Question

which of the following quotations uses a colon correctly? select the best answer.

actor jim carrey made the following statement: \behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.\
mark twain: \all generalizations are false, including this one.\
joey adams advised that: \do not worry about avoiding temptation; as you grow older it will avoid you.\

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Colon Rules for Quotations
Use a colon only after a complete independent clause.

Step 1: Analyze the rule for using colons with quotations

A colon (\(:\)) can be used to introduce a quotation, but only if the clause preceding the colon is a complete independent clause (a complete sentence that can stand on its own).

• If the introductory phrase is not a complete sentence, a comma should be used instead of a colon.
• A colon should never separate a verb or a preposition from its object (such as after words like "that" or "is").

Step 2: Evaluate the options

• Option 1: "Actor Jim Carrey made the following statement: "Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes.""
• The clause before the colon is "Actor Jim Carrey made the following statement." This is a complete independent clause (it has a subject and a verb, and expresses a complete thought). Therefore, the colon is used correctly here to introduce the quote.

• Option 2: "Mark Twain: "All generalizations are false, including this one.""
• The phrase before the colon is "Mark Twain", which is just a proper noun and not a complete independent clause. A colon is incorrect here.

• Option 3: "Joey Adams advised that: "Do not worry about avoiding temptation; as you grow older it will avoid you.""
• The word "that" is a conjunction introducing a noun clause. Placing a colon directly after "that" incorrectly interrupts the flow of the sentence. No punctuation (or a comma if structured differently without "that") should separate "advised that" from the quote.

Answer:

Actor Jim Carrey made the following statement: "Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes."