Colons — Digital SAT Reading & Writing practice
When a colon is allowed and what it introduces.
Key ideas to know
Colon After Independent Clause
Choose the correct punctuation for the blank: The chef prepared three dishes ______ pasta, risotto, and tiramisu.
A colon is correct because it follows a complete independent clause and introduces a list that specifies what the dishes are.
Watch out: Do not place a colon after a verb or preposition like are or including. The clause before the colon must stand alone as a complete sentence.
Colon After a Verb Error
Identify the error: The ingredients include: flour, sugar, and eggs. How should this sentence be corrected?
Remove the colon. A colon cannot follow a verb like include. Change to: The ingredients include flour, sugar, and eggs.
Watch out: Students often think colons always introduce lists, but they must follow a complete independent clause, not a verb or preposition.
What Follows a Colon
True or False: The part after a colon must always be a complete, independent sentence. Explain your reasoning.
False. What follows a colon can be a fragment (like a list) or a complete sentence, as long as the first part is an independent clause.
Watch out: Do not assume the colon requires a full sentence after it. Fragments work fine when they directly explain or list items from the first clause.
Colon vs. Semicolon Rule
Choose the correct colon usage: A) The chef listed three items: pasta, rice, and beans. B) The chef listed three items; pasta, rice, and beans. C) The chef listed three items, pasta, rice, and beans.
A is correct. The second part explains or specifies the first independent clause, which a colon requires. B uses a semicolon before a fragment, and C creates a run-on.
Watch out: A colon only works when the second part directly explains, illustrates, or lists items from the first clause. Unrelated statements need a period or semicolon instead.