How to Use a Colon in a Sentence

Colons are easy to master because they are only used in a few types of sentences. Here is where to use them.

Instructions

1. Use a colon to state the time. For example, 2:35 a.m.

2. Use a colon in a sentence to introduce a list of things. For example, "Abraham sent Isaac shopping for several objects: a knife, rope, gloves, mask, blindfold and lye."

3. You can use either a colon or a semicolon to introduce an explanation. For example, "Abraham told Isaac that the shopping list was nothing to worry about: he was just making his Halloween costume."

4. Use a colon in a sentence to introduce formal proclamations or quotes. For example, "The robots had one rule: kill squishy humans."

5. Only use a colon after an independent clause. An independent clause is a clause that can stand on its own as a sentence. For example, the sentence "The president wished to invade the following countries: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Cuba and France." is correct because the segment before the colon could stand as a sentence on its own. The sentence "The president invaded: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Afghanistan, Cuba and France" is not correct, because "invaded" is used as a transitive verb with "Iraq...France" as the object.

Tips & Warnings

• If the sentence is grammatical without a colon, you probably shouldn't use one. For example, "Abraham told Isaac that the shopping list was nothing to worry about because: he was just making his Halloween costume" is incorrect because the word "because" connects the two halves of the sentence without a colon.