Which one of the following sentences contains an unnecessary colon?
A. Here's the question on all of our minds: Will our team be able to defeat their arch rivals tonight?
B. Carlos has three goals in life: to graduate from college, own his own home, and work in the computer industry.
C. I wrote my shopping list and put: milk, soup, chicken, and ice cream on it.
D. She wants one thing: a new job.
I'll gladly check your answer.
i think its C but im not sure
Right.
http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/colons.asp
To determine which one of the following sentences contains an unnecessary colon, we need to understand the proper usage of colons.
A colon (:) is used to introduce a list, explanation, or example that follows after an independent clause. It is typically used to add further information or provide emphasis.
Let's analyze each sentence to identify the one with an unnecessary colon:
A. Here's the question on all of our minds: Will our team be able to defeat their arch rivals tonight?
Explanation: In this sentence, the colon is used correctly. The independent clause is "Here's the question on all of our minds," and the colon introduces the question that follows.
B. Carlos has three goals in life: to graduate from college, own his own home, and work in the computer industry.
Explanation: In this sentence, the colon is used correctly. The independent clause is "Carlos has three goals in life," and the colon introduces the list of goals that follows.
C. I wrote my shopping list and put: milk, soup, chicken, and ice cream on it.
Explanation: This sentence contains an unnecessary colon. The use of a colon after "put" is inappropriate because it doesn't introduce a list, explanation, or example. The sentence could be rewritten as: "I wrote my shopping list and put milk, soup, chicken, and ice cream on it."
D. She wants one thing: a new job.
Explanation: This sentence uses the colon correctly. The independent clause is "She wants one thing," and the colon introduces the specific thing she wants, which is "a new job."
Therefore, the sentence that contains an unnecessary colon is C. "I wrote my shopping list and put: milk, soup, chicken, and ice cream on it."