Learn English – always use a colon before an enumeration

colonpunctuation

I can think of many examples where an enmuration helps in understanding the sentence. However, I am not sure whether it is correct to put a colon before each enumeration. So which of the following sentences is incorrect?

(a) The density function can be estimated using both: (i)… and (ii) …

(b) The density function can be categorized into two categories: (i)… and (ii)

(c) The properties of the density function are: (i)… and (ii) …

(d) A function is called a density function whenever: (i)… and (ii) …

(e) A function is called a density function if: (i)… and (ii) …

Thanks

Best Answer

This blog post from Grammar Girl advises to only use a colon [I]f your lead-in statement is a complete sentence, use a colon at the end to introduce your list.

The Chicago Manual of Style website agrees in their FAQ.

That seems to be a good ground rule unless you are writing for anyone who has a style guide. If you are writing for a big company or a university find out if there is a style guide defining such things.

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