The colon has two uses:
Note: A colon is never preceded by a white space, but it is always followed by a white space, and it is never followed by a hyphen or a dash.
Other uses of colon are:
1. Use a colon to mean “note what follows.”
Example: When you go to training, take these items: paper, pencil, and an alert mind.
2. Use a colon before a long, formal statement or quotation.
Example: We remember Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: Four score and seven years ago….
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