Colons and question marks

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Sharion
Posts: 238
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2009 3:24 pm

Colons and question marks

Post by Sharion »

If you've got a long text divided into sections, each section with a bold header and colon, what happens when one of the section headers is a question? In attempting to look this up, the best info I found said to drop the colon and use a question mark, but in all of their examples there was only one section header, not several. If the article was about real estate for example, you might have:

Dressing up your entryway:

Colors that sell:

Flowers that sell:

When should you?:
or
When should you?

Negotiating offers:

I'm wondering if the best method is to drop the colons altogether but leave the question marks. Under what conditions would colons be expected versus optional in a section header?
Celeste Stewart
Posts: 3528
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2006 5:28 pm
Location: California
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Re: Colons and question marks

Post by Celeste Stewart »

I don't use colons in section headers at all. Instead, I use bold text, capitalized as in:

Buying Pet Supplies
Blah hlah blah balh blah blah. Blah hlah blah balh blah blah. Blah hlah blah balh blah blah. Blah hlah blah balh blah blah.

Selling Pet Supplies
Blah hlah blah balh blah blah. Blah hlah blah balh blah blah. Blah hlah blah balh blah blah. Blah hlah blah balh blah blah.

Setting up an Online Pet Supply Store
Blah hlah blah balh blah blah. Blah hlah blah balh blah blah. Blah hlah blah balh blah blah. Blah hlah blah balh blah blah.

Are You Ready to Become a Pet Supply Retailer?
Blah hlah blah balh blah blah. Blah hlah blah balh blah blah. Blah hlah blah balh blah blah. Blah hlah blah balh blah blah.
+++++++++++++
I use colons within the body of the text to introduce a list of bullet points such as:
Buying Pet Supplies
Blah hlah blah balh blah blah. Blah hlah blah balh blah blah. Blah hlah blah balh blah blah. Blah hlah blah balh blah blah.

What to look for:
* Low prices
* Quality products
* Uniqueness
* Appeal

Anyhow, that's how I do it.
4rumid
Posts: 264
Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 5:22 pm

Re: Colons and question marks

Post by 4rumid »

That's what I do too.
Sharion
Posts: 238
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2009 3:24 pm

Re: Colons and question marks

Post by Sharion »

The vote was unanimous -- no colons it is! That does make it much simpler.

Thank you :-)
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