Colons 1

Colons are a pretty versatile piece of punctuation. Their main job is to amplify.

So, let's practice with taking one idea and amplifying it by using a colon.

After weeks of thinking, Mrs. Beam finally found the perfect Christmas adventure for her children.

After weeks of thinking, Mrs. Beam finally found the perfect Christmas adventure for her children: camping.

Could this have been written another way? Yes, of course.

All those (and probably several other ways, too) are correct. Why bother with using a colon?

Style.

Using a colon shows you've moved beyond the basics. Is it always appropriate? No. Do you have to? No. But, it adds tone and voice to your writing and gives you one more way to bring emphasis to your ideas.

Let's practice.