Final answer:
The use of a colon in the provided sentence is correct, as it properly introduces a related result to the preceding independent clause. Colons serve to create dramatic pauses in narrative text and emphasize subsequent revelations or reactions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The use of a colon in the sentence "The moment I held her, an amazing thing happened: she stopped." is indeed correct. The colon correctly introduces the effect or result following the clause that sets the expectation. In English grammar, a colon is used after a complete sentence to introduce a word, a phrase, a clause, a list, or a quotation when the introduction itself is an independent clause and the sentences on both sides of the colon are closely related.
For example, the sentence "She had reached out for him when suddenly, as she saw him closely, something checked her, and as quickly all her joy fled, and with it her color, leaving her pale and trembling." sets a stage for dramatic pause followed by a sudden change in her emotional state. Similarly, colons can be used in sentences to highlight a build-up and a consequential revelation or reaction, providing a strong punctuation tool for writers to control the rhythm and emphasis in their narratives.