All of them approve of the use of a colon to set off phrases such as the one in your example:įor three years, I ate hamburgers: my friend's favorite food.įor three years, I ate my friend's favorite food: hamburgers.Īlternative punctuation options include an em dash:įor three years, I ate hamburgers-my friend's favorite food.įor three years, I ate hamburgers, my friend's favorite food.įor three years, I ate hamburgers (my friend's favorite food). style guides adopt essentially the same view of the colon that Oxford does. Color is a fundamental aspect of the symbols that are used to draw features, text, and graphics on maps, scenes, and layouts. It fulfills the same function as words such as namely, that is, as, for example, for instance, because, as follows, and therefore: The colon points forward: from a premise to a conclusion, from a cause to an effect, from an introduction to a main point from a general statement to an example. Using a colon to introduce an appositive at the end of a sentence is particularly.
Another way to think about is that if you cannot put a period (.) after the clause (periods only go after complete sentences), then you should not put a colon. Joining Independent Clauses A semicolon or colon joining two independent clauses signals a connection between them. A colon should only be used after an independent clause. Colons, like semicolons, should be used sparingly.
#USE OF A COLOL HOW TO#
The Oxford Guide to Style (2002) offers a usefully concise (but somewhat oddly punctuated) discussion of the colon at section 5.5: Understanding how to use colons is a great tool to have in your writing kit. Because flowers are a common gift for Mothers Day, colors such as yellow, pink, and red are used frequently. Like a semicolon, a colon can connect two independent clauses, but it has several other uses as well. The following examples use the bar and scatter functions to demonstrate the overall approach for customizing colors.