After a colon it is standard practice not to capitalize the first letter of the following text.
However, if the statement introducing a vertical list is a complete sentence, close it with a colon and then capitalize the first letter of each item of the list. If the items are complete sentences, close each with a full stop; if they are not, leave them without final punctuation.
If the statement introducing a vertical list is a sentence fragment, not a complete sentence, do not close it with a colon and lowercase the first letter of each item. Finish each item with a comma or a semicolon, except for the second-to-last item, which should finish with the word and and no final punctuation, and the last item, which should finish with a full stop.
For the use of a capital letter after a colon in some administrative documents, see Application.
 | The academic year is divided into two quite distinct periods: the first and the second semesters. |
However, if the statement introducing a vertical list is a complete sentence, close it with a colon and then capitalize the first letter of each item of the list. If the items are complete sentences, close each with a full stop; if they are not, leave them without final punctuation.
| Students can pass the course only in the following circumstances: a) They attend 80% of all the classes. b) They hand in all the course work on time. c) They get at least 50% in the final exam in June. |
| Students must present the following documents: a) The official application form b) A motivation letter c) A photocopy of their passport |
If the statement introducing a vertical list is a sentence fragment, not a complete sentence, do not close it with a colon and lowercase the first letter of each item. Finish each item with a comma or a semicolon, except for the second-to-last item, which should finish with the word and and no final punctuation, and the last item, which should finish with a full stop.
| Students will have more chance of successfully completing the course if a) they are given clear instructions, b) they are regularly reminded of their obligations, and c) they are closely supervised. |
For the use of a capital letter after a colon in some administrative documents, see Application.
Universitat de Barcelona. Serveis Lingüístics
Darrera actualització: 7-9-2023
Recommended citation:
«After a colon» [en línia]. A: Llibre d’estil de la Universitat de Barcelona. Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona. Serveis Lingüístics. <https://www.ub.edu/llibre-estil/criteri.php?id=2339> [consulta: 18 abril 2024].
