Colons:
1. Use a colon after the greeting in a business
letter.
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Ex:
Dear Sir: |
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Ex:
Dear Mrs. Smith: |
2.Use a colon before a list of items in a sentence. Words like
"following" or "these" often signal the use of a colon.
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Ex:
In music we study these composers: Copeland, Ives, and
Barber. |
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Ex:
Bring the following: your book, a notebook, and a harmonica. |
3. Use a colon between the hour and the minute in time.
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Ex:
8:15 P.M. |
Semicolons:
Use a semicolon (;) in place of
a conjunction in a compound sentence, if the independent clauses are
closely related.
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Ex: I
practiced for three hours; now I am ready. |
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