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.
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