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LennyLen Posted 21 years ago
Grammar

Query on use of colon

I have recently been debating with several people on the usage of the colon.

They maintain that a colon can only be used when following a complete sentence, which has also been claimed by people on this forum (searching the forum found the following results: [url=]result 1[/url], [url=]result 2[/url], [url=]result 3[/url]).

However, none of the people who answered in those threads cited any references which backed up their claim, and I have not been able to find any myself. I have looked through the two books I have on the English Language (H W Fowler - Fowler's Modern English Usage, J A Kahn, The Right Word At The Right Time: A Guide to the Englsh Language and How to Use It), and have also tried googling for websites using the terms 'english colon use'. I have been unable to find a single source that states that a colon must follow a complete sentence.

Can anybody tell me of such a source?

[edit]p.s. Can anyone tell me why my bbcode got all screwed up?[/edit]
  

Top answer

I repaired this. Does it look right to you, Lenny Len? They maintain that a colon can only be used when following a complete sentence, which has also been claimed by people on this forum (searching the forum found the following results: see posts-- , , However, none of the people who answered in those threads cited any references which backed up their claim, and I have not been able to find any myself.

— Davkett

  • I repaired this.
  • Does it look right to you, Lenny Len?
  • They maintain that a colon can only be used when following a complete sentence, which has also been claimed by people on this forum (searching the forum found the following results: see posts-- , , However, none of the people who answered in those threads cited any references which backed up their claim, and I have not been able to find any myself.
  • I have looked through the two books I have on the English Language (H W Fowler - Fowler's Modern English Usage, J A Kahn, The Right Word At The Right Time: A Guide to the Englsh Language and How to Use It), and have also tried googling for websites using the terms 'english colon use'.
  • I have been unable to find a single source that states that a colon must follow a complete sentence.
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5 Answers
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I repaired this. Does it look right to you, Lenny Len?

They maintain that a colon can only be used when following a complete sentence, which has also been claimed by people on this forum (searching the forum found the following results:

see posts--

, ,

However, none of the people who answered in those threads cited any references which backed up their claim,
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Hi,

First, I must admit that I'm too lazy to look at the extensive references you have provided! Instead, I'd just like to agree with your opinion.

In defence of my laziness, I'd like to say that I simply find it very odd to suggest that a colon can only be used when following a complete sentence. Surely a colon follows a clause?

I checked
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Clive may be lazy, Emotion: wink, but he's still right!
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