Grammar Talk

[Brian]

I thought this section is ideal for a thread where we can discuss our own understanding of grammar and style issues relating to writing.

I'll go first with something that has been a source of regular confusion for me.

Should the first word following a colon be capitalized?

[MacBeth]

No. It is a continuation of a sentence, not the beginning of one.

[Georgina]

Yeah, no, not exactly. I have a copy of Garner's -- The Bible of Common Usage -- (a fantastic book that everyone should own) that has a great explanation about when to capitalise after a colon and when not and the controversy surrounding the choices. If I get an opportunity later, I'll copy-type it. I'm trying to motivate myself to pack right now.

[qhperson]

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. If you have a complete sentence following the colon, you can cap the first word if you want, or not.
Proper nouns, of course, you would anyway. Or for emphasis.
You got your leeway here.

[wheelspinner]

I never do it, unless the first word is a proper noun. I'll be interested to see Garner's exceptions, when G posts them.

[Pax]

Good lord, it's hard enough for me to remember to put eye before aieee cuz I need to see, without worrying about my colon...(s).

[Brian]

Apr 4, 2010 20:53:40 GMT -5 Georgina said:

Yeah, no, not exactly. I have a copy of Garner's -- The Bible of Common Usage -- (a fantastic book that everyone should own) that has a great explanation about when to capitalise after a colon and when not and the controversy surrounding the choices. If I get an opportunity later, I'll copy-type it. I'm trying to motivate myself to pack right now.

Thanks, Georgina. I'd appreciate seeing that when you get a chance.

[Calluna]

Here is a list of items: item one, item two, item three.
My grammar guide: Illustration through example.

[Georgina]

This was a much longer entry than I'd anticipated and deals with all of the uses of a colon rather than just the issue of capitalisation. Anyhow, everything you wanted to know about how to properly use a colon and more. (And, of course, there is controversy about usage. Natch.)

Colon[:]. This mark, which promises the completion of something just begun, has five uses.

First, it may link two separate clauses or phrases by indicating a step forward from the first to the second: the step may be from an introduction to a main theme, from a cause to an effect, from a general statement to a particular instance or from a premise to a conclusion. E.g.:

• - “Boeing left some chips on the table: It agreed to give up the exclusive-supplier agreements it had negotiated with America Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Continental Airlines.” “Boeing-MCDonnell Gets a Thumbs-Up,” Business Week, 4 Aug. 1997, at 42.
  
  
• “Economists point to day care’s problems as a classic case of ‘market failure’: Large numbers of parents need the service so they can work, but they are not willing to pay the fees that would be necessary for the well-trained, highly motivated workers they would like their children to have.” Victoria Pope, “Day-Care Danger,” U.S. News & World Rep., 4 Aug. 1997, 31, 34.
  
  
• “My assignment: Identify and contact the CIOs for 100 companies that were selected on the basis of their productive and innovative use of information technology.” Megan Santosus, “Putting Along.” CIO, Aug. 1997, at 118.
  
  
• “Nor did the evidence submitted resolve the real question: whether Jackson is in fact Cosby’s daughter.” Matt Bai & Allison Samuels, “No Laughing Matter,” Newsweek, 4 Aug. 1997, at 22.
  
  

As in the examples just quoted, what follows the colon may be either a full clause or just a phrase.

Authorities agree that when a phrase follows a colon, the first word should not be capitalized (unless, of course, it’s a proper noun). But when a complete clause follows the colon, authorities are divided on whether the first word should be capitalized. The first three bulleted examples in the preceding paragraph follows the relevant journalistic practise: the first word is capitalized. But the other view – urging for a lowercase word following the colon – is probably sounder: the lowercase (as in this very sentence) more closely ties the two clauses together. That’s the style used throughout this book. It’s also the house tyle for The New Yorker – e.g.:

• “Though active, El Misti isn’t doing anything at the moment, but Arequipa is: it has spread up the volcano’s flanks along the gullies where lava and ash will someday begin to flow. Tad Friend, “Disaster!” New Yorker, 16 Dec. 2002, at 36, 38.
  
  
• “party lines are not to be confused with chat lines, party planners, or escort services: they are a prehistoric phone technology of copper-loop circuits.” Susan Orlean, “Party Line,” New Yorker, 16 De. 2002, at 52.
  
  

Although the uppercase convention is a signpost to the reader that a complete sentences is ahead, that signpost generally isn’t needed.

Those who follow the lowercase convention typically recognize an exception and capitalize what follows the colon when the colon introduces a series of sentences: “He made three points: He wanted some water. He needed to sleep. And he wanted to go home.”

Second, the colon can introduce list of times, often after expressions such as the following and as follows – e.g.: “The meetings are as follows: Central, Dec. 11 at the Municipal Auditorium, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. ; South, Dec. 15, at the Mexican Cultural Institute, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.” Megan Kamerick, “Main Plaza Considered as Site of Museum on Mexico’s History,” San Antonio Bus. J., 12, Dec. 1997, at 6.

Third, the colon formally introduces a wholly self-contained quotation, whether short or long. If the quotation is in block form, the colon is mandatory, but if it’s run in the text, a comma is also permissible. E.g.: “By 1776 it seemed clear to numerous inhabitants of the western areas of the Connecticut River valley that the fight against tyranny had assumed a two-fold character: ‘We are contending against the same enemy within, that is also without.’” Gordon S. Wood, Creation of the American Republic 186 (1972)

Fourth, the colon often appears after the salutation in formal correspondence <Dear Ms. Jonsonious:>.

Finally, the colon separates elements such as a book’s title and subtitle <Will Rogers: A Biography>, chapter and verse in a biblical citations <John 3:16>, hour and minute in time <9:05 PM>, and similar uses.

Avoid four common misuses of the colon. (1) Don’t put one between a verb and its object or complement <she enjoys watching plays, films, and TV shows> (no colon after watching). (2) Don’t put a colon between a preposition and its object <they are enamored of rare books, bone china, and etched glass> (no colon after of) (3) Don't put a colon after the conjunction that <he declared that all the plants on board must be quarantined>. (4)Don’t put a colon after an introductory word or phrase such as for example, including, such as, or that is <several dignitaries were present, including vice President Joseph Biden, Senator John Cornyn, and Justice Antonin Scalia> (no colon after including). Even so, a colon is often appropriate after a phrase that more formally announces a list (e.g., as follows, the following, including these).

Reference: Garner's Modern American Usage: the Authority on Grammar, Usage, and Style. Third Edition Oxford University Press 2009 By Bryan A. Garner pages 675 - 676

G's Note: Any typos, missing punctuation, or other errors are copy-typing sins by me and not as found or presented in the book.

[Brian]

Thanks, Georgina!