Using the colon(s)

I were really bussy lately that I had no time to write my blog. But, today I take a day off from my job :p So today I give an article about colons.

We have all seen those two ubiquitous dots--the colon. People use them all the time, but are they used correctly? Take a look at the following sentence.

For our camping trip, I brought: a lantern, a sleeping bag, food, water, and a flashlight.

Was the colon used correctly here? If you said "yes," then you are probably one of the millions of people who uses the colon INCORRECTLY!

Let's begin with the easy uses. In a formal letter or business letter, a colon is often used.

Dear Sir:
We were very honored to have you come visit our company.

The second usage is to separate a title and a subtitle. When the title needs a further explanation, a subtitle can be used.

Math Applications: Using Calculus to Determine the Age of Rocks.

The most common mistake with colons is when the colon is placed right in the middle of an independent clause (a complete idea or sentence). A colon should be written AFTER an independent clause or complete idea. Take a look at the following example.Every repairman must have: a screwdriver, a hammer, and a saw.

Most people would say this sentence is fine; however, it is incorrect. Look a the part of this sentence BEFORE the colon.

Every repairman must have:

Is this a complete idea (independent clause)? NO. Could someone say, "Every repairman must have"? Of course, not. It doesn't make sense and it is meaningless. This is why the colon was not used correctly here.

So, how do you fix it? Just make the part of the sentence before the colon a complete idea. Take a look at the following sentence.

There are three things every repairman must have: a screwdriver, a hammer, and a saw.

Is the part of the sentence before the colon a complete idea?

Yes! This is a complete idea. Of course, the listener or reader might want to ask what the three things are that every repairman must have, but this is still a complete idea (independent clause).

The last common misuse of the colon is with quotations. Quotations typically have a comma before it.

The football team was tired. The coach said, "We can still win."

When the quotation adds information or explains the ideas presented in the clause (part of the sentence) before the quotation, a colon is usually better. This usage usually requires that the part of the sentence before the quote be a complete idea (independent clause).

After feeling discouraged and behind 25 points in the last basketball championship game, the coach was reminded of something Winston Churchill once said: "Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others."

Now, let's go back to the first sentence above.

For our camping trip, I brought: a lantern, a sleeping bag, food, water, and a flashlight.

Do you know what is wrong with it? You're right! The part of the sentence before the the colon is NOT a complete idea (For our camping trip, I brought). This sentence can also be fixed.

For our camping trip, I brought various essential items: a lantern, a sleeping bag, food, water, and a flashlight.

American english or British english?

This article outlines the differences between American English, the form of the English language spoken in the United States, and Commonwealth English (often called British English).
For the purposes of this article:
American English is the form of English used by people in the United States and, as a lingua franca or second language, by people in many parts of the world. American English does not include Canadian English; although Canadian pronunciation and vocabulary is very similar to that of the United States, Canadian spelling often takes the Commonwealth form. Regions and countries that tend to use American English in teaching and publishing include much of Eastern Europe (including Russia), the Far East (especially Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines; although largely excluding the former British colonies of Hong Kong and Singapore), the Americas (excluding other former British colonies such as Canada, Jamaica, and the Bahamas) and, in Africa, Liberia, and Namibia. The World Bank, and the Organization of American States, among other organizations, also use American English. Commonwealth English is the form of English used across the United Kingdom and most of its former colonies in the British Empire, most notably in much of Africa (including South Africa and Egypt), the Indian subcontinent (Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh), Malta, Australia and New Zealand, and portions of Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand), as well as Hong Kong. Like American English, it is used in many parts of the world as a lingua franca. This form of English, mostly interchangeable with British English, is sometimes called Commonwealth English because most of its speakers live in nations that are members of the Commonwealth of Nations. Other nations and groups to use British English include the European Union and, often, the United Nations. Many international organizations, like the International Olympic Committee, NATO, the World Trade Organization and ISO also use British English. The forms of English spoken in Canada exhibit features of both British and American dialects; though spelling is closer to British English, pronunciation and vocabulary are much closer to American English. Many words and phrases thought of as "Americanisms" are also used by Canadians. Although British English is a term used when describing formal written English used in the United Kingdom, the forms of spoken English used in the United Kingdom vary considerably more than in most other areas of the world in which English is spoken, even far more than in the United States, despite the vastly larger population and land area of the U.S. Dialects and accents vary not only within regions of the UK—for example, in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales—but also within England, with differences occurring within the space of a few miles in some cases. The written form of the language as taught in schools is universally Commonwealth English with a slight emphasis on a few words which might be more common in the specific areas than others. For example, although the words "wee" and "small" are interchangable, one is more likely to see "wee" written by a Scot than by a Londoner. Although spoken American and British English are generally mutually intelligible, there are enough differences to occasionally cause awkward misunderstandings or even a complete failure to communicate. George Bernard Shaw once said that the United States and United Kingdom are "two countries divided by a common language"; a similar comment is ascribed to Winston Churchill. Henry Sweet predicted in 1877 that within a century, American English, Australian English and British English would be mutually unintelligible, but it may be the case that increased world-wide communication through radio, television, the Internet, and globalization has reduced the tendency to regional variation. This can result either in some variations becoming extinct (as, for instance, truck has been gradually replacing lorry in much of the world) or in the acceptance of wide variations as "perfectly good English" everywhere.
In addition to its use in English-speaking countries, English plays an important role as a technical language around the world, in medicine, computer science, air traffic control, and many other areas of concentrated expertise and formal communication among international professionals.

Why english?

Because English is so widely spoken, it has been referred to as a "global language". While English is not the official language in many countries, it is the language most often taught as a second language around the world. It is also, by international treaty, the official language for aircraft/airport communication. Its widespread acceptance as a first or second language is the main indication of its global status.
There are numerous arguments for and against English as a global language. On one hand, having a global language aids in communication and in pooling information (for example, in the scientific community). On the other hand, it excludes those who, for one reason or another, are not fluent. It can also marginalise populations whose first language is not the global language, and lead to a cultural hegemony of the populations speaking the global language as a first language. Most of these arguments hold for any candidate for a global language, though the last two counter-arguments do not hold for languages not belonging to any ethnic group (like Esperanto).
A secondary concern with respect to the spread of global languages (English, Spanish, etc.) is the resulting disappearance of minority languages, often along with the cultures and religions that are primarily transmitted in those languages. English has been implicated in a number of historical and ongoing so-called "language deaths" and "linguicides" around the world, many of which have also led to the loss of cultural heritage. In the Americas, Native American nations have been most strongly affected by this phenomenon.

Taken from wikipedia^^v You can visit their site at http://en.wikipedia.org They got millions of articles in english about whatever. Do visit them as it will both improve your english and deepen your knowledge.

Second Post

Hi again,
Still with me on learn english online blog ^^v
Well, as I promised yesterday on my first post, I will get started with some links with a great source of english learning tools.
First of all, my favorite is http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
This site will help you to improve your English with listening and reading exercises, quizzes and communicating with others. This is a must-visit site if you're really serious to learn english. I suggest you to bring dictionary with you, or use an online dictionary or some dictionary software if you are a newbie in english language. Visit this site every day and do all the exercises, quizzes and never hesitated to ask questions or communicate with others. It will help improving your english little by little.

The other site for online learning english is http://www.1-language.com/
This site offers you online activities to learn English and other languages. Have fun, learn and test your skills in many subjects.

Another one is http://www.globalenglish.com/
You might need to spend some money to learn english here, but the results are relatively good for most people.

Or you can try http://www.syvum.com/online/english.html
This site got many english games to enrich your vocabulary and of course, your english skill.

And much more. You can search 'learning english online' using whatever search engine you like *I recommend Google ^^v* and you will find there are millions of sites offering you the opportunity to study english online even without spend your money.

All the best and have a fun online english learning.

First Post

Hi all,
This is my first post in this blog about learning english online. I myself am learning and struggling to improve my english and communication skills through this blog. So, what is this blog all about?
As it appears on the tittle of this page 'Learn English Online', I will dedicate this blog to those who want to learn english and improve their english knowledge through the use of internet.
What else will be presented in this blog?
All about English, of course. From vocabulary to grammar, from accents to speech, and every single things that concern abput english.
So, do not hesitate to visit ^^v this blog everytime you want, or every time you got stuck in learning english, or leave comment(s), or ask question(s) whatever as I will try to help you the best I could.
Want to link here?
This will be most welcomed :p and I will link back to you
Is this for free?
Yes, absolutely. As I mentioned earlier, this blog is dedicated to the purpose of learning english online.
Well, I think I advertise my blog too much :p See you on the next post :p