1 Minute Writing Tip – Using Colons in Lists

Do you need a colon before a list? Or would a comma work instead? Let’s break it down.

Rule:

Use a colon only if the clause before it is a complete sentence.

Example 1 (Correct):

The team had great players: defenders, midfielders, and strikers.

Here, “The team had great players” is a complete sentence; therefore, a colon is used.

Example 2 (Incorrect):

The team had defenders, midfielders, and strikers.

No colon is needed because “The team had” isn’t a complete sentence.

Quick Test: Can you spot the correct sentence?

1. The Barcelona team had defenders, midfielders, and strikers.
2. The Barcelona team had great players: defenders, midfielders, and strikers.
3. The Barcelona team had defenders: midfielders: strikers.

Answer:

It’s #2! (And #3? Remember, colons do not separate individual items within a list.)