A colon (:) is a piece of punctuation used to signal that a list is coming. It’s important to remember that the words before the colon must be a complete thought. Look at this example:We need three things for our… Read more406. Using the Colon with a List

Yesterday we talked about how a colon warns a reader that a list is coming. The important thing to remember is that you must have a complete thought before the colon and the list. Look at this sentence:I eat only… Read more407. When Not to Use a Colon for a List

When writing a business letter, the greeting is followed by a colon instead of a comma. If you know the name of the person to whom you are addressing the business letter, use their name with a colon, like this:Dear… Read more408. Use the Colon in a Business Letter Greeting

In writing, we use a colon to signal the coming of a list and after the greeting of a business letter, but there are three other uses for the colon. Writing Time: We use a colon between the hour and… Read more409. Other Uses for the Colon

The semicolon (;) is a form of stop punctuation. We use a semicolon at the end of a complete thought, just as we do with a period. A period comes at the end of a sentence. A semicolon goes in… Read more411. Using the Semi-colon

Coordinating conjunctions are sometimes referred to as the FANBOYS – For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So.We use coordinating conjunctions to join together two complete thoughts.It is raining, so practice is canceled. One complete thought: It is raining.Second complete thought:… Read more412. Semicolon Replaces a Coordinating Conjunction

When you make a list of cities, you should place commas between the cities, like this:On my summer vacation, I visited Rome, Paris, and London. However, if you choose to make a list of locations with commas already inside the… Read more413. Use Semicolons in a List of Locations

Use a dash to set off a series of items when the sentence might be confusing otherwise.The three boys – Sam, John, and Bill – were eager to get to the beach.My four cousins – ranging in age from 13… Read more414. Using the Dash