W A M C
Northeast
Public Radio]
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[Originally Broadcast on
W A M C Northeast Public Radio] |
Now that he's not our Secretary of State I'd like to suggest a new job for Colin Powell: Secretary of Punctuation. We sure could use him. And his first name is very appropriate. (I don't think there's a punctuation mark called a Condoleeza.)
So what if he spells it differently-C-O-L-I-N instead of C-O-L-O-N. That just underscores the problem; a lot of writers seem to have had a colin bypass.
There are two battles going on right now and a General is just what we need if we're going to win. The first involves the colon…with an 'O'. It's so simple, but people keep throwing those two little dots around like shrapnel in a mine field. The general needs to tell them that there are just three places for a colon.
First place: use it when you're introducing a list,
Use it before you begin an explanation,
And use it after an introduction.
or for emphasis
The semi-colon is a bigger problem. We need more than a semi-general to win THAT battle. So here are the laws I'd get General Powell to enforce.
Rodney hates vegetables[colon] spinach, carrots, broccoli and peas.
Mark Twain had the perfect definition of golf[colon] "It's a good walk spoiled."
Who knows; if the General succeeds in the war to win the colon and semi-colon, maybe we can get him to take on the quotations of mass destruction.
Dear Dr. Smith[colon]
It's also used a couple of other ways; when you write the time
8[colon]fifteen
There was one thing he would not discuss[colon] religion.
but folks rarely make mistakes with those.
Mr. O'Malley is from Iowa [period] He is a farmer [period]
say
Mr. O'Malley is from Iowa [semi-colon] he is a farmer.
It worked for me [period] however, it didn't work for her.
say
It worked for me [semi-colon] however, it didn't work for her.
The operation was a success [comma] i.e. the tumor was removed.
say
The operation was a success[semi-colon] i.e. the tumor was removed.