Colons

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The colon creates anticipation. It tells the reader that the information is still incomplete. Don’t hesitate to use a colon where it serves this purpose. What stands before the colon doesn’t have to be a complete sentence.

Use colons to:

introduce a list

introduce an example

introduce an explanation or elaboration of what preceded the colon

separate two clauses when the second clause explains the first

Don’t use colons at the end of headings and subheadings. Here, the formatting already does the job of creating anticipation, so you don’t need the colon. However, it sometimes makes sense to use a colon within a heading. If you must use a colon within a heading, capitalize the first word after the colon.

Place colons outside quotation marks and parentheses (international style).

Yes:

Creating a manual consists of three main tasks: structuring, designing, and writing.

Top:

Creating a manual consists of three main tasks:

structuring

designing

writing

No:

heading: How to Write a Manual

Yes:

heading: How to Write a Manual

Yes:

heading: Setting Up: A Beginner’s Guide

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Capitalization

Only capitalize the first word after the colon:

if the word starts a full sentence

if the word is a proper noun

in headings


Writing lists

Writing procedures