冒号的作用是详细说明内容,通常后面会列举一系列的事物,示范或说明先前提过的事物。
举例
- There are many reasons for poor written communication: lack of planning, poor grammar, misuse of punctuation marks, and insufficient vocabulary.
- He collected a strange assortment of items: bird's eggs, stamps, bottle tops, string, and buttons.
- Peter had an eclectic taste in music: latin, jazz, country and western, pop, blues, and classical.
- He had just one fault: an enormous ego.
在时间的写法上,会用冒号来分开时与分。
举例
- 4:15 = "four fifteen"
- 6:45 = "six forty-five"