Colons (the punctuation mark, not the part of the digestive system) are cool. They add that intellectual-yet-quirky feel to writing. I love using them in formal writing to break up sentences that are getting far too predictable.
Most people know how to use a colon to make a list, so I won’t go into detail (but here’s an explanation, should you desire one). However, colons aren’t commonly used as part of regular sentence structure. They’re easy to work in, though: just think of them as further explanation. Or, you can think of them as part of an entirely unique structure: the one-item list.
Here’s a website that has some quizzes, so you can practice using this subtle little mark and wow your readers with your writing ability… okay, maybe not “wow” them. But your readers will be pleased with the extra information you provide by using the colon, and they’ll appreciate the interesting sentence structure.
Once you’ve mastered the colon, here’s a quiz to see if your punctuation prowess is really up to snuff. If you can do this quiz, your writing will really stand out.