For a series of complex terms, though, use commas after each for clarity. in Composition and Rhetoric from the University of New Hampshire. You can also use this tool to do it automatically. So long as your capitalization rules remain consistent in your organizations communications, youre golden. Important Note: The MLA Handbook from the Modern Language Association (MLA style) follows Chicago-style recommendations for ordered and unordered vertical lists. In business writing, capitalize the first letter of bullet lists. I was a fan until I realized it wasn't AP Style, all hail AP Style Honorable mention a.m. and p.m. - That's how they're used. In APA 7, you have two options for punctuating bulleted phrases: to include no punctuation after each list item and after the last list item or to include commas or semicolons, as appropriate, after each list item and final punctuation at the end of the list. A: 2-5 p.m. is preferred. Its hard for some people to wrap their heads around this rule, especially if each item on the list is not a full sentence. Q: Why is atheist not capitalized while Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists, etc., are? Bullets Associated Press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. AP Stylebook: Use periods after bullets - My Blog Editor Because AP recommends the colon and AP is the preferred business writing style guide, I recommend using it consistently in your business writing. Q: Is there a standard AP style for bulleted areas of text? Use a period after every bullet point that completes the introductory stem. Take a digital photo of a family member. Very helpful stuff! Next, read the lead-in word or phrase again followed by the second item on the list. Try it with these examples and see if the period makes more sense. 11.5.13 Updates made to University statistics, the list of research centers and section on Web addresses. The following example demonstrates this format as well as how to include a citation for the information in the bulleted list. I love traveling to Ireland because of its: I do not recommend this vertical lists punctuated as a sentence format with semicolons for business writing. A: The phrase suggests a contingency unlikely to come true, so use "were" for the subjunctive mood. Lists - More APA Style Guidelines - Academic Guides at Walden University To see what I mean, read the lead-in word or phrase then read the first item on the list. The Associated Press Stylebook says when writing lists use periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section, whether it is a full sentence or a phrase.. Use a period after bullet list that completes the opening stem sentence that introduces it. In this tutorial, well explore guidelines for how to write vertical lists. Do use a comma before the last item in a series when it contains items with and/or. Gently tap the lid against a hard surface. Use no punctuation after bullets that are not sentences and do not complete the stem. Let me frame my recommendations. Thanks! The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA style) recommends only using complete sentences for vertical numbered list items, not incomplete sentences as shown above.6, Unordered lists are united by commonality rather than rank or sequence. It is the indispensable reference for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers, informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice. - Use periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section. In Not quite. Don't use the Oxford comma in a simple series before the conjunction. You're not "piling on." Associated Press Stylebook Its visually cluttered, impeding easy scan. 7. Bullet List Practice | Grammar Quizzes Content style guide Capitalization As part of our plain language style, we use sentence capitalization as the standard on VA.gov, with a few exceptions. Q: When referring to your company in internal (or external) communications, which is correct: Corporate or corporate? Lists - Other APA Guidelines - Academic Guides at Walden University (AP Style reminds writers that it is still correct to use bullets if preferred.) In general, the following capitalization rules apply across the four styles in title case: Important words in that last bullet generally refer to: Title case is the most common title capitalization for book titles, headlines, articles titles, etc. Poor sleep quality has been linked with the following symptoms: The second option is to insert punctuation after the bulleted items as though the bullets were not there, which may be better when the items are longer or more complex. The same applies when someone may refer to specific items by number. Bulleted list punctuation ap style manual instruction That's . Use proper punctuation for bulleted sections. Now check your email to confirm your subscription for My Blog Editor blog alerts. The Associated Press Stylebook (AP style) recommends prefacing unordered lists with dashes instead of bullets, although bullets are an acceptable choice for some publications.AP style also recommends punctuating complete and incomplete introductory sentences with a colon and capitalizing the first word in each list item as well as punctuating Q: Is there a standard AP style for bulleted areas of text? The Associated Press Stylebook says when writing lists "use periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section, whether it is a full sentence or a phrase.". DO NOT capitalize plural words even when part of a proper name (e.g. Clarity and consistency are the building blocks of great content. Q. Of course, youll want to keep using capitals for all the basics: the beginning of every sentence, proper nouns like names and specific locations, days of the week and months. A: AP lowercases those descriptive titles. Semicolon Use in Lists A properly inserted semicolon helps to provide pause and clarifying separation in sentences. The two major capitalization styles for headlines and titles are sentence case and title case. The capitalization rules are as follows: Bluebook style capitalization is mainly used by lawyers. See "diseases" entry for further guidance. Numbered and unnumbered lists are more commonly used in scholarly publications. The most accepted style guide in business writing and web publishing is the AP Stylebook. Only use it to avoid ambiguity, if part of the series contains a conjunction or if you have a complex series of phrases. There are five important things to watch for in numbered and bulleted lists: inconsistent capitalization. The key thing is applying a clear and consistent punctuation style to all lists. Yes. The huge difference is that AP colon rules allow you to use a colon after a sentence fragment. Lowercase indefinite and definite articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions. Infants will try to help others who seem like they need help with simple tasks, such as carrying multiple objects. Should the first letter of the bullet list be capitalized? AP style provides consistent guidelines for such publications in terms of grammar, spelling, punctuation and language usage. Lists | Google developer documentation style guide | Google Developers 9. This is why capitalization of items that make up a list of bullet points is sometimes a matter of style. AP Style calls for periods after each bullet point, but Texas A&M House Style allows either periods or no periods - just pick one and be consistent. This will automatically indent the list as well. For lists of fragments, short phrases, or words, capitalization is optional: My favorite fruits include: oranges apples bananas dragon fruit My favorite fruits include: Oranges Apples Bananas Dragon fruit As with the other optional punctuation above, though, make sure to use a consistent capitalization style throughout your writing. PDF Smps At-a-glance Editorial Guidelines A: Lowercase the compass point - central Louisiana -- unless it's a widely known section, as in Southern California or South Florida. 28 0 obj <> endobj Q: Is the age of an inanimate object expressed in numerals or spelled out? If a bulleted list contains phrases, each bullet should begin with a lowercase letter. A: AP stories use PHP, Ajax, XML, FTP search engine optimization click-through rate pay-per-click. How to Capitalize and Punctuate Bullet Points - LinkedIn Mr. Heckle and Mr. Jeckle enjoy several feline activities: Like ordered lists, unordered lists that are part of an incomplete introductory sentence are lowercased and punctuated as if each item was inside the sentence.10, People who grew up in the 1980s watched a lot of television, including, The Associated Press Stylebook (AP style) recommends prefacing unordered lists with dashes instead of bullets, although bullets are an acceptable choice for some publications.AP style also recommends punctuating complete and incomplete introductory sentences with a colon and capitalizing the first word in each list item as well as punctuating each list item with a period even if the item is an incomplete sentence.11. 5 Free French-to-English Translation Services. Modern Language Association (MLA) Handbook, 9th Edition Capitalization Rules, Best Book Writing Software and Book Writing Apps, Cursive Text Generator , Buscador de palabras y descifrador de palabras, Select your title capitalization style above by clicking on a tab. Understanding what to capitalize in a title is important to make sure that your titles and headlines look correct. The first word after a colon unless it begins an independent clause. Dates, time, eras (July 4, 2008; 9 a.m.; the Great Depression ), Q: When referring to a time span, I never know when to use a dash to separate the two times (ex. The individual list items following the complete sentence are usually lowercased if they arent complete sentences themselves. Bullet points. Follow the same capitalization rules you would follow for normal sentences. A: AP uses the numeral for acres, even when less than 10, as a dimension: 5 acres. Here's what the AP Stylebook says about when to capitalize names In our latest quarterly roundup of AP Style reminders, we cover back-to-school terms, travel terminology, and more. A colon can introduce a long quotation or one of more than one sentence, because it says to a reader: "There's more coming here than you thought. Use numbered lists when youre working with instructions to be done in sequence, and the numbers suggest ahierarchy. All major words in titles (including small words, such as "Is" and "It"); for example, "Business and Economics". Abbreviations, acronyms (24/7; NATO; laser; U.S.; No. Anation could be oppressed by its leaders, Judy Vorfeld Repellent and Repulsive both speak to driving others away, but REPULSIVE Three horizontal centrifugal pumps with design temperature of 100 degrees F. Three electric motors, in accordance with Appendices. To illustrate the example, youd sayI voted on election day because I want my candidate to win. I voted on election day because I like to exercise my right to vote. I voted on election day because I believe every vote counts.. Copyright 2023 Lawrence Ragan Communications, Inc. mar Girls Beginning and Intermediate Guide to AP Style. endstream endobj 32 0 obj <>stream Bullets - Rules and Examples - Really Learn English PDF AP STYLE TIP SHEET: The Basics PUNCTUATION: Example - Syracuse University For lists of fragments, short phrases, or words, capitalization is optional: As with the other optional punctuation above, though, make sure to use a consistent capitalization style throughout your writing. If a sentence contains more than three items or ideas, we recommend breaking them up into a bulleted list. We recommend following the AP Stylebooks bullet punctuation, with additional clarifications that AP doesnt address. PDF AP STYLE GENERAL RULES - Kennesaw State University Bulleted Lists: Capitalization and Punctuation See the "legislative titles" entry for rulings. These aren't always the same abbreviations the mail carrier uses. 48 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<8DCDC806A06A984EB23F9AC6F5FBCE2C><8DCDC806A06A984EB23F9AC6F5FBCE2C>]/Index[28 32]/Info 27 0 R/Length 99/Prev 782230/Root 29 0 R/Size 60/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream Whether youre writing an essay, email, or cover letter, youll likely use parentheses. Memorize the AP abbreviations. Numbered lists may appear with or without the period after the number. When writing an argumentative essay, you would typically research a topic and adopt a certain How to Punctuate and Capitalize Bullet Points. Use sentence case capitalization Use sentence case capitalization for most content, including page titles, headings, subheadings, buttons, and text links, unless a word is a proper noun. in English Literature from Boston College, and a C.A.G.S. Q: Is clarity essentially the only rule determining when a serial comma should be included? By far, this is the most vexing punctuation issue! This option is helpful for complex or longer bulleted sentences that may be more difficult to read without the aid . Capitalize the first word of the title/heading and of any subtitle/subheading, Capitalize all major words (nouns, verbs including. EPA follows the AP rule after the dash or bullet: capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each section. The AP Stylebook is a writing and editing reference for newsrooms, classrooms and corporate offices worldwide. If you have a list of full sentences or a list with a mix of full sentences and fragments we suggest capitalizing the first letter in each item. Also, please note that ads, brochures and legal contracts may require some deviation from these guidelines. Theyre easy to read. TITLES Well, that was really helpful; thanks for the effort. For example, are newspapers italicized? Example 1: Writing, phrasing, usage (word choice; clarity; subjunctive mood; ethnic-racial; profanity; slang ). The capitalization rules are as follows: Wikipedia editors must follow certain capitalization rules for any posts to Wikipedia. So many choices to make! However, in lists of bullet points, the beginning of a point is also indicated by space and the item marker (whether a bullet, a number, or a letter). Q: Is clarity essentially the only rule determining when a serial comma should be included? PDF Associated Press Style - Colorado Department of Transportation Home Style and Grammar Guidelines Lists Lists Just as heading structure alerts readers to the order of ideas in a paper, lists help readers understand a related set of key points within a sentence or paragraph. Here is a sampling of frequently asked questions, with examples of AP style used in answers. Microsoft and Gregg would capitalize flat and sharp if they appeared in a title (unlike Rule 2). AP style of writing: a comprehensive guide | AP style guide - Writer Capitalize major words, e.g. This is ultimately a matter of stylistic preference. Infants are happy to participate in normal household chores, such as cleaning up. This guidance has been expanded from the 6th edition. These might seem like confusing rules with too many exceptions, but youre always welcome to homebrew your own style rules. Required fields are marked *. If bulleted items are complete sentences, begin each item with a capital letter and finish it with a period or other appropriate punctuation. Creating a free account also gives you access to historical stylebooks, writing guidelines and handbooks produced by The Associated Press, dating back to June 1900. Capitalization (proper nouns: America; proper names: Democratic Party; popular names: Indy 500; compositions: books, movies, operas ). Asthma or some allergies. When your writing is crisp, clear, and easy to understand, audiences will likely leave your site with a positive impression. The Copyeditors Handbook (Einsohn). document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a4470ef17940e51381fb55e5e7bde6b6" );document.getElementById("j6a5d70196").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Sign up to receive the latest articles from Ragan.com directly in your inbox. Some guiding principles behind AP style are: Consistency Clarity Accuracy Brevity AP style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language. Lowercase the second word in a hyphenated compound when it is a prefix or suffix (e.g., Anti-itch,world-wide) or part of a single word. Example: Hampton, Va. See the stylebook for specific abbreviations. Capitalization Begin each item in a list with a capital letter unless there's a reason not to (for example, it's a command that's always lowercase). Creating Vertical Lists in MLA Style | MLA Style Center Added standalone cities to guidance on addresses and states. Are we nitpicking punctuation with these considerations of bullet lists? (After reading this) .. Q: There seem to be differing opinions on whether or not to capitalize the names of grapes used to make wine. in English from the University of Rhode Island, an M.A. label all file pages (and the disk itself) with your designatedcode. Read this and other articles on English grammar, mechanics, and usage at Get It Write. For example, here is a summary of the instructions to write a standard 5 paragraph essay.