Question

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

answer

josh billings made the following statement: \flattery is like cologne water, to be smelt of, not swallowed.\
steve martin said: \a day without sunshine is like, you know, night.\
mark twain: \all generalizations are false, including this one.\

Explanation:

🆕 New Concept Discovered: Colon Rules with Quotations
Colons must follow complete independent clauses.

Step 1: Understand the rule for using colons before 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 thought that can stand alone as a sentence).

• Correct: Josh Billings made the following statement: (This is a complete sentence, so a colon can follow it.)
• Incorrect: Steve Martin said: (This is an incomplete thought/dependent clause, so a colon should not be used here; a comma is required instead.)
• Incorrect: Mark Twain: (This is just a name, not a complete independent clause.)

Step 2: Evaluate the options

• Option 1: "Josh Billings made the following statement: 'Flattery is like cologne water, to be smelt of, not swallowed.'"
• The phrase before the colon ("Josh Billings made the following statement") is a complete independent clause. Therefore, the colon is used correctly.

• Option 2: "Steve Martin said: 'A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.'"
• The phrase before the colon ("Steve Martin said") is not a complete independent clause. It should be followed by a comma, not a colon.

• Option 3: "Mark Twain: 'All generalizations are false, including this one.'"
• The phrase before the colon ("Mark Twain") is not an independent clause.

Answer:

Josh Billings made the following statement: "Flattery is like cologne water, to be smelt of, not swallowed."