Glossary

colon (:)

Subject: 

  • English First Additional Language
  • English Home Language

a punctuation mark used to:

  • introduce a quotation, e.g. Thabo looked up and said: 'It's true. The dog ate the key.
  • introduce a list, e.g. You will need to bring three things to the party: some food, something to drink, and a small gift.
  • separate clauses when the second clause expands on the first one, e.g. I'll tell you what I'm going to do: I'm going to resign!