The Two-Dot Signpost

A tiny pair of dots can turn a crowded sentence into a clear signpost. Put it in the wrong place, though, and the sentence wobbles. So, where does a colon belong? Look for a complete thought... then a reveal.

A colon has two jobs here. The words before it make a complete clause, which could finish with a full stop. The words after it explain that clause, or open a list. Watch the colon click between the complete lead-in and the extra detail. Test the left side first. Read, "Arun brought everything he needed." It makes sense alone. Now add the list: "Arun brought everything he needed: pencils, a ruler and an eraser." The colon promises that the details are coming. If it cannot stand alone, do not use the colon there. Do not confuse the colon with an apostrophe. A colon is two dots introducing an explanation or list. An apostrophe is one raised mark. In "isn't", it shows missing letters. In "the chef's hat", it shows possession: the hat belongs to the chef.

Let's work through an example. Here is the question. Place one colon in this sentence: "Leila had one goal to finish the obstacle course." You are given one goal and its explanation. Your task is to mark the exact gap where the colon belongs. First, test the lead-in: "Leila had one goal." It has a subject, Leila, and a verb, had. It is a complete clause. That means it can stand alone, so the colon may come after "goal". The first half passes the complete-thought test. Next, check the ending: "to finish the obstacle course." That tells us what the one goal is. It explains the complete lead-in. Slide the colon into place. The answer is: "Leila had one goal: to finish the obstacle course."

Remember: complete thought first, colon second, explanation or list next. Test the left side as its own sentence, then let those two dots point forwards. You can place a colon with confidence!