Having said that, however, as lauren says, its best to ask for the house rules first. Check the guidelines if you work somewhere that has style guidelines on how to punctuate bullet points, do follow those. We gave our better business writing presentation at a nonprofit organisation last week. If the items in a list arent complete sentences, you may capitalize them or use lowercase your choice.
If the points are not proper sentences, you do not have to begin with a. Do not use this punctuation in bullet points if it appears to be an inventory list. If the bullets all start with a capital letter and some of the items are more than a few words, all items should have the period at the end. If the list contains some sentence fragments and some complete sentences, the presence of the complete sentences means that all bullet items should end with a period or other terminal punctuation. I also worked for a recruitment firm and we had to reconfigure lots of resumes to fit our format. Also capitalize the first word of a bullet if the item is a complete sentence. Bullet points are not a natural product of language, such as.
If you write a list using full sentences, what should each bullet point begin with. A list in which each point is a complete sentence the managing director made three comments about using information technology. We insert bullet points into a text to make it more easy for the reader to understand. Set out addresses without punctuation at the end of a line and dont use. Once youve decided on a list, you have to make a few formatting choices. Punctuation can make an enormous difference in the meaning of whatever it is youre writing. If my bullet points are short with one word or phrase per bullet point like a list, then i never put any punctuation on them. Pecks english pointers is a collection of lively articles spanning english grammar, punctuation, usage and clarity. Jun 20, 20 i admit that there is some useful guidance about lists not related to punctuation e. Be consistent throughout the document with the formatting at the start and end of each bullet i. Content and extracts are linked to the twinkl originals story \\the dual world of anders arnfield\\. There is one big exception on punctuating bullet points with periods. Itemsknown as bullet pointsmay be short phrases, single sentences, or of paragraph length.
Thats a good question, and is something ive wondered about for years having written thousands of bulleted lists in that time. Writers and editors searching for consistent, standardized advice about how to capitalize and punctuate bullet points will be sorely disappointed. Her more than 50 books include english grammar for dummies and many childrens books. Aug, 2011 what punctuation mark to put at the end of each each bullet point. For example, i used bullets in the last example because you have to. Semicolons are usually used to provide a natural pause in a sentence and are therefore not appropriate to introduce a bullet or other list. Written by editor and writer frances peck, these pieces take a thorough yet entertaining look at some of the most common errors, weaknesses and uncertainties that plague writers of english. If each point is a complete sentence, capitalize the first word and end the sentence with appropriate ending punctuation.
A mark of punctuation commonly used in business writing and technical writing to introduce items in a list or series is known as a bullet point. Using punctuation in presentations colons, semicolons and bullet points radzi and a group of children visit a law firm to learn about using punctuation in presentations, finding out about. Use this worksheet as a warmup or reminder on using bullet points and lists. Based on the number of hits i receive on another of my websites, many webmasters are looking for help with grammar and punctuation for bullet lists. Get a detailed, 100page curriculum for a collegelevel or vocational course, business writing that builds relationships. How should we punctuate and capitalize the items in vertical lists. This is an important editing and proofreading issue that. Use a period full stop after every bullet point that is a sentence as these bullets do. Bullet points are used to draw attention to important information within a document so that a reader can identify the key issues and facts quickly. It should occur any time phrases complete the stem sentence. This isnt wrong just another style and there are many other styles. Next week, im going to treat you to some tips about how the language and punctuation of bullet pointed text works. Sentences are the building blocks used to construct written accounts.
Do not put and at the end of the penultimate bullet. Whats the recommended format for dot point series also called bullet lists and bulleted lists. If the bulleted text is a full sentence, capitalize the first letter of the first word and end the paragraph with a period see lists, part 5. Theres certainly no rule or convention, so it is only what helps the reader to make the best sense of the information. As a general rule, when creating lists, use bullet points to identify items of equal importance. The writers in the audience had questions about the correct way to structure bulleted lists these are also called dot point series and bullet lists.
Although logically a list should have more than one item, bullets are more forgiving. Use bullets when the order of the items doesnt matter. A while back, the folks at write in new zealand talked about punctuating bullet lists. Commas and semicolons are used to separate things to avoid confusion. If the text that follows the bullet point is not a proper sentence, it doesnt need to begin with a capital letter and it shouldnt end with a full stop. All lists must conform to a set of rules of construction and formatting. Punctuation with bullet points if the text of your bullet point is a complete sentence or multiple sentences, use capital letters and punctuation. They can make it easy for your reader to quickly take in important information or instructions. Authors often have their own preferred style of punctuation. What is the correct way to punctuate a set of bullet. If youre following the it should be correct without the bullet points rule, you should not use upper case. Bullet points are not a natural product of language, such as pronounantecedent agreement.
What is the correct way to punctuate a set of bullet points. It is correct to terminate any bullet point with a full stop if the text within that item consists of one full sentence or more. Bullet points grammar and punctuation libroediting. The capitalization and punctuation for each bulleted item depends on the structure of the sentence. Each bullet should start with a capital letter and end with a full stop. If bullet points are for separate items or sentences use the rules detailed below. The chicago manual of style online is the venerable, timetested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. Colon capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. Download grammarlys app to help with eliminating grammar errors and finding the right words.
Heres how to craft powerful bullet points your readers will pay attention to. Bulleted items are not usually terminated with a full stop unless they are complete sentences. The easiest way to solve a vexing punctuation problem is to. If the bullet is a word or a phrase, dont put any punctuation at the end except the last bullet will take a period. This means that the grammar within the bullet points should be consistent, so the reader doesnt end up scratching their head and going over and over the same bit of text, trying to work it out. Sep 27, 2018 bullet points are items in a list, where each item, or point, is preceded by a typographical symbol called a bullet. If you arent sure how to properly punctuate a sentence. When using bullets, be consistent throughout the document with the formatting e.
The text introducing the list of bullet points should end with a colon. How to punctuate bulleted and numbered lists perfectit. And you can download a reminder of our suggested style here. Consider the following classic examples of the change in meaning that punctuation can communicate. Bullets associated press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. Bulleted lists that are not preceded by a colon should form a sentence in their own right. Punctuation shows how the sentence should be read and makes the meaning clear. Challenge children to convert sentences into bullet points or vice versa using correct, consistent punctuation. In some cases, however, the style guide for a given publication may call for every item except the last one in each bulleted list to be terminated with. If the individual bullet points are sentence fragments, dont use a full stop, comma.
Content and extracts are linked to the twinkl originals story \the dual world of anders arnfield\. Introducing bullet points with a colon grammar monster. If your points are not structured as proper sentences, you dont need to end with punctuation. Make sure your bullet points align logically with the introduction. Its challenging enough for each author to apply their own rules consistently. Oct 01, 2015 we all know that vertical lists are a great way to display information in print and online. The colon is a punctuation mark, visually consisting of two equally sized dots centered.
Geraldine woods has taught every level of english from 5th grade through ap. Alternatively, use full punctuation for single sentences. Is it necessary to put punctuation at the end of a bullet. Learning to use the paragraph formatting tool in word see figure 3. Creating grammatically correct bulleted lists dummies. It is the indispensable reference for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers, informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice. Jan 19, 2016 writers and editors searching for consistent, standardized advice about how to capitalize and punctuate bullet points will be sorely disappointed. But once you have your bullet list, how should you punctuate it. In multiauthor documents, inconsistencies in bullet punctuation are a constant concern. From who and whom to hyphens, from commas to plain language, from. No need for any kind of punctuation for bulleted or numbered lists.
The easiest way to solve a vexing punctuation problem is to avoid it. Bullet points can be a very useful addition to your documents. When using bullet points, be consistent with the formatting and try to start each bullet with the same type of word i. A grammar lesson on using a colon to introduce a vertical list, covering where to use an independent clause before a colon. How to format a bulleted list and more grammar girl. Bullet lists are a powerful way to display a list of ideas or items. If the bullet text is a complete sentence, it should begin with a capital letter. Note 105 punctuation with bullet points and lists my. Bullet points are usually used to highlight list elements. There is actually at least one book on proper grammar and punctuation for creating bullet lists. The fact that there are few rules for when to create bullet points, and no rules for how to style them, can be frustrating witness my colleagues death by bullets pronouncement. Nov 21, 2012 its word tips time and today im going to talk about bullet points why we use them and how to use and format them.
Bullet points how and when to use them libroediting. Bernard c lamb in his book the queens english writes some people use no punctuation at the end of each item, or a full stop after the last item only, or semicolons after each item, or full stops after each item. If the stem sentence and the list items are all complete sentences, we punctuate with an initial capital and a full stop. The department prefers bullets, but punctuate them per ap style. If the bullet points are longer, or have multiple sentences, then i use punctuation. In that situation, dont capitalize the first word in the bullet item. If the text of your bullet point is a complete sentence or multiple sentences, use capital letters and punctuation.
Punctuation which would generally end a sentence like the question mark. Punctuation is the system of signs or symbols given to a reader to show how a sentence is constructed and how it should be read. Generally the only punctuation marks used in a bullet point are the comma, semicolon, ellipsis, emdash, and hyphen. Orange became the term for a fruit in the th century get more facts. Jun 15, 2018 a mark of punctuation commonly used in business writing and technical writing to introduce items in a list or series is known as a bullet point. Despite their utility, writers often ignore or misunderstand proper punctuation of bullet lists. I used to be a desktop publisher and i put together a lot of powerpoint presentations. This is an important editing and proofreading issue that comes up in many forms of business writing. Bullet points are punctuation marks used to indicate a list of items.
If you are beginning one bullet point with a capitalized word, then all of the bullet points should begin that way. Capitalization and punctuation are optional when using single words or phrases in bulleted form. If each bullet or numbered point is a complete sentence, capitalize the first word and end each sentence with proper ending punctuation. For example, one author might prefer list items to end in semicolons, while another prefers full stops. Your bullets can be considered more like decorations than hierarchy. For example, this grammatically correct sentence works fine.
Whether using bullets or numbers, vertical lists can be tricky. After each bullet, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each item. Though these examples implicate punctuation marks the use or omission of periods, hyphens, or apostrophes, the correct form can be easily determined with a good dictionary. So, lets correct that and talk about how to use bullet points for marketing your products and services on your website. Use a period after every bullet point that completes the introductory stem. The managing director made three comments about using information technology. Sep 16, 2009 a semicolon at the end of each bullet point. Writers often have questions about the correct way to structure bulleted lists also called dot point series and bullet lists. Monash editorial guide punctuation monash university. What they probably didnt tell you is how those unordered and numbered bullets may backfire if you dont pay attention. We simply prefer the clean look of minimalist punctuation. If the text following the bullet point is a complete sentence, it should begin with a capital letter.
The irony is that the examples within this book appear to contradict each other. Remember that each of the items in the list must complete a meaningful, grammatically correct statement when read with that leadin. If the bullet points come in the middle of a sentence, and it is still clear when you read that sentence even though its got bullets in the middle, you can start each bullet point with a lower case letter. Apa style incorporated information on bullet lists only within the past couple of years. Punctuating bulleted lists bulleted lists are a great way of breaking down complicated information. But if you take the absence of rules as permission to be creative, it can instead be liberating. Deciding on the right style for bullet pointshow to punctuate and capitalize.
What is the proper way to punctuate or structure a. Vertical lists, bullets the chicago manual of style online. Ideal practice for the ks2 punctuation and grammar test questions. Jul 20, 2009 whats the recommended format for dot point series also called bullet lists and bulleted lists. For example, this grammatically correct sentence works fineto survive the zombie apocalypse, you should stay calm, find allies, and keep movingbut its more memorable when its presented as a list.
Associated press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. Can you imagine a novel or other sustained narrative featuring bulleted lists. But, in general avoid the period if the list contains one word or a short phrases. If the bullet points are very short and dont form a sentence, like this. When using a colon to introduce a list in this way, capitalization and ending punctuation arent always necessary. There have been different ways to encode bullet points in computer systems. If each item on the list is a complete sentence, you should always capitalize the first letter and finish with a period or question mark or exclamation point, if. Pa and secretary community general discussion admins 4 admins correct punctuation with bullet points.
How to write bullet points and punctuate a bulleted list. Colon capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or. Ks2 fantasy story bullet points and lists worksheet. Instead, they are a feature of the documents formatting, akin to chapter titles, running headers, and. Getting to the point with bullets punctuation and mechanics.
Formatting with bullets points when using bullets, be consistent throughout the document with the formatting e. Do not capitalize the first item after the colon unless its a proper noun. In other words, your bullets should look like my bullets in. If the individual bullet points are sentence fragments, dont use a full stop. When youve finished an email, all you need is a friendly, professional sign off. When listing items one by one, one per line, following a colon, capitalization and ending punctuation are optional when using single words or phrases preceded by letters, numbers, or bullet points. Likewise, if each bullet is more than just one sentence, then i would follow full punctuation rules, since its quite clear that im using bullet points for a very complicated list of items. Use no punctuation after bullets that are not sentences and do not complete the stem. Choose whatever format you like, but be consistent throughout your document. If the bullet is a sentence, put a period at the end. Capitalization and punctuation by judy vorfeld did you know that before the introduction of word processing via word processors and computers, most publications displayed lists in either outline form or numbered lists. The post caught my attention because their practice is refreshingly straightforward.
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