Punctuation is a system of symbols used in a written language. Identical punctuation marks in different languages are placed differently and have different meaning. In general, they are necessary to structure written speech, because there are no pauses or intonations that we could say out loud in a normal situation.
A colon is a punctuation mark that is placed inside a sentence. Why do you need a colon? It means that the parts between which it is placed are related to each other or differ from each other. The colon is used in both simple and complex sentences and is intended to focus attention on what follows it.
Why do you need a colon in writing?
- When listing, a colon must be placed after the generalizing word “How many types of sweets were there in that store: chocolate, toffee, caramel, marmalade, cotton candy, cinnamon rolls.”
- Why do you need a colon? An essay, if you are writing it based on a literary work, often requires quotations from the original source. In sentences with direct speech, a colon separates the words of the author and direct speech. “I took a long pause and said: “He’s gone forever, he’ll never come back here again.” When inserting a quotation from a text into your essay, use a colon and then quotation marks.
- In complex sentences, a colon is used if one of the simple sentences explains or adds another “He knew that the killer was still in the room, he had reasons for this: there were traces in the entire room, except for the doors.”
So, if you need to write an argumentative essay about why a colon is needed, you can explain that it is necessary to emphasize any parts of the sentence that differ from the main text. This is a listing of homogeneous members of a sentence after a generalizing word, highlighting direct speech, explaining one sentence to another. What is the difference between a dot and a dash and
§ 159. A colon is placed before the listing that ends the sentence:
1. If the enumeration is preceded by a generalizing word (and often, in addition, other words, for example, somehow, namely), for example:
Cossacks rose from everywhere: from Chigirin, from Pereyaslav, from Baturin, from Glukhov, from the lower side of the Dnieper and from all its Berkhovii and islands.
Gogol
Familiar details appeared: deer antlers, shelves with books, a mirror, a stove with an air vent that should have been repaired long ago, my father’s sofa, a large table on the table open book, a broken ashtray, a notebook with his handwriting.
L. Tolstoy
Beats with a sharp edge big fish, such as: pike, catfish, asp, pike perch.
S. Aksakov
2. If there is no generalizing word before the listing, but it is necessary to warn the reader that some kind of list follows, for example:
From under the hay one could see a samovar, a tub of ice cream, and some other attractive bundles and boxes.
L. Tolstoy
§ 160. A colon is placed before an enumeration located in the middle of a sentence if the enumeration is preceded by a generalizing word or words such as, for example, for example:
And all this: the river, and the willow twigs, and this boy - reminded me of the distant days of childhood.
Perventsev
I visited Largest cities USSR, namely: Moscow, Leningrad, Baku, Kyiv - and returned to the Urals.
For the dash after the enumeration, located in the middle of the sentence after the colon, see § 174, paragraph 3, note.
§ 161. A colon is placed after a sentence, followed by one or more sentences not connected to the first by means of conjunctions and containing:
a) clarification or disclosure of the content of what is said in the first sentence, for example:
I was not mistaken: the old man did not refuse the offered glass.
Pushkin
Moreover, the worries of her large family constantly tormented her: either the feeding of the infant did not go well, then the nanny left, then, as now, one of the children fell ill.
L. Tolstoy
Here a rather interesting picture opened up: a wide hut, the roof of which rested on two completed pillars, was full of people.
Lermontov
b) the basis, the reason for what is said in the first sentence, for example:
You won’t be able to catch up with the crazy troika: the horses are well-fed, strong, and lively.
Nekrasov
It was not for nothing that the Greek gods recognized the irresistible power of fate over themselves: fate was that dark boundary beyond which the consciousness of the ancients did not cross.
Belinsky
§ 162. A colon is placed between two sentences that are not connected by means of conjunctions, if in the first sentence, with such verbs as see, look, hear, know, feel, etc., a warning is made that what will follow is a statement of some fact or what -description, for example:
And then the beacon keeper and the Kyrgyz assistant see: two boats are floating along the river.
A. N. Tolstoy
I crawled along thick grass along the ravine, I look: the forest has ended, several Cossacks are driving out of it into a clearing, and then my Karagez jumps out straight to them...
Lermontov
Finally, we climbed Mount Gud, stopped and looked back: a gray cloud hung on it, and its cold breath threatened a nearby storm...
Lermontov
I know: in your heart there is both pride and direct honor.
Pushkin
Pavel feels that someone's fingers are touching his arm above the elbow.
N. Ostrovsky
But (without a hint of warning):
I hear the earth shake.
Nekrasov
§ 163. A colon is placed after a sentence introducing direct speech, in particular a direct question or exclamation, for example:
They were silent for two minutes, but Onegin approached her and said: “You wrote to me, don’t deny it.”
Pushkin
At the end of the work, Peter asked Ibrahim; "Do you like the girl with whom you danced the minuet at the last assembly?"
Pushkin
And I thought: “What a heavy and lazy fellow he is!”
Chekhov
Note. The group of sentences that contain direct speech should be distinguished from complex sentences with a subordinate clause: a comma is placed before the subordinate clause, as usual, and at the end of it - a sign required by the nature of the entire complex sentence, for example:
I thought about what a heavy and lazy fellow he was.
I tried to remember where I was on this day exactly a year ago.
Will he again remind you of what happened a year ago? How hard it is to remember what happened on that terrible day!
Dash or colon. Colon or dash. Some people always want to put a dash, others prefer a colon. No one seems to remember the rules. But they exist. Let's deal with dashes and colons in complex non-union proposal(these are those where there is no conjunction or allied word between the parts of the sentence, but they are connected by intonation).
For those preparing for the main school exam
When to use a colon
Right: PIRLS results showed: Russian schoolchildren read the best
You can’t do without serious rules here. But they are really not as difficult to remember as it might seem on the first line of this text. In the non-union complex sentence A colon is placed if the second sentence complements the first and it is quite possible to put the conjunction “what” between them. The following verbs can also be a hint: see, look, hear, understand, recognize, feel, and so on. If there is something similar in the first part, then it is secret sign, that here you still need to reluctantly cross out (or delete with a key) the dash and put a colon. And after the colon there will most likely be a description of what someone saw/heard or a fact. By the way, find out what PIRLS is and why Russian schoolchildren read better than anyone else -.
Right: In Russian there is a dilemma: put a dash or put a colon
And the truth is that there is still a dilemma. But if the second sentence explains, clarifies what is written in the first part, then it’s time for a colon. You can check with the conjunctions “namely” or “that is.”
Right: Volodya slept through the first lesson: he watched TV series all night
Well, the third case is when you need to put a colon instead of a dash. Probably the simplest. If in the second part of the sentence the reason for what happened in the first is stated, there is a time for a colon (we often put a dash, but we will explain why below). You can check with the conjunction “because”. Yes, you guessed it, all colons and dashes can be checked by conjunctions. Therefore, remember the conjunctions. This is how you will become literate.
When to use a dash (more often than a colon)
Right: Schoolchildren will do poorly on the Unified State Exam - everyone will start scolding the organizers again
It may seem to some that rule number 2 of colons is quite suitable here: the second part clarifies the first. But no. Here the first part expresses the meaning of time or condition. And you can check with conjunctions “when” or “if”, only they need to be substituted not between parts of a complex sentence, but at the beginning of the first: if schoolchildren do poorly on the Unified State Exam, everyone will again begin to scold the organizers. And no, that won't happen. Everyone will definitely pass everything well. We believe.
Right: I have innate literacy - I passed the Unified State Exam in Russian with 100 points
Everyone would like such literacy. But for now we have to read Rosenthal (or “Literacy at the Chalk”). And here it’s even easier to confuse it with a colon. That seems to explain the reason. But it’s unlikely that innate literacy is because someone passed the Russian language with 100 points. Quite the opposite. If the second part of the sentence expresses the meaning of some result or consequence, put a dash. From the conjunctions you will have to remember: “so”, “therefore”, “as a result of which”.
Right: It's cold outside - the kids still went to school
The harsh truth about the life of children somewhere in Yakutia. And a dash is also used when one thing is opposed to another. You can check with the most popular conjunctions “a” and “but”. Are they suitable? So, draw a line.
Right: Veronica watched films only in English - that’s how she learned the language
Well done Veronica, but in the meantime we’ll tell you a little more about the “result”. This case of placing a dash slightly overlaps with the example above about innate literacy. Both there and there in the second part of the sentence are a consequence and result of the first. Only here we still have a few cheat words that may appear in the second part: “so”, “such” or “this”.
Right: The bell rang - and there was no one left in the class
Here, in general, is also the result. And you can even rejoice: where in the second part there is some result of the first or its continuation, you can put a dash! And additional clues can be the conjunction “and”, which can be placed between the parts, or the words “suddenly”, “immediately”, “suddenly”.
Photo: still from the film “The Diamond Arm”
The colon is one of the punctuation marks in the Russian language, which is usually placed either in complex sentences with a non-union connection between predicative parts, or in sentences where there are homogeneous members expressed by any part of speech.
The placement of a colon in the Russian language is governed by the following rules:
1. A colon is placed before the listing that ends the sentence (the enumeration is usually expressed homogeneous members, which relate to one general concept). For example:
- He saw funny faces from everywhere: from stumps and logs, from tree branches barely trembling with leaves, from colorful herbs and forest flowers.
- Everything here seemed familiar to me: the creative chaos on the table, the randomly pasted posters on the walls, and the CDs lying around everywhere.
- In this forest you can even meet predators, such as wolves, foxes, and sometimes bears.
- Lying on the table in disarray school supplies: notebooks, textbooks, sheets of paper and pencils.
2. In sentences with enumeration, it is also appropriate to put a colon in in that case, if there is no general word. Then this punctuation mark acts as a signal that the enumeration follows. For example:
- Around the corner appeared: a short-haired girl in a short dress, a funny toddler with plump legs and a couple of older boys.
3. A colon is placed in a sentence before the listing if before it there is a generalizing word or words “like that”, “namely”, “for example”:
- And all this: the river, and the bars of the rope climber, and this boy - reminded me distant days childhood (Perventsev).
4. A colon is placed after one of the parts of a non-union complex sentence, which will be followed by one or more other parts. Naturally, in this case no alliances are assumed. The semantic connections between the predicative parts in a non-union complex sentence with a colon can be as follows:
a) Explanation, clarification, disclosure of the meaning of the first part, for example:
- She was not mistaken: the guy really turned out to be Peter.
- Moreover, the worries of a large family constantly tormented her: feeding infant it didn’t go well, then the nanny left, then, like now, one of the children fell ill (L. Tolstoy).
- It turned out that this was the case: he stirred the soup, but forgot to remove the pan from the heat.
b) The reason for what happened in the first part. For example:
- You won’t be able to catch up with the crazy troika: the horses are well-fed, and strong, and lively (Nekrasov).
- It’s not for nothing that I didn’t see a future husband in you: you were always secretive and cold.
5. If two sentences are combined into one without the help of conjunctions, then a colon is placed between them if if the first sentence contains the words “see”, “hear”, “look”, “know”, “feel”, and the following sentences reveal the meaning of these words (thus, the first sentence warns what will be said in the subsequent ones). For example:
- And then the beacon keeper and the Kyrgyz assistant see: two boats are floating along the river (A. N. Tolstoy).
- I crawled through the thick grass along the ravine, I saw: the forest ended, several Cossacks were leaving it into a clearing, and then my Karagyoz jumped out straight to them... (Lermontov).
- Finally we climbed to the very top, stopped to rest and looked around: the heavens opened up before us.
- Pavel feels: someone’s fingers are touching his arm above the elbow (N. Ostrovsky);
- I understood: you are not a match for my daughter.
But (without a hint of warning):
- I see you are not as simple as you seem.
6. A colon is placed in sentences introducing direct speech, after the words of the author. For example:
- They were silent for two minutes, but Onegin approached her and said: “You wrote to me, don’t deny it” (Pushkin).
- The cat looked at me as if she wanted to ask: “And who are you to tell me?”
- And I thought: “What a heavy and lazy fellow he is!” (Chekhov).
Note. A group of sentences with direct speech, where the hero’s words are introduced directly, should be distinguished from groups of sentences with indirect speech. In them, the hero’s words are introduced using auxiliary parts of speech, as a rule, conjunctions or allied words (“which”, “what”, “than”, etc.), and not a colon, but a comma. For example:
- I thought about what a great person he really is.
- I didn't know what to do in the evening.
- Will he again remind you of what happened a year ago?
Lists allow you to beautifully structure the text, focus the reader’s attention on something, highlight an important idea, in a word, their use in an article is good. But one small thing remains: competent design. Let's deal with punctuation marks and other difficulties.
Most often, consistency is broken. Each listing item must be in the same gender, case and number, and also agree with the generalizing word before the list. For example, it is incorrect:
- washing, brushing teeth,
- make the bed
- cooking breakfast,
- to drink coffee.
It's more correct like this:
What to do in the morning before going to work:
- wash your face, brush your teeth,
- make the bed,
- Make a breakfast,
- to drink coffee.
So, remember to ask one question per point and check for grammatical consistency.
How to label list elements?
Our exchange functionality offers two options: numbered and bulleted lists. However, there are three options for dividing multi-level lists:
- the highest level is indicated by a capital letter with a dot or a Roman numeral with a dot (I. or A.);
- middle level - Arabic numeral with a dot (1.);
- the lowest level - with a marker, a lowercase letter with a bracket or a number with a bracket (a), 1), etc.).
Accordingly, if you want to introduce a multi-level list into an article, it will look something like this:
We love spring for many reasons:
- Everything really comes to life:
- nature,
- birds.
- You can finally get your favorite things:
- light jackets,
- sneakers.
Which letter should you start listing items with: lowercase or capital?
Essentially, the same rules of punctuation apply to the design of lists as to regular sentences. If an enumeration item is preceded by a number or a dotted letter, it must begin with a capital letter, like a new sentence. For example:
My plans for today were simple:
- Get a good night's sleep.
- Order from your nearest food delivery service for the whole day.
- Invite a friend over to watch a movie.
Also, if the clauses are separate sentences rather than parts of one, then each clause will begin with a capital letter and end with a period (more on this below).
What punctuation mark should I put before a list?
The list may be preceded by a period or colon.Colon– after a generalizing word or phrase indicating what follows next, i.e. the offer will be divided. A colon may be added if the elements begin with a capital letter.In other cases, a period is put. For example:
I really wanted to do two things today:
- go to a concert
- sleep peacefully.
Punctuation marks after listing items
At the end of each enumeration element is placed:
— dot– if parts of the list are separate sentences. And, as mentioned above, each paragraph begins with a capital letter;
Example . St. Petersburg is a wonderful city!
- White nights are filled with romance.
- The drawbridges are fascinating.
- Many architectural monuments.
— comma– if the list elements are simple, i.e. consist of one or more words, begin with a lowercase letter, and do not contain punctuation marks inside. However, it is permissible to format such clauses with a semicolon;
Example . Options for getting to the city:
- train,
- airplane,
- hitch-hiking.
— semicolon– if the listing items begin with a lowercase letter, there are punctuation marks inside them, several sentences are included in one item.
Example – this enumeration list.
