Name: Date: Period

G9-12.ECRS.B10-C: Colons: Emphasizing Important Information

Introduction:
Colons are versatile punctuation marks. A colon can help to improve the effectiveness of your sentence by
emphasizing important information.
Link to the ECRS: Recognize inappropriate use of colons and semicolons (COP24D)

Key Information:
A colon (:) has many purposes. It can mark time, indicate the chapter and verse of a biblical reference, explain a
mathematical ratio, or punctuate the salutation of a business letter, as in the following examples:
1:00 a.m. (time)
Proverbs 8:22-31 (biblical reference)
10:1 (ratio)
To Whom It May Concern: (business letter)
President Obama:
One other way a colon function in your writing is to emphasize or give special importance to a portion of a
sentence. A colon signals that you want to put emphasis on what comes after it.

One basketball team dominated the 1990s: The Chicago Bulls.

The sentence begins with an independent clause, is punctuated with a colon, and contains a second clause that
expands upon, clarifies or illustrates the first clause. It adheres to a rule: Only use colons after statements that are
complete sentences (independent clauses). Do not use a colon after a dependent clause/incomplete sentence.

As a reader, when you see a colon, you can expect an explanation or definition to follow. A good way to check
your colon use is to replace the punctuation mark with a comma and the word namely, which means, that is to
say or to be specific. If you can do that, youve probably made the right choice with the colon.

NOTE: If another independent clause comes after a colon, it must begin with a capital letter. Otherwise, use a
lowercase letter after the colon.

The Basics:
Read each sentence pair. Then, circle the correctly punctuated sentence.
Example: a. For her birthday, Sandra only wanted one thing: a puppy.
b. Sandra only wanted: a puppy.
1. a. Julie saw a: unicorn.
b. Julie saw the strangest thing on her way to the store: a unicorn.

2. a. The school district has two priorities: increasing student attendance and improving test scores.
b. The school district has: two priorities, to increase student attendance and improve test scores.

3. a. Shondrea found one part of the Field Museum most interesting: the mass extinction exhibit.
b. Shondrea: found one part of the Field Museum most interesting, the mass extinction exhibit.




Practice:
Add colons where necessary to add emphasis in the following sentences. (Stuck? Try using the word namely
in place of the colon to see if it makes sense.)

Example:
J.K. Rowling is the creator of one of the most famous wizards in history Harry Potter.
:

1. For dessert, she ate her favorite ice cream : rocky road.
2. One class will haunt me forever : algebra.
3. It is true : Uncle Carlos is going to visit soon.
4. When she was a baby, Elizabeth only ate two things: peas and noodles.

Writing Connection:
Fill in the remainder of the sentences after each colon.
EXAMPLE I just heard the strangest thing when I opened my brothers bedroom door: silence.

1. The students lingered by the door in anticipation of the announcement: its taco tuesday___.
2. Our neighborhood values two things: peace and quiet___.
3. There is only one way out of the building: out the front door____.
4. Bens band received its first review: it was pretty good___.
5. Yesterday, I faced my greatest fear: I had to climb a mountain_____.

How it looks on the EPAS (EXPLORE, PLAN or ACT):
Certain words and/or phrases below are underlined and numbered. In the
right-hand column, you will find alternatives for the underlined part. If the
original version is best, choose NO CHANGE.

In five minutes more the cloud of bewilderment dissolved: I knew
[1]
quite well that I was in my own bed, and that the red glare was the

nursery fire. It was night a candle burnt on the table. Bessie stood at
[2]
the bed-foot with a basin in her hand, and a gentleman sat in a chair

near my pillow, leaning over me. I scrutinized the face of the

gentleman. I knew him it was Mr. Lloyd, an apothecary, sometimes

called in by Mrs. Reed when the servants were ailing.
1. A. NO CHANGE
B. dissolved,
C. dissolved: and
D. dissolved

1. A. NO CHANGE
B. It was night,
C. It was night:
D. It was: night

2. A. NO CHANGE
B. him: it was Mr. Lloyd
C. him, it was Mr Lloyd
D. him it was: Mr Lloyd


Whats the Rule?
Colons can emphasize important information__. Only use colons after independent clauses___.