Using the Colon for All It's Worth

“What is one man's colon is another man's comma.” - Mark Twain

Colons, unlike the semicolon, seem unavoidable. They appear in time (2:30 p.m.), at the beginning of letters or emails (Greetings, all:) in references (Genesis 1:2), and in title-subtitle distinctions (Spider-Man: Homecoming). And they were part of the OG smile emoji :)

But beyond their immediate utility, are they useful in everyday writing?

Absolutely.

Colons supply the writer with many functions, practical and stylistic, that help elevate your clarity and offer some literary grace without distracting the reader.

Colons provide a great usefulness for the everyday writer:

- They introduce lists (called displayed or vertical lists).

- They connect would-be sentences and phrases that lead from one to the other.

- They improve word economy.

- They create a dramatic pause-and-revelation moment for the reader.

Its raw power can intimidate, and it’s understandable. For some, it’s a matter of “With great power comes great responsibility,” and it’s easier not to fuss. Others see it as only a mechanical piece of punctuation with no useful place in writing.

As Noah Lukeman, author of A Dash of Style, wrote:

The avoidance of the colon is unfortunate since it is one of the most powerful tools in the arsenal of a creative writer.

And I’d argue, any writer.

The Colon's Superpower: It Reveals

The colon has a superpower unrivaled by any other piece of punctuation.

The colon reveals.

It’s almost as if it yells, “TA DA!” In this way, the colon says as much as any word or phrase. It’s one of the few pieces of punctuation that *adds* meaning to a sentence (closely followed by the semicolon).

This is its most stylistic role, and it’s worth using when and where you can.

e.g.: I started this company five years ago with no money and little experience, but look at it now as it employs one hundred people and has three office locations.

Did you feel any “Ta da!”?

e.g.: I started this company five years ago with no money and little experience, but look at it now: it employs one hundred people and has three office locations.

The best use of this superpower is when the preceding clause builds to a point, a sentence-level climax or crescendo. In this way, you can use it to rescue cause-and-effect sentences from the drudgery of a college paper. You can often replace “because,” when it’s joining clauses, with a colon and make it worth the reader’s while.

e.g.: Many people don’t drive because they have lost loved ones in fatal car crashes.

Many people don’t drive: they have lost loved ones in fatal car crashes.

The Colon Explains

The colon, like the semicolon, can connect two highly related would-be sentences (independent clauses). But, unlike the semicolon, the colon reveals a deeper level to their relationship: the level of “Stick around, dear reader.” In this way, the colon elucidates, or explains.

Perhaps it’s in a cause-and-effect statement:

e.g.: I shouldn’t give today’s presentation because I’m wearing my slippers after finding my dog had torn apart my shoes.

I shouldn’t give today’s presentation: I’m wearing my slippers after finding my dog had torn apart my shoes.

Or it’s a general statement to a particular one:

e.g.: My assignment today makes no sense: I need to interview someone about their views on yogurt.

Or it could be a summary to explanation:

e.g.: Learning to write well begins in the mind: you need to learn to think better about yourself as a writer, the writing process, and the reader before you can confidently navigate the sentence anew.

Regardless if what follows is a clause, phrase, or word, make sure what precedes the colon is an independent clause. You don’t want to shove a colon between a verb what follows:

X The most difficult part about entrepreneurship is: the loneliness.

? Here is the most difficult part about entrepreneurship: the loneliness.

The Colon Prepares

The colon possesses the power to reveal. It has the power to elucidate. And it has the power to prepare. In this way, the colon is often used to initiate a list. And they’re often used to prepare the reader for a displayed or vertical list.

While lists are their own animal (likely a future post), the important thing to note about colons and lists is to make sure what precedes the colon is an independent clause. In other words, don’t shove a colon between a verb or preposition and a subsequent list.

X We need to: write a job description, develop the interview team, and decide on a timeline.

X The recipe calls for: eggs, milk, flour.

X The new budget doesn’t include items such as: volleyballs, dodgeballs, and footballs.

In the above wrong examples, remove the colon. If a colon is best for clarity or the author’s purposes, add “as follows” or “the following” before the colon:

The three best ways to improve your sentences are as follows:

1. Get rid of linking verbs.

2. Prefer shorter sentences.

3. Use simple language around complex ideas.

On occasion, you can use a colon after a list that precedes the summarizing noun or phrase:

e.g.: Timeliness, organization, and astuteness: these are the qualities we are looking for.

Using the Colon for All It's Worth

The colon offers three unrivaled abilities:

It reveals.

It explains.

It prepares.

Writers need not fear using the colon in their everyday writing. But it does come with a warning label.

When newer writers taste the thrill of the colon, they seem to use it in almost every sentence. I call this the “Shaw effect.” George Bernard Shaw, among other things, was famous for overusing the colon. He often used multiple colons in a sentence, which seems rather “belt and suspenders.”

The colon provides a powerful pause. It’s not a full stop, but it’s a poignant pause that says, “Wait for it.” If it’s overused or if it reveals nothing relevant, you’ll have exhausted, let down readers.

A few thoughts on how to get the most out of using the colon:

1. Avoid using it after an independent clause that contains lots of internal punctuation. Let the reader reach it uninhibited by other punctuation to feel the full effect.

2. If a word or phrase follows a colon, keep it lowercase. A capital letter will signal a complete sentence. Capitalize when multiple sentences follow.

3. Make sure the one of the two connected ideas reveal or summarize the other.

X My computer crashed while I was giving a presentation: I hope they enjoyed the coffee.

? You'll never guess what happened at today's meeting: my computer crashed while I was giving the presentation.