For example,
1) "Some of these included art design class and working with animals without a home"
2) "Some of these included: art design class and working with animals without a home"
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It's certainly not necessary, and if a colon is used, common style would say it should be something like some of these were included: or some of these included the following:. (It's also difficult to say, since the single sentence, outside of any context, is actually just a sentence fragment. You should really provide at least the sentence that comes before.)– Jason BassfordCommented Oct 28, 2019 at 3:44
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Possible duplicate of What is the correct punctuation after "as follows"? (closed as POB).– Edwin AshworthCommented Oct 29, 2019 at 19:00
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By the way, how many of the activities included both art design class and working with animals?– Anton SherwoodCommented Oct 30, 2019 at 2:09
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@Anton what if the activities were part of a group of related courses offered, i.e. to help those recovering from post traumatic stress (re Merriam-Webster definition of 'include' below)– user365664Commented Oct 30, 2019 at 14:08
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@Anton Sherwood "Do not use a colon before a list unless the items are in apposition to an introductory word" (Words into Type, 3rd Edition, Prentice-Hall, p181)... What the hell does that mean??– user365664Commented Oct 31, 2019 at 15:57
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1 Answer
“When the introduction is not a complete sentence and one or more of the items of the list are needed to complete it, no colon or dash should be used” (Words into Type, 3rd Edition, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1974, p. 181). “Some of these included” is not a sentence, and the items art and class are needed to complete it (that is, make it into a sentence), so there should not be a colon after included. Also, include indicates that what follows is “part of a whole or group” (Merriam-Webster online, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/include), so “some of these included” is redundant. “Some of these were” would be better.
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Some more examples... "Wrong: ...produced in large quantities, such as: cacao beans, coffee, fruits, and Panama hats. [The colon should be omitted.]" according to (Words into Type, 3rd Edition, Prentice-Hall, p181). Commented Oct 31, 2019 at 16:02
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Some further examples..."Wrong: The principal criteria determining the selection of the site were: location, initial cost, suitability, and convenience to transportation. [The colon should be omitted.]" according to (Words into Type, 3rd Edition, Prentice-Hall, p181). Commented Oct 31, 2019 at 16:06
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But then we have this rule which contradicts your answer: "Rule 1: Use the colon after a complete sentence to introduce a list of items when introductory words such as namely, for example, or that is do not apply or are not appropriate." link: data.grammarbook.com/blog/colons/colons Commented Oct 31, 2019 at 16:12