Capitalization after Colons
Have you run across the situation where one sentence ending with a colon is followed by another sentence? Do you capitalize the first word of that second sentence? Why would you use a colon between the two sentences rather than a period or a semicolon?
Rule for colons between sentences: Use a colon instead of a semicolon or a period between two sentences when the second sentence explains or illustrates something in the first sentence.
Capitalization rule with sentences after colons: If only one sentence follows the colon, do not capitalize the first word of the new sentence. If two or more sentences follow the colon, capitalize the first word of each sentence following.
Example: One of my favorite novels is by Kurt Vonnegut: his novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, is often funny, yet packs an emotional punch.
Example: Garlic is used generously in Italian dishes: It greatly enhances the flavor of pasta. Garlic also enhances the flavor of lasagna, one of my favorite dishes.
Now, should you capitalize the first word after a colon if it begins a list rather than a new sentence?
Rule for capitalizing with lists after colons: Do not capitalize the first word of a list after a colon.
Example: I like the following Italian dishes: pasta primavera, eggplant Parmesan, and lasagna. (Parmesan is capitalized because it comes from the Italian city of Parma.)
Pop Quiz
1. Please visit me at my newly remodeled store: Skylights and large glass windows have been added.
2. Please visit me at my newly remodeled store: skylights and large glass windows have been added. You will also find more inventory and friendly sales help.
3. I need the following items from the store: Bread, salt, and sugar.
Answers
1. Please visit me at my newly remodeled store: skylights and large glass windows have been added.
2. Please visit me at my newly remodeled store: Skylights and large glass windows have been added. You will also find more inventory and friendly sales help.
3. I need the following items from the store: bread, salt, and sugar.
Posted on Monday, September 10th, 2007, at 6:46 pm
19 Responses to “Capitalization after Colons”
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Do you copy edit manuscripts?
No, but you may wish to click on the Editing Services link on my GrammarBook.com web site.
What about when you have one word before the comma as you have with your example or a note?
Example: This is one sentence.
Note: Do you capitalized here regardless if one or more sentences? Or should the first word “do” not be capitalized if only one sentence?
Yes, you would capitalize regardless of the number of sentences.
If a colon is followed by a list then a second sentence follows the list would the first word of the list be capitalized or would it be lowercase?
You would not capitalize the first word of a list after a colon, regardless of how many sentences follow it.
I don’t understand: I was taught to never capitalize after a colon unless it’s followed by a quotation, or if it’s a salutation of a formal letter, or when we separate a title of a work from its subtitle.
Do we have a case here of British English vs. American English?
My rule is in agreement with Rule 6.61 of The Chicago Manual of Style, which states in part, “When a colon introduces two or more sentences . . . the first word following it is capitalized.” I believe this rule does differ from British English practice.
Thanks. When in high-school and college if I had known that I would be writing as much as I do at this point in my life, I would have paid more attention to my English teachers.
If the last sentence of a paragraph follows a colon, and there is a succeeding paragraph, do I capitalize or lowercase the sentence that is following the colon? After all, paragraphs are treated independently.
If only one sentence follows the colon, do not capitalize the first word of the new sentence. If two or more sentences follow the colon in the same paragraph, capitalize the first word of each sentence following. Any time you start a new paragraph, you would capitalize the first word.
What about a numbered list following a colon or semi-colon. Are capitals required? And is a period required only after the last item in the list?
For example…
Exceptions will be made in the following cases:
1. hair spray
2. perfume
3. after-shave.
Rule 3 in the “Colons” section of our English rules states, “Capitalization and punctuation are optional when using single words or phrases in bulleted form. If each bullet or numbered point is a complete sentence, capitalize the first word and end each sentence with proper ending punctuation. The rule of thumb is to be consistent.” Since none of your numbered points are complete sentences, capital letters and periods are not required.
I am writing a paper that needs to follow APA style (6th edition). Which of these would be correct?
The question now is: where do we go from here?
or
The question now is: Where do we go from here?
The Chicago Manual of Style’s rule is “When a colon is used within a sentence, the first word following the colon is lowercased unless it is a proper name.” Since your paper must follow APA style, I recommend that you consult The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association to confirm that they agree.
Dear Jane:
I would appreciate that you may kindly clear my doubt about the following example.
In case of a series following a colon:
1) Should or should we not capitalize each succeeding sentence provided they are separated by semicolons?
2) Should in this particular case a period replace the semicolon as shown in example “c”?
e.g.:
(a) For the realization of these endeavors and projects he received the invaluable help from his friends and associates: notable scientists like Einstein, the American Millikan, or the Indian Jagadis Bose; heads of state like the very president of the United States, T. F. Roosevelt, as well as his minister Wallace; poets like the Indian Rabindranath Tagore; artists like the Americans Robert Edmund Jones and Rockwell Kent, or the Spaniard Ignacio Zuloaga; Musicians like the Russians Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Koussevitzky, or the American Leopold Stokowski; writers like George Bernard Shaw, Herbert George Wells, and Ernest Hemingway; and filmmakers like Charlie Chaplin.
(b) For the realization of these endeavors and projects he received the invaluable help from his friends and associates: Notable scientists like Einstein, the American Millikan, or the Indian Jagadis Bose; Heads of state like the very president of the United States, T. F. Roosevelt, as well as his minister Wallace; Poets like the Indian Rabindranath Tagore; Artists like the Americans Robert Edmund Jones and Rockwell Kent, or the Spaniard Ignacio Zuloaga; Musicians like the Russians Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Koussevitzky, or the American Leopold Stokowski; Writers like George Bernard Shaw, Herbert George Wells, and Ernest Hemingway; And filmmakers like Charlie Chaplin.
(c) For the realization of these endeavors and projects he received the invaluable help from his friends and associates: Notable scientists like Einstein, the American Millikan, or the Indian Jagadis Bose. Heads of state like the very president of the United States, T. F. Roosevelt, as well as his minister Wallace. Poets like the Indian Rabindranath Tagore. Artists like the Americans Robert Edmund Jones and Rockwell Kent, or the Spaniard Ignacio Zuloaga. Musicians like the Russians Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Koussevitzky, or the American Leopold Stokowski. Writers like George Bernard Shaw, Herbert George Wells, and Ernest Hemingway. And filmmakers like Charlie Chaplin.
My heartfelt thanks for your time and effort in answering my question!
Sentence (a) is correctly punctuated. You should not capitalize after semicolons since the semicolons are simply separating units in a series which contain commas. Nor should you use periods since the phrases are not complete sentences. The article the is unnecessary before invaluable. To avoid repeating like in every phrase, you might consider the wording: ” . . . received invaluable help from friends and associates such as:” The word Musicians should not be capitalized. Since this is a very complicated sentence, you may also want to consider breaking it into two or more sentences.
What if two questions follow a colon?
For example: I have two questions: What is the time? Where is the event?
Our Capitalization Rule 17 states, “Capitalize when two or more sentences follow a sentence ending with a colon.” Therefore, your sentences are correct as written.