Sometimes, writers will use a colon where they don’t need to. Take the sentence “His wish list included: Transformers, Hot Wheels, Minecraft figures and Legos.” The colon isn’t needed there, because ...

Colons can also be used to introduce a quotation. Mary said: “Pick up a quart of milk.” That’s most often a job for a comma, but quotations, especially longer ones, can be introduced with a ...

When to use a colon: Introducing a list or example. This is probably the best-known way to use a colon. You can use it to introduce a list or series, as in, “I’m excited for my classes this ...

When to use a colon: Introducing a list or example This is probably the best-known way to use a colon. You can use it to introduce a list or series, as in, “I'm excited for my classes this ...

The colon has a couple of different jobs, all of which can be explained in these broad terms: A colon introduces something. Sometimes, the idea is just to tell the reader, "Here you go.