Colons and Semicolons: The SPICY Punctuation Marks

Colons and semicolons are spicy punctuation. If commas and periods are salt and pepper, then colons and semicolons are cayenne pepper. Here’s why: You can usually get on OK without ever using a colon or semicolon in your writing. Just like most recipes—even the ones that call for it—won’t necessarily be ruined if you don’t add cayenne pepper (and in some cases, they definitely will be ruined if you do add too much in). But when the situation calls for it, sprinkling in just a few colons and semicolons adds some beautiful, grammatically interesting spice to your writing, seasoning it well so your audience really gets a chance to savor its brilliance.

The key, of course, is to use these dramatic punctuation marks effectively! Too many of either can be a little annoying because they pause the reader more than a comma would. But just the right amount gives good rhythm and clarity to writing.

But what’s all this about rhythm? For some people, reading is almost like listening to music, because they process information audibly, so they’re actually reading the words out loud in their heads. For those folks, punctuation marks make all the difference. They might hear a comma as a one-beat pause and a semicolon as two. Maybe a colon is three beats (those stop us in our tracks a bit more than a semicolon), and a period is a full stop—it might be four beats. Using punctuation marks affects the rhythm and flow of the sentence, and you can create a very interesting “song” by using them effectively and mixing things up beyond the expected commas and periods.

Of course, like most grammatical concepts, people disagree quite a lot about when and how often you should use colons and semicolons. Some writers disdain using them at all because there are other ways of structuring a sentence, so why bother? Others, however, adore these quirky punctuation marks and appreciate the variety and clarity they provide. So it’s really up to you how often you actually use them when you write, but it’s important to understand when it might be appropriate to insert one or the other so that you have options. And you certainly don’t want to use one the wrong way, so there are some important pitfalls to watch out for!

Personally, I think a well-placed colon or semicolon is beautiful and is a mark of respect from the writer to the reader. When I come across one, I think, “Why, yes, I do understand why you used this rare punctuation mark; thank you for trusting me to interpret your lovely writing correctly!”

SIDE NOTE: All of the example sentences in this post are about my pup, Churchill, so I thought you should get a reference picture so you know who I’m talking about. Here’s one that my husband took of him snoozin’ with his toy dragon:

OK, now that you’ve seen how cute he is, we can move on. (But there are more pics throughout the post—don’t worry.)

The Colon: The Vanna White of Punctuation

A colon has many uses, but the first is the most common: it connects two independent clauses, signaling that the second clause will amplify or prove what was said before. I think of it as a somewhat theatrical and dramatic punctuation mark, shouting out, “Hey! Look at me! Something BIG is coming—get ready!”

Connects Two Independent Clauses

Here’s an example showing how a colon connects two independent clauses:

Churchill loves treats: his favorite treat is a slice of cheese from my mom, but he also loves his peanut butter cookies and dental cleaning treats.

There are a couple of important things to notice about that example: First, both clauses (the one before and the one following the colon) are independent clauses. Either one could stand on its own as a full sentence without any problems. That’s HUGE—the first clause especially must ALWAYS be a complete sentence on its own. Second, the second clause (beginning “his favorite treat…”) is proving or expounding upon the first one. I said that Church loves treats in the first clause; I explained exactly what treats he loves and expounded on which are his favorite in the second.

Here’s another example:

Churchill always seems to know what time it is, even though I don’t think he can read the clock: at 6:30 pm exactly—every day, without fail—he comes to tell me it’s time for his dinner.

So if you have two independent clauses and want to show a powerful connection between the two, you should use a colon! Just make sure that the second clause is exemplifying, amplifying, proving, or explaining something about the first. If it’s not (and they’re just connected but not with that kind of relationship), you might need a semicolon instead (but more on that later).

The Chicago Manual of Style warns, “Use a colon sparingly, however, and only to emphasize that the second clause illustrates or amplifies the first.” Just like using too much cayenne pepper isn’t good for any recipe, adding too many colons to your writing is also problematic. Your readers might get annoyed at having to pause so frequently.

Starts Lists

Another common use for the colon is to introduce a list. But don’t forget that rule about having a complete sentence before the colon! That still applies, even when the list following the colon is NOT a complete sentence.

Churchill couldn’t decide which toy to play with: his dragon, his pig, or his squeaky carrot.

Check your first clause to make sure it’s independent and can stand on its own without anything following it. If it CAN’T, you should get rid of the colon.

Churchill’s favorite toys are: his squeaky carrot, his lamb, and his armadillo.

In this case, “Churchill’s favorite toys are” is not an independent clause, so we should get rid of the colon or change the structure of the sentence. You can add “as follows” or “the following” if you want to turn that clause into an independent one and include the colon. Either of these corrections is fine:

Churchill’s favorite toys are his squeaky carrot, his lamb, and his armadillo.

Churchill’s favorite toys are as follows: his squeaky carrot, his hedgehog, and his armadillo.

There’s one exception to this rule of always having an independent clause before the colon: you actually can swap things around and start the sentence with a list if you want to make that stylistic choice. Just make sure that, if you do that, your SECOND clause is independent.

A squeaky carrot, a stuffed lamb, a pig that sings “Happy Birthday,” a toy duck that sounds like a real one: Churchill’s toy supply seems to be endless!

Introduces Quotations and Questions

Colons can also introduce quotations in a text, but only if there’s a complete sentence before the quotation (we’re back to that “independent clause before the colon” rule).

Churchill was trying to communicate with me, and the message was clear: “It’s time for dinner, mom!”

If there is not an independent clause before the quotation or if the quote is built into the sentence, you should use a comma instead.

Churchill’s eyes seemed to say, “It’s time for dinner!”

Although my alarm clock said it was only 6:15 am, Churchill was telling me, “It’s time to wake up!”

Without an independent clause preceding it, you should not use a colon to introduce a quotation.

When we arrived at the veterinary office, they said: “What a cute dog!”

“When we arrived at the veterinary office, they said” is not an independent clause (it can’t stand on its own as a sentence), so we should use a comma there instead.

When we arrived at the veterinary office, they said, “What a cute dog!”

You can also use a colon to introduce a question, also following that rule about independent clauses preceding the colon:

I understood Churchill’s concern immediately: Where did his toy pig go?

Other Uses

A colon also has the following uses:

• Set off book and film titles and subtitles
  • “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”
• Character dialogue for plays
  • JULIET: O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father, and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I’ll no longer be a Capulet.
  • ROMEO: [Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?
• Time
  • 6:30 pm
• Proportions
  • The proportion of salt to water was 1:4.

AVOID These Common Mistakes

The first common mistake is using a colon after words such as “like,” “for example,” and “such as.” This goes back to the rule of always having an independent clause before the colon..

Churchill can come with me into a few different stores, like: Lowes, Hobby Lobby, and PetSmart.

Tacking that “like” onto the end of the first clause makes it no longer able to stand on its own. “Churchill can come with me into a few different stores, like” is not a complete sentence. We could remove “like” or remove the colon to correct this:

Churchill can come with me into a few different stores: Lowes, Hobby Lobby, and PetSmart.

Churchill can come with me into a few different stores, like Lowes, Hobby Lobby, and PetSmart.

Keep in mind that you achieve different things with these different corrections: The first one implies that those three stores are the only ones that Churchill is allowed inside. The second one implies that there are probably other stores that I haven’t included in this list and I only chose a few as examples.

Another common mistake also has to do with violating the “always have an independent clause before your colon” rule. You should not use a colon between a verb and its object or complement.

I bought: dog treats and a new toy for Churchill.

In that sentence, no punctuation mark is necessary between “bought” and “dog”:

I bought dog treats and a new toy for Churchill.

So although a colon can be used to introduce a list, not every list needs to be preceded by a colon.

Capitalization After a Colon

You might have noticed that sometimes I capitalize the first word after a colon and sometimes I don’t. Here’s a quick overview on when you should or shouldn’t capitalize after a colon.

According to most style guides, you should NOT capitalize the first word after a colon EXCEPT when it’s a proper noun, a colon introduces two or more sentences, the second clause is a quotation, or the second clause is a question.

When it’s a proper noun:

We had to walk to the dog park: Churchill wanted to play and the car wouldn’t start.

When a colon introduces two or more sentences:

I’ve learned some very important lessons about owning a dog: They quickly become your best friend. They’re counting on you to create a happy, fulfilled life for them. And they are always—ALWAYS—looking for a treat.

When the second clause is a quotation:

Churchill was trying to communicate with me, and the message was clear: “It’s time for dinner, mom!”

When the second clause is a question:

I understood Churchill’s concern immediately: Where did his toy pig go?

If none of these apply, keep the first letter after the semicolon lowercase:

Churchill couldn’t decide which toy to play with: his dragon, his pig, or his squeaky carrot.

Churchill loves treats: his favorite treat is a slice of cheese from my mom, but he also loves his peanut butter cookies and dental cleaning treats.

The Semicolon: A Hug Between Friends

Now that you’ve got the colon under control, it’s time for your next spicy punctuation mark: the semicolon!

Connects Two Independent Clauses

Like a colon, a semicolon can connect two independent but related clauses. You should include it between those clauses when there’s no conjunction (such as “and” or “but”) and a comma would be incorrect. A semicolon lives somewhere between a comma and a period: it shows more separation than a comma but a closer connection than a period. A period is a high-five between casual acquaintances; a semicolon is a hug between friends.

A semicolon shows that two thoughts are related but on equal ground. While a colon puts a distinct relationship between the clauses (the second one amplifies or explains the first one), a semicolon shows a more casual connection that doesn’t have a strict rule. It’s hinting to the reader that the ideas are connected but not forcing a certain kind of connection on them.

Churchill is a greyhound; he was a racing dog in Florida before we adopted him.

I bought Churchill a new bed; he slept in it all day when I brought it home.

With Conjunctive Adverbs

Certain adverbs—called conjunctive adverbs—should pretty much always be preceded by a semicolon. This includes adverbs such as “however,” “furthermore,” “nevertheless,” “therefore,” and “meanwhile.” (You can check out a more complete list of conjunctive adverbs here, from North Dakota State University.) Usually, these adverbs will be followed by a comma.

Churchill wanted to go for a walk, however, it was raining, and I knew he would be sad if we went outside.

“However” is a conjunctive adverb, so we need a semicolon in front of it.

Churchill wanted to go for a walk; however, it was raining, and I knew he would be sad if we went outside.

Here are a couple more examples:

Churchill had already eaten dinner; nevertheless, he was happy to accept a few treats from my mom.

I was distracted by the visitor at the door; meanwhile, Churchill helped himself to the popcorn I’d left sitting on the coffee table.

The Super Comma

A semicolon can serve as a “super comma,” separating phrases in a list when those phrases have commas inside them.

Churchill is picky about his dog friends. He likes Sheba, my parents’ Great Dane; the Border Collie who plays with him at the park; and Chai, a greyhound who lives nearby.

In this sentence, it would get confusing if we didn’t have those semicolons to tell us where one item in the list ends and where the next begins:

Churchill is picky about his dog friends. He likes Sheba, my parents’ Great Dane, the Border Collie who plays with him at the park, and Chai, a greyhound who lives nearby.

Without the semicolon’s help, it’s hard to tell if Sheba is my parents’ Great Dane or if those are two different dogs.

Other Uses

A semicolon can also serve the following uses:

• Separating multiple parenthetical citations
  • (Jones, 1997; Williams, 2006)
• Separating different information in the same set of parentheses so you don’t have back-to-back parentheses (this is generally only used in research papers where parenthetical citations are common)
  • (the solution was found to be ineffective; Jones, 1997)

AVOID This Common Mistake

The most common mistake with the semicolon is that people forget to use two independent clauses around it. If the clauses cannot stand on their own, you shouldn’t use a semicolon between them

Walking to the gas station; I passed five dogs and pet all of them.

“Walking to the gas station” is not an independent clause, so we need a comma here instead:

Walking to the gas station, I passed five dogs and pet all of them.

Capitalization After a Semicolon

You might have caught on to this already, but a semicolon almost always calls for a lowercase letter after it. The only time you should capitalize the word following a semicolon is when it’s a proper noun (since those are always capitalized).

How Colons and Semicolons Transform Your Writing

Let’s go through a quick example to show the effect that colons and semicolons can have on your writing. Check out these sentences:

Churchill jumped up from his bed. There was a knock at the door.

With the period between these sentences, we don’t know if the two events are related. They probably are (or else the author wouldn’t have put them next to each other), but they could be independent events that both happen to be important to the story.

With a semicolon, we see a closer relationship:

Churchill jumped up from his bed; there was a knock at the door.

This shows us that the two events are definitely related, but it doesn’t prove that they’re causal, meaning neither necessarily caused the other. Maybe they both had something to do with a third event—perhaps it was 6:30 and Church knew it was time for his dinner but that was also when my friend happened to come over to hang out.

A colon clarifies the relationship:

Churchill jumped up from his bed: there was a knock at the door.

With a colon there, we know that the second independent clause explains the first, so we can now tell that Churchill jumped up because there was a knock at the door.

None of these sentences is wrong (hence the orange—and not red—highlights)! They just communicate different things, so you should choose the punctuation mark that matches the story you’re trying to tell.

Do We Really Need BOTH?

The answer is ABSOLUTELY YES! There’s actually only ONE overlapping function for the colon and semicolon: illustrating a connection between two independent clauses. However, the semicolon shows a more loose connection and the colon demonstrates that the second part proves or expounds upon the first, so even that overlapping function isn’t exactly the same thing.

Other than connecting independent clauses, semicolons and colons perform very different functions. You can’t use a semicolon for the time (11:30 am) or between bible chapters and verses; you can’t use a colon to separate elements in a list that have too many commas; and you definitely can’t use a semicolon to introduce a list or quotation.

Ebbitt & Ebbitt explain this very well in “Index to English”: “The one occasion when you have a choice between a colon and semicolon is when you’re punctuating independent clauses. The semicolon is the usual link. The colon is more formal and suggests that the second clause will explain or illustrate the first.”

Now you’re ready to spice up your writing with these wonderful punctuation marks! If you have any questions about colons and semicolons, I’d love to hear from you. You can comment on this post or send me a DM on Instagram, and I’ll answer you the best I can!

So now that you’ve got colons and semicolons in your punctuation armory, why not add dashes to the mix? Check out my post about hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes here!

Sources:

• Ebbitt, D. R., and W. R. Ebbitt. Index to English. 8th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.
• Einsohn, Amy. The copyeditor’s handbook. 3rd ed. Berkeley and Los Angeles, California: Univ of California Pr, 2011.
• The Chicago Manual of Style. 17th ed. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 2017.
• Truss, Lynne. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation. New York, NY: Gotham Books, 2003.