{"id":33,"date":"2017-06-19T22:54:24","date_gmt":"2017-06-19T22:54:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/olemiss-writing100\/chapter\/colons-the-signposts\/"},"modified":"2020-04-01T12:21:28","modified_gmt":"2020-04-01T12:21:28","slug":"colons-the-signposts","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/irsc-english\/chapter\/colons-the-signposts\/","title":{"raw":"Colons: The Signposts","rendered":"Colons: The Signposts"},"content":{"raw":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\r\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Differentiate the standard uses of semicolons and colons<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Demonstrate the standard uses of colons<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\nThe colon is like a sign on the highway, announcing that something important is coming. It acts as an arrow pointing forward, telling you to read on for important information. A common analogy used to explain the colon is that it acts as a flare in the road, signaling that something meaningful lies ahead.\r\n\r\nThe colon is not just used to introduce a list; it is far more flexible. The colon can appear after the first word(s) of a sentence, just before the final word(s) of a sentence, or even between two independent clauses. It can be used to provide emphasis, to explain, or to summarize. Thus, it is one of the most powerful punctuation marks.\r\n\r\n<strong>Use the colon when you wish to provide emphasis.<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>To address this problem, we must turn to one of the biologist\u2019s most basic\u00a0tools: the petri dish.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>My grandfather, a\u00a0research scientist, gave me some critical\u00a0advice about petri dishes: don\u2019t drop them.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>Use the colon to introduce material that explains or summarizes what has preceded it.<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>The petri dish: one of the biologist\u2019s most basic\u00a0tools.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>In low-carbon steels, banding tends to affect two properties in particular: tensile ductility and yield strength.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The research is conclusive: global warming is really happening.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>Use the colon to present a list or series, particularly when there is a lot of similar material to join or when the items in the list include commas.\u00a0<\/strong>When you are using a colon in this way, the colon usually gives the idea of \"as follows\" or \"which is\/are.\" That means you should not include a colon after words like \"for example,\" or when you may be separating a verb from its object.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>A compost facility may not be located in the following: within 300 feet of an exceptional-value wetland, within 100 feet of a perennial stream, or within 50 feet of a property line.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>A backyard compost pile can process many items: fruit and vegetable scraps; crushed egg shells; spoiled soy, rice, almond, or coconut milk; loose leaf tea.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Incorrect sentence: The three primary colors are: red, blue, and yellow. (The colon is not necessary to introduce this list because the first part of the sentence is grammatically incomplete without including the colors.)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\r\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\r\nIs the colon used correctly in the following sentences? Select yes or no.\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/assessments.lumenlearning.com\/assessments\/5171\r\n\r\nUnderstanding the functions of the semicolon and colon will help you use them effectively. Remember, a semicolon connects complete ideas or items in a list that have internal commas. Colons act as signposts to alert readers to important information.\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/h5p.cwr.olemiss.edu\/h5p\/embed\/29[\/embed]\r\n\r\nReview the distinctions between semicolons and colons in the following interactive.\r\n\r\n[embed]https:\/\/lumenlearning.h5p.com\/content\/1290906746630560368\/embed[\/embed]\r\n\r\n<\/div>","rendered":"<div class=\"textbox learning-objectives\">\n<h3>Learning Objectives<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Differentiate the standard uses of semicolons and colons<\/li>\n<li>Demonstrate the standard uses of colons<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>The colon is like a sign on the highway, announcing that something important is coming. It acts as an arrow pointing forward, telling you to read on for important information. A common analogy used to explain the colon is that it acts as a flare in the road, signaling that something meaningful lies ahead.<\/p>\n<p>The colon is not just used to introduce a list; it is far more flexible. The colon can appear after the first word(s) of a sentence, just before the final word(s) of a sentence, or even between two independent clauses. It can be used to provide emphasis, to explain, or to summarize. Thus, it is one of the most powerful punctuation marks.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Use the colon when you wish to provide emphasis.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>To address this problem, we must turn to one of the biologist\u2019s most basic\u00a0tools: the petri dish.<\/li>\n<li>My grandfather, a\u00a0research scientist, gave me some critical\u00a0advice about petri dishes: don\u2019t drop them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Use the colon to introduce material that explains or summarizes what has preceded it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The petri dish: one of the biologist\u2019s most basic\u00a0tools.<\/li>\n<li>In low-carbon steels, banding tends to affect two properties in particular: tensile ductility and yield strength.<\/li>\n<li>The research is conclusive: global warming is really happening.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Use the colon to present a list or series, particularly when there is a lot of similar material to join or when the items in the list include commas.\u00a0<\/strong>When you are using a colon in this way, the colon usually gives the idea of &#8220;as follows&#8221; or &#8220;which is\/are.&#8221; That means you should not include a colon after words like &#8220;for example,&#8221; or when you may be separating a verb from its object.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A compost facility may not be located in the following: within 300 feet of an exceptional-value wetland, within 100 feet of a perennial stream, or within 50 feet of a property line.<\/li>\n<li>A backyard compost pile can process many items: fruit and vegetable scraps; crushed egg shells; spoiled soy, rice, almond, or coconut milk; loose leaf tea.<\/li>\n<li>Incorrect sentence: The three primary colors are: red, blue, and yellow. (The colon is not necessary to introduce this list because the first part of the sentence is grammatically incomplete without including the colors.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"textbox tryit\">\n<h3>Try It<\/h3>\n<p>Is the colon used correctly in the following sentences? Select yes or no.<\/p>\n<p>\t<iframe id=\"lumen_assessment_5171\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/assessments.lumenlearning.com\/assessments\/load?assessment_id=5171&#38;embed=1&#38;external_user_id=&#38;external_context_id=&#38;iframe_resize_id=lumen_assessment_5171\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border:none;width:100%;height:100%;min-height:400px;\"><br \/>\n\t<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Understanding the functions of the semicolon and colon will help you use them effectively. Remember, a semicolon connects complete ideas or items in a list that have internal commas. Colons act as signposts to alert readers to important information.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/h5p.cwr.olemiss.edu\/h5p\/embed\/29\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"500\" height=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Review the distinctions between semicolons and colons in the following interactive.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/lumenlearning.h5p.com\/content\/1290906746630560368\/embed\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"500\" height=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t <section class=\"citations-section\" role=\"contentinfo\">\n\t\t\t <h3>Candela Citations<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t <div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <div id=\"citation-list-33\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <div class=\"licensing\"><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Original<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Revision and Adaptation.. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Lumen Learning. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"license-attribution-dropdown-subheading\">CC licensed content, Shared previously<\/div><ul class=\"citation-list\"><li>Semicolons, Colons, and Dashes. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Joe Schall. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: The Pennsylvania State University. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/The%20Pennsylvania%20State%20University\">http:\/\/The%20Pennsylvania%20State%20University<\/a>. <strong>Project<\/strong>: Penn State&#039;s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences&#039; OER Initiative. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Colons. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Julie Sevastopoulos. <strong>Provided by<\/strong>: Grammar-Quizzes.. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/Grammar-Quizzes.\">http:\/\/Grammar-Quizzes.<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike<\/a><\/em><\/li><li>Semicolons and Colons. <strong>Authored by<\/strong>: Excelsior Online Writing Lab. <strong>Located at<\/strong>: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/owl.excelsior.edu\/writing-refresher\/grammar-refresher\/semicolons-colons\/\">https:\/\/owl.excelsior.edu\/writing-refresher\/grammar-refresher\/semicolons-colons\/<\/a>. <strong>License<\/strong>: <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"license\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/\">CC BY: Attribution<\/a><\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t\t <\/section>","protected":false},"author":163,"menu_order":7,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Revision and Adaptation.\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Semicolons, Colons, and Dashes\",\"author\":\"Joe Schall\",\"organization\":\"The Pennsylvania State University\",\"url\":\"The Pennsylvania State University\",\"project\":\"Penn State\\'s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences\\' OER Initiative\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Colons\",\"author\":\"Julie Sevastopoulos\",\"organization\":\"Grammar-Quizzes.\",\"url\":\"Grammar-Quizzes.\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-nc-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Semicolons and Colons\",\"author\":\"Excelsior Online Writing Lab\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/owl.excelsior.edu\/writing-refresher\/grammar-refresher\/semicolons-colons\/\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","CANDELA_OUTCOMES_GUID":"53fe12d2-d420-4778-8b49-7f1e4bc85e9d, e27b6718-19f9-4eec-8967-f30a3170a5bb, b6fb899e-577d-45d3-a499-c3f70058617d","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-33","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":23,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/irsc-english\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/33","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/irsc-english\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/irsc-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/irsc-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/163"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/irsc-english\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/33\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1511,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/irsc-english\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/33\/revisions\/1511"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/irsc-english\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/23"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/irsc-english\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/33\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/irsc-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/irsc-english\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=33"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/irsc-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=33"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/irsc-english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=33"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}