{"id":8848,"date":"2024-02-23T13:29:05","date_gmt":"2024-02-23T21:29:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/learningcommons\/?p=8848"},"modified":"2024-12-11T12:21:21","modified_gmt":"2024-12-11T20:21:21","slug":"colons-and-introductions-explanations-and-elaboration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/create.twu.ca\/learningcommons\/2024\/02\/23\/colons-and-introductions-explanations-and-elaboration\/","title":{"rendered":"Colons and Introductions, Explanations, and Elaboration"},"content":{"rendered":"

Elaboration and Explanation<\/h3>\n

The colon is mainly a mark of\u00a0introduction<\/em><\/strong>: It signals that the words following will\u00a0explain or amplify<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0the meaning of the preceding clause.<\/p>\n

A colon is always preceded by a complete main clause\u2014one containing a subject and predicate and not starting with a subordinating word.<\/p>\n

Be aware of a common mistake that arises when using a colon to join two clauses: If the information following the colon would be a complete sentence on its own, it must begin with a capital letter.<\/p>\n

Examples:<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Hydrology has a deceptively simple definition: the study of water.<\/em><\/li>\n
  • A more precise definition might be the following: the study of the movement of water on or over land, its flows and gathers, its evaporations and condensations, its interactions with landforms like deltas and coastlines.<\/em><\/li>\n
  • Canada has one salient feature: namely, the longest coastline.<\/em><\/li>\n
  • The plot is founded on deception: The protagonist has a secret identity.<\/em><\/li>\n
  • The test was in three minutes: I had to run to class.<\/em><\/li>\n
  • The evidence could only mean one thing: The butler was guilty.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Introducing Lists<\/h3>\n

    A colon can also be used to\u00a0introduce a list<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0of items but not if the list is grammatically essential to the wording of the sentence.<\/p>\n

    Examples:<\/h3>\n
      \n
    • Incorrect:<\/strong>\u00a0The three assigned topics for your essay on\u00a0<\/em>Infinite Jest\u00a0are: tennis, lenses, and mathematics.<\/em><\/li>\n
    • Correct:<\/strong>\u00a0These are the three assigned topics for your essay on\u00a0<\/em>Infinite Jest: tennis, lenses, and mathematics.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      More Examples:<\/h3>\n
        \n
      • The musicology syllabus includes three genres: jazz, blues, and hip-hop.<\/em><\/li>\n
      • Canada has long coastal boundaries on three oceans: the Pacific, the Arctic, and the Atlantic.<\/em><\/li>\n
      • There are three types of people in the world: those who can count and those who can\u2019t.<\/em><\/li>\n
      • In the drawer I found two things: a letter and a yellow notebook.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        \t\t\t\/*! elementor – v3.19.0 – 07-02-2024 *\/
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        Your Turn: Test Your Understanding<\/h5>\n

        Think you have a grasp of the information above? Test yourself!<\/p>\n