When using a colon to join two clauses,
capitalize the first word of the clause after the colon if it is a complete sentence
(American Psychological Association [APA], 2020, p.
Do you capitalize the first letter after semicolon?
Do not capitalize the first word in a list after a semicolon unless the word is a proper noun
, e.g., During Julie’s vacation, she visited many Canadian cities, including St. … Capitalize an author’s name after a semicolon in a multi-author citation, e.g., (Brown & Lee, 2010; Johnson & Smith, 2009).
In which sentence is a colon used correctly?
A colon instead of a semicolon may be used between independent clauses when the second sentence explains, illustrates, paraphrases, or expands on the first sentence. Example:
He got what he worked for
: he really earned that promotion.
What are the rules for using a colon?
The hard and fast rule is that
a colon must ALWAYS follow a complete sentence
. Do not use a colon after a sentence fragment, ever. A colon is used after a full sentence or independent clause to introduce something that illustrates, clarifies, or amplifies what was said in the sentence that preceded the colon.
Do you start with a capital letter after a colon?
A colon is nearly always preceded by a complete sentence
; what follows the colon may or may not be a complete sentence, and it may be a mere list or even a single word. A colon is not normally followed by a capital letter in British usage, though American usage often prefers to use a capital.
What are the three semicolon rules?
- Use a semicolon to connect (put together) two related, or similar, sentences. …
- Use a semicolon to join two related, or similar, sentences when using a conjunctive adverb. …
- Use a semicolon to connect items in a list if there are already commas in the sentence.
What are some examples of semicolons?
Examples of Semicolons: Joan likes eggs; Jennifer does not.
The cat slept through the storm
; the dog cowered under the bed. Semicolons are also used in a sentence when something stronger than a comma is needed.
When should you use a semicolon instead of a comma?
Rule to Remember
Use a semicolon to replace a comma
when you use a coordinating conjunction to link independent clauses that already contain commas
. In this example, using a semicolon makes it easier to read the two independent clauses on either side of the coordinating conjunction: Correct: My dog is sick.
When should you not use a colon answers?
1. Do not use a colon in a
complete sentence after phrases such as “such as,” “including,” and “for example
.” Because phrases like these already indicate to the reader that a list of examples will follow, there is no need to introduce them with a colon, which would merely be redundant.
Can you use a colon and semicolon in the same sentence?
Colons and semicolons
can be used in the same sentence
, but they are each used for different purposes. … In this example, the colon is used to introduce the cities. Semicolons are used to separate each city and state from the next city and state in the list.
What Does a colon do in grammar?
Colons are
punctuation marks used to signal when what comes next is directly related to the previous sentence
. They are used after complete sentences. It is especially important to remember that a colon is not used after a sentence fragment.
What is the difference between a semicolon and a colon?
The primary use of semicolons is to join two main clauses. The difference between semicolons and colons is that
colons can combine two independent clauses
, but their primary use is to join independent clauses with a list or a noun.
Do you use a colon when listing things?
To introduce a list. The problem is that not all lists need to be introduced by a colon. … This means that no colon is needed and it would be incorrect to use one before the list. So if you have a list,
remember you only use a colon before it if the list follows a clause that could be used on its own
.
How do you use a colon in academic writing?
- To announce, introduce, or direct attention to a list, a noun or noun phrase, a quotation, or an example/explanation. …
- To join sentences.
Can you use 3 semicolons in one sentence?
Yes
, semicolons can be used to connect three, or more, related independent clauses.
What are () called in English?
They can also be used in mathematical expressions. For example, 2{1+[23-3]}=x.
Parentheses
( () ) are curved notations used to contain further thoughts or qualifying remarks. However, parentheses can be replaced by commas without changing the meaning in most cases.
