A colon is a piece of punctuation that looks like two dots stacked on top of each other (:). A colon can be used to alert the reader to the fact that a list is coming. The words before the… Read more651. Use the Colon with a List

We use a colon between the hour and the minutes when writing time. 2:13 two-thirteen4:47 four forty-seven6:00 six o’clock When writing time, a colon separates the hour from the minutes. ▶Now you try it. Place a colon where it should… Read more652. Use a Colon When Writing Time

A colon is used in math to show a ratio. A ratio is a comparison of the value of two numbers. Here is an example of a ratio: Our team has a two to one chance of winning. Our team… Read more653. Using the Colon with a Ratio

Another use of the colon is to show emphasis for a word or group of words. Look at this example:My little brother eats only one thing: carrots. Notice that the words before the colon are a complete thought. The word… Read more654. Use a Colon for Emphasis

Quotation marks (“) are placed at the beginning and at the end of words that are spoken. We often use a speech tag to tell who spoke the words. Look at this example of a quotation:“Give me liberty, or give… Read more656. Using Quotation Marks with Speech

When a sentence ends with quoted words, the end punctuation goes inside the final quotation marks.Dad said, “I’ll be home soon.” Notice how the period ending the sentence goes inside the final quotation mark. We end the sentence with a… Read more657. End Punctuation with Quotation Marks

We put quotation marks on both sides of a poem title. “Stopping by Woods on Snowy Evening”“The Road Not Taken”“O Captain! My Captain!” We also put quotation marks on both sides of a short story title:“The Tell-Tale Heart”“The Monkey’s Paw”“The… Read more658. Quotation Marks with Poems and Short Stories

We sometimes use quotation marks around a word or group of words to show emphasis. The quotation marks cause the reader to hit the word or words a little harder for emphasis. Look at this example:My mother always tells me… Read more659. Quotation Marks for Emphasis