Colons should not follow introductory statements ending with prepositions (e.g., by, for, at, to) or verbs (such as is, are, were). Checkpoint Which of the following sentences uses colons correctly? Check all that apply. The recruiter from Century Services will begin preliminary interviews at 2:30 p.m. in the atrium. She possesses two remarkably useful skills: time management and grammar expertise. The topics for the seminar are: introducing a speaker, developing presentation visuals, and speaking with impact.