College Composition / Unit 8 CMP 0178 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Colons
Captions available
The idea
A colon introduces a list, a summary, an explanation or a quotation.
In practice
"Successful athletes share four qualities: ability, toughness, commitment and optimism." "The team had one goal left: to win the championship."
Where people slip
Do not put a colon between a verb and its list: "The qualities are ability and toughness" needs no colon.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Something wrong in this lesson? Flag it · Sources for College Composition