Russian is quite difficult and ambiguous. Not always it is clear, in what place it is worth putting a colon and in what it is absolutely unnecessary. Fortunately, there is a number of concrete rules which will help to understand a situation.
Instruction
1. The colon is put if at the end the offer is transfer. At the same time it is important that there was a general word. For example, "I brought from shop home many fruit: oranges, apples, pears and bananas". It is necessary to put a colon if there is no general word, however the author wants to warn the reader that transfer follows further. For example, "on the way home I came around: in shop, in auto repair shop, to the aunt and in the former school".
2. Also the colon is put before transfer in the middle of the offer if it is preceded by a general word or the words "namely", "for example, "somehow". For example, "how many I would look at native landscapes: the woods, fields, small rivers – everything reminded me the childhood". Still example: "I visited the largest cities of Europe, namely: London, Paris, Berlin, Athens – and yet came back home".
3. In addition, the colon is put when after the offer one or several other offers which are not connected to the first through the unions follow. Besides, they have to open or explain keeping of what it is told in the first offer about. For example, "I was not mistaken: he was really too hungry".
4. In addition, the colon is put if the subsequent offers to point on the reason, the basis of what it is told in the first offer about. For example, "I will not go for a walk today: lessons are not made yet". Still example: "it refused to me a date: I am too sluggish and stout".
5. The colon needs to be put between two offers which are not connected to the help of the unions, however in the first offer a warning by means of the words "hear", "nobility", "look", "see", "feel" and so on is made. That is, statement of any fact follows further. For example, "my sister of a debt peers afar and at last sees: several boats float". Still example: "I and knew: the servant secretly stole table silver".
6. The colon is put in case after the offer the direct speech follows. For example, "I long looked in its party, but after all decided to start talking: "How to you this evening?". Still example: "it approached me and quietly whispered: "You the best that was in my life".
7. The direct speech needs to be distinguished from compound sentences with a subordinate clause. Usually in this case before a subordinate clause the comma, and at the end the sign which is characteristic of all compound sentence is put. For example, "I asked it about how there passes evening". Still example: "it told me that I the best in his life".