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chapter8.3g
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à 8.3èThe Colon
ä:èIn the sentences in the Example, underline the ones
which correctly use a colon.
âS:
èTo supplement his income, he added: stocks, bonds, and an IRA.
èI know that you agree with: Dick, Joe, and Margaret.
#è╕They decided to do three things: box, play tennis, and pull weeds╗.
#╕╕╗è╕I am sure of one thing: Jackie is proud of her peacock╗.╗
éS A colon's primary function is to introduce a list of items.
But in doing so, there must be a complete thought preceding the colon.
The material after the colon can be one or more fragments and/or one
#or more independent clauses.ïFor example, in ╖My father liked three
#╖main dishes: pizza, rib roast, and scallops, My father liked three
#╖main dishes╗ is a complete thought that precedes the colon, followed
by the series of food items.ïAnother use of the colon is to indicate
that a very important piece of information is to be emphasized.ïFor
#example, in ╖There is only one way to get ahead in life: outwit your
#╖rivals╗, a colon is put before ╖outwit your rivals╗ in order to high-
light its importance.ïA comma could be used instead of the colon, but
for extra emphasis, the colon is preferred.
1.èWhich one of the following sentences appropriately uses
a colon?
A)ïLast week I saw: two turtle doves, three turkeys, and four muskrats.
B)ïShe was delighted with: new shoes, new hose, and a new closet.
C)ïSteve was ashamed of three things that happened to him: getting a
è divorce, going bankrupt, and losing his job.
D)ïå
ü In the sentence itemizing the three bad things that happened to
Steve, the colon is used correctly.ïIt comes after a complete thought,
#consisting of the independent clause ╢Steve was ashamed of three things╗
#and an adjective dependent clause ╢that happened to him╗.ïAnd following
#the colon is a series of three gerund phrases: ╢getting a divorce, going
#╢bankrupt, and losing his job.╗ïIn another sentence, the colon is inef-
#fectively used because it follows ╖the last week I saw╗, an incomplete
thought that requires a direct object.ïRemove the semicolon so that
#the three direct objects in the series (╖two turtle doves, three tur-
#╖keys, and four muskrats╗) can complete the thought.ïIn the remaining
sentence, a colon incorrectly separates the three objects of a prepo-
#sition (╖shoes, hose, ╗and ╖closet╗) from their preposition ╖in╗.ï╖She
#╖was delighted with╗ is not a complete thought unless it is followed by
an object of the preposition.ïOmit the colon to correct the sentence.
Ç C
2.èWhich one of the following appropriately uses a colon?
A)ïHis study consisted of the following items: a crumbling table:
è a torn chair: and a gouged desk.
B)ïI perceive two flaws in your theory: my cat was not transformed into
è a rat, and a password is not encoded into my calculator.
C)ïI would like to visit: Jamaica, Senegal, and Morocco.
D)ïå
#ü The sentence beginning with ╢my cat╗ and ending with ╢my calcula-
#╢tor╗ demonstrates the correct use of the colon.ïA complete thought,
#the independent clause ╢I perceive two flaws in your theory╗, precedes
the colon.ïAfter the colon come two items in a series, one beginning
#with ╢my cat╗ and the other with ╢a password╗.ïIn another sentence, the
#first colon is correctly used after the complete thought ╖his study
#╖consisted of the following items.╗ïBut putting colons after the first
and second items is incorrect.ïSubstitute two commas for the two
colons.ïIn the remaining sentence, the colon incorrectly separates
#the infinitive ╖to visit╗ from its objects ╖Jamaica, Senegal,╗ and ╖
#╖Morocco╗.ïRemove the colon, and the sentence becomes complete.
Ç B
3.ïWhich one of the following sentences appropriately uses
a colon?
A)ïThere is only one course left for us to take: invade the mainland.
B)ïInvestigate his: maid, wife, and bridge partner.
C)ïAre you going to stay here because you are: too cowardly to move
è or too attached to your landlady?
D)ïå
ü To emphasize an important point, a colon is correctly used in
#front of ╢invade the mainland╗.ïAppropriately a complete thought, ╢
#╢there is only one course left for us to take╗, precedes the colon.ïIn
#another sentence, a colon wrongly separates ╖maid, wife, ╗and ╖bridge
#╖partner╗ from the possessive pronoun ╖his╗, acting as the adjective
that modifies them.ïOmit the colon, and the thought is complete.ïIn
the remaining sentence, the colon inappropriately separates the two
#predicate adjectives ╖cowardly╗ and ╖attached╗ from ╖you╗, the pronoun
they refer to.ïOmit the colon, and the sentence becomes a complete
thought.
Ç A