquent about it.

Alex Says:
11/26/2006 10:49:24 PM

GG: Colons are also used in titles, after salutations, and to denote ratios, times, laws, chapters, etc. I can't see any confusion in meaning arising from, say, "Warning: Contents under pressure." I'm not sure if colons were used prior to the printing press: maybe you could address this next week? I enjoy listening to your show while cooking.

Grammar Girl Says:
11/26/2006 10:19:17 PM

I would use commas, and I would put an "and" before happiness.

There's an episode about semicolons in the queue that will provide a more detailed explaination.

William McLaughlin Says:
11/26/2006 5:10:56 AM

Podcast was, as always, quick, dirty, and enlightening.

I would like some clarification on an issue that has cropped up in my own writing, namely the use of semi-colons to replace serial commas after a colon.

He wanted three things: life; liberty; happiness. or is it He wanted three things: life, liberty, happiness.

I have seen it used both ways, but would like a definitive explanation.

Thanks,
WM

Edwin Says:
11/24/2006 10:04:54 PM

Hey Grammar Girl, your show is wonderful :)..I love it, I'm from Panama(Central America), Studying english right now here in Sweden (so far isn't it?:p). Your podcasts are so cool and very helpful, and I'm just waiting to make my owns when I'm back to Panama...(I want to promote regional tourism in my country and I think podcasting will be great)... See you next week, bye Valen :)