Colons and Punctuation

evangaline

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 16, 2011
Messages
188
Reaction score
11
After the colon, should "if" be capitalized?
The realization that shakes me to the core is this: if I want to keep him, I have to move on from the person who stares back at me in the mirror every morning.

Should I rephrase it? "The realization that shakes me to the core is if I want to keep him, I have to move on from the person who stares back at me in the mirror every morning."

I want to avoid a second "that" (...to the core is that). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
 

jcwriter

Splish splash I was takin' a bath
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 28, 2013
Messages
737
Reaction score
143
Location
LA (Lower Alabama)
Whether you capitalize the first word following a colon depends on the style manual the editor uses. Some call for a cap, some don't. Chose one or the other and be consistent.
 

chompers

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 19, 2013
Messages
2,506
Reaction score
384
Using a colon has no effect on whether you use "that." You can still eliminate it in either of cases you used.
 

Interrobang

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 23, 2012
Messages
70
Reaction score
5
As a rule, a colon does not count as a period/full-stop so the following word does not need to be capitalised (unless it would be ordinarily, such as a name).