Colons and Dashes
Looking Forward—Looking Backward
Colons
The colon is essentially forward-looking and introduces
something hinted at but not yet mentioned, most often in
the form of a list:
My mother is sending me to the store to buy groceries:
eggs, bacon, milk, and flour.
We will visit seven European countries in the spring:
France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain,
Germany, and the Czech Republic.
Cannibalism is of three kinds: endo-cannibalism, exocannibalism, and ritual cannibalism.
Dashes
Dashes are backward-looking, and specify the
particulars of something already mentioned:
I was born in Rhodesia—or Zimbabwe, as it is
called today.
I graduated from Brigham Young University—
and yes, I was a Mormon at the time.
Dashes
Dashes may also be used parenthetically:
My mother—who lives in Idaho now—still
considers herself a Hoosier.
The Hundred Years’ War—which lasted 116
years, mind you—ran from 1337 to 1453.
When I wrote my first book—twenty-two years
ago, now, I’m chagrined to say—it was much
easier to find a publisher than it is today.
General Principles
The general principle to remember, then is that
– colons are introductory in nature and present
something not yet mentioned.
– dashes are explanatory in nature and elaborate on
something already mentioned.
Questions?
Painting by Burne-Jones, “The Baleful Head.”
PowerPoint Presentation by Mark A. Spalding, BA, MEd, MA.
The End