Colons and Semicolons
Learn about colons and semicolons, their uses, and how they differ.
What are colons?
The colon (:) is a punctuation mark we use to introduce information or emphasize a particular clause. Colons are used to indicate lists, quotations, and examples.
- Example → “I have four favorite fruits: pomegranates, blackberries, mangos, and dragonfruit.”
- Example → “Frederick Douglass once wrote: ‘Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.’”
- Example → “She loves only one city: New York.”
We can also use colons to separate two independent clauses in order to emphasize the second clause.
- Example → “It is a dark and stormy night: we need to go inside now.”
- Example → “He never participates in group projects: no one likes him.”
- Example → “I looked at the sunset: it was beautiful.”