Use of colon

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Why is it ok to use "The room contained the following: a chair, table, a rug and a sofa." When the sentence before the colon isn't complete?

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Type: Question • Score: 9 • Views: 1,330 • Replies: 34

[+3] - jespah - 11/06/2016You're absolutely right and I withdraw what I said.
[+3] - contrex - 11/06/2016[quote="jespah"]You're absolutely right and I withdraw what I said. [/quote] I think we are both right, just looking at the thing from different angles. Nevertheless, I thank you for...
[+3] - neologist - 11/06/2016[quote="dalehileman"]Con thanks for your patience but still it somehow looks like a sentence.[/quote][quote="contrex"]"A furry table wrote the yellow" looks like a...

@Susalca,

I'm not so sure where you're getting the idea the first part of the sentence is incomplete. Just because you are expecting more words doesn't make it incomplete. It has a subject and a predicate with a verb.

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@Susalca,

Susalca wrote:

"The room contained the following: a chair, table, a rug and a sofa."

The portion before the colon is not a sentence. It could be if it it ended with a period. Sentences do not end with colons.

1 Reply

@Susalca,

Why can't you just write it like this.

"The room contained a chair, a table, a rug and a sofa."

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@contrex,

Quote:

is not a sentence

Con that'n was also my immediate reaction
But now not quite sure

Help

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OK. Here is the original question:

Quote:

Why is it ok to use "The room contained the following: a chair, table, a rug and a sofa." When the sentence before the colon isn't complete?

The questioner refers to the 'sentence before the colon'. What is before the colon is not a 'sentence', it is an introductory phrase. A sentence starts with a capital letter, and is a group of words, usually containing a verb, that expresses a complete thought in the form of a statement, question, instruction, or exclamation and starts with a capital letter when written, and ends with a period, a question mark or exclamation mark. If you took the introductory phrase ""The room contained the following" and stuck a period on the end, you would have something which looked like a sentence but which would be incomplete.

2 Replies

@contrex,

Con thanks for your patience but still it somehow looks like a sentence. Seems to have subj, vb, and obj(?) but I will instantly admit it was a long time ago.....

If I wrote, "The highway contained the following," I suppose I'd been speaking of a following of boats, but used the phrase in q comparing it to that of a room

Yea Con it's a stretch

1 Reply

@dalehileman,

dalehileman wrote:

Con thanks for your patience but still it somehow looks like a sentence.

"A furry table wrote the yellow" looks like a sentence, but it does not mean anything.

2 Replies

@contrex,

But but but Con "the following' can easily be imagined to constitute something of several members and in motion, whereas yes, table might present some difficulties

Help

But only if I'm right

1 Reply

@contrex,

You're absolutely right and I withdraw what I said.

1 Reply

@Susalca,

The subject and verb has understandable meaning, and thus makes it a complete sentence.

1 Reply

@dalehileman,

dalehileman wrote:

"the following' can easily be imagined to constitute something of several members and in motion

Not easily. Not without considerably wrenching the ordinary use of the phrase 'the following'.

1 Reply

@cicerone imposter,

cicerone imposter wrote:

The subject and verb has understandable meaning, and thus makes it a complete sentence.

A phrase ending with 'the following' and ended by a colon is generally understood to introduce some kind of list, e.g. 'For breakfast I consumed the following: grapefruit, bacon, eggs, toast and coffee'. If you put a period after 'following', yes, you have a subject, a verb and an object, but you are going to leave the reader hanging in mid air wondering what you had that morning. English is more than word Lego. It wouldn't stand on its own as a sensible use of words. Also, where would the list go?

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@contrex,

Quote:

Not without considerably wrenching

Yea Con, as I had said up there somewhere

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It's always good to exercise the use of your colon.

1 Reply

@Ragman,

Except maybe special care with Rag reqd during period

Forget terrible attempt at doublie

1 Reply

@dalehileman,

dalehileman wrote:

Except maybe special care with Rag reqd during period

Thanks Dale you made my day Smile

1 Reply

@jespah,

jespah wrote:

You're absolutely right and I withdraw what I said.

I think we are both right, just looking at the thing from different angles. Nevertheless, I thank you for your generosity and candour, and I salute you as an example of the best kind of A2K poster.

2 Replies

@contrex,

Thank you all for your contributions.

0 Replies

@contrex,

dalehileman wrote:

Con thanks for your patience but still it somehow looks like a sentence.

contrex wrote:

"A furry table wrote the yellow" looks like a sentence, but it does not mean anything.

Take heart.
The election will be over in a few days.

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