ap style bulleted lists capitalization

AP Style: Sentence Fragments and Capitalization Finally, let's look at Associated Press style. Example 1: Thanks for the comment, Anna. However, Garner qualifies this: "If you begin each item with a lowercase letter, put a semicolon at the end of each item, use and after the next-to-last item, and put a period after the last item." Don't use the Oxford comma in a simple series before the conjunction. However, you can omit the colon when a list follows a partial sentence. Also, please note that ads, brochures and legal contracts may require some deviation from these guidelines. For more specific title capitalization rules, you can see the following sections which cover each style of title capitalization rules or check out our FAQs for common capitalization questions. Unfortunately, many brands forego style guides and choose to wing . Example: In this project, the equipment shall consistof: RULE: Use periods after short phrases that are essential to the grammatical completeness of the statement introducing the list. . How a list is punctuated depends on the sort of information that is being presented. In this tutorial, well explore guidelines for how to write vertical lists. 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. The rule of thumb in AP style is that things should be lowercased unless a rule indicates that they're upper. Young adults have many motivations for texting on their smartphones: Further information about bulleted lists is available in the Publication Manual, including how to format lists of definitions in a glossary. Enter the email you used in your Ragan store purchase. Q: How do I deal with a vulgarity from a movie that is integral to the article I'm writing? Capitalize the first word of the title/heading and of any subtitle/subheading, Capitalize all major words (nouns, verbs including. It's hard for some people to wrap their heads around this rule, especially if each . (AP Style reminds writers that it is still correct to use bullets if preferred.) Q: Veteran's Benefits, Veterans Benefits or Veterans' Benefits? Vacuum windowsills and corners with a vacuum hose. When do Iuse periods and when do Ileave bulleted items without end punctuation? When your writing is crisp, clear, and easy to understand, audiences will likely leave your site with a positive impression. in English Literature from Boston College, and a C.A.G.S. - Put a space between the dash or bullet and the first word of each item in the list. People who grew up in the 1980s watched a lot of television, including: If you arent a strict follower of AP style, consider using the general guidelines explained in the sections above instead of those outlined in this alert box. A colon adds emphasis, too. Q: Is there a standard AP style for bulleted areas of text? Grammar (essential vs. nonessential clauses; pronouns; subject-verb agreement ), Q: I'm confused on the use of "that" and "who" when talking about groups. Semicolons Use in Lists: Items with Internal Punctuation 11.5.13 Updates made to University statistics, the list of research centers and section on Web addresses. This is a tricky one for me because, personally, I agree with you. Colon Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun orFile Size: KB. That's . A: The phrase suggests a contingency unlikely to come true, so use "were" for the subjunctive mood. 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. It is the same across all of the four styles. The idea is that the list reads like a single sentence, with semicolons separating each point, a conjunction just before the final entry, and a period at the end. Titles. Punctuating every introduction with a colon and every list item with a period regardless of other structural issues (such as complete versus incomplete introductory sentences and list-item formatting) could potentially decrease flow and readability. Are we nitpicking punctuation with these considerations of bullet lists? Lowercase the second word after a hyphenated prefix (e.g., Mid-, Anti-, Super-, etc.) How to punctuate bullet lists can be tricky because various style guides contradict each other. The two major capitalization styles for headlines and titles are sentence case and title case. Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions (regardless of length). Q: In denoting area, which is correct for numbers under 10 -- 5 acres or five acres? hn7_@os@`v6Y8m.sSWloK6]G\#4:RsJ.Sv1b0',K4;mgbj\l~}7N|7W}v0qp}_n]QQL~yNy?NQ2*yZ_p@PnCx'q%6\zr0nqfopzpyb"uGh7? Complete sentences introducing ordered lists are traditionally punctuated with a colon. How to Create Bulleted Lists in Microsoft Word, How to Create and Modify Numbered Lists in Microsoft Word, How to Create Custom Bullets in Microsoft Word, Parallel StructureThe Secret to Beautiful Bullet Points. Q: Great Depression is capitalized and so is American Revolution. Possessive versus descriptive Q: A months confinement or a month's confinement? Lowercase and spell out when not used with an individual name: The president issued a statement. Start each list item with a capital letter, unless case is an important part of the information conveyed by the listsuch as in a list of glossary terms. hb```"3VTa`0p4 )x3JH2HgQW(Iz8Nul i@fP!40XE&,0e0v`do`6c $X1)`U&y[#b s .6[ These are perfectly acceptable, and some style guides suggest writing lists like this. All style guides agree to capitalize the first letter of the bullet list unless you opt for the "vertical lists punctuated as a sentence" format using semicolons, illustrated above. Let me frame my recommendations. These include short words and conjunctions: The other major type of title capitalization standard is sentence case. As an Amazon Associate, CapitalizeMyTitle.com earns from qualifying purchases. Prepositions that contain five letters or more. This is the fourth in a six-part series. A: AP uses the numeral for acres, even when less than 10, as a dimension: 5 acres. Vertical lists can be ordered or unordered and can be introduced by complete or incomplete sentences, all of which affect how the individual list items are capitalized and punctuated. However, clear bullet list punctuation adds visual scan-ability to your business writing. In most cases, experts recommend that you start each bulleted item with acapital letter. 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. While the APs guidelines on this issue are straightforward and easy to remember, they are designed for news publications dealing with limited space and the technical limitations of news wire transmissions. You are reading a blog that focuses on business writing. AP Stylebook recommends: "Capitalize the first word following the dash or bullet. We have three punctuation issues to consider: Should the ending punctuation at the end of each bullet list be a period, a semicolon, or no punctuation? 59 0 obj <>stream A: In this instance, use a plural verb. This post links directly to APA Style topics of interest that users may not even know exist on the website. Common Style Guidelines Q: What is AP's style on the military's don't ask, don't tell policy? If youre confused about what words to capitalize in a title or headline, we recommend using our title capitalization tool above, but if you want specific capitalization rules, they are as follows. For MBA, AP Style don [t use periods. A: a month's confinement, per the QUASI POSSESSIVES section of the "possessives" entry. Good business writing seeks to make information easy to understand. Whether using bullets or numbers, vertical lists can be tricky. Capitalize all words of four letters or more. Numbered and unnumbered lists are more commonly used in scholarly publications. To keep bullets simple and consistent, I take a dual approach to styling them, based on whether the items in the list are complete sentences or partial sentences. Q: How about using e- as a prefix for new terms in the tech and business worlds? The first option is to use no punctuation after the bulleted items (including the final one), which may be better when the items are shorter and simpler. While the above words are generally capitalized in titles regardless of style, there are some words that are generally not capitalized when using title case. Capitalize the second word in a hyphenated compound if both words are equal and not suffices or prefixes (e.g., Cost-Benefit), Capitalize the first non-Greek letter after a lowercase Greek letter (e.g., -Bromohexanoic), Lowercase the first non-Greek letter after a capital Greek letter (e.g., -9-tetrahydrocannabinol), Capitalize the genus but not the species epithet. You can also use this tool to do it automatically. The Best 2023 AP Style Cheat Sheet Every Writer Needs (Free Download) Ben Sailer Content. (After reading this) .. And if youd like any more help with the punctuation and capitalization of lists in a document, dont forget we have proofreaders available 24/7! Whether youre writing an essay, email, or cover letter, youll likely use parentheses. The capitalization rules are as follows: NY Times style capitalization is mainly used by writers for the NY Times but is also used widely throughout journalism. Below are examples of vertical listswhich may be unnumbered, numbered, or bulletedand how to introduce, punctuate, and capitalize them. Use all sentences or all. 2003-2022 Judy Vorfeld's Office Support Services. The rule of thumb in AP style is that things should be lowercased unless a rule indicates that theyre upper. Q: If you have a hyphen in a headline, is the word after the hyphen capitalized? This will uncapitalize your text. If you feel punctuation does not matter, consider the impact of punctuation in these bullet lists: 2023 Instructional SolutionsRefund Policy | Terms | Privacy Policy. A: Use Arabic figures to indicate decades of history: the 1920s, the '80s Figures, numerals, dimensions (7-year-old boy; three years ago; 1 percent; third grade; size 9; 6-by-8-foot rug; 5 ounces; 68,000-square-foot facility). The Copyeditors Handbook (Einsohn). Example: There are anumber of tags used in HTML, including: RULE: Its not necessary to use periods after short phrases or single words in alist, if the introductory statement is grammatically complete (see below) or if the listed items are like those on an inventory sheet or ashopping list. Your email address will not be published. Judy Vorfeld Oppress means to persecute/tyrannize/bully. Any symbol may be used for the bullets, although small circles or squares are typical software defaults. Careful punctuation also reflects thought and care. Memorize the AP abbreviations. Yes. An updated list of units of measurement makes finding what you need a breeze. Do not capitalize articles, prepositions (regardless of length), and coordinating conjunctions. If checked, quotes will be output as straight quotes. The art instructor assigned three projects for the spring semester: 2. Unordered lists occasionally appear without bullets.8 However, strongly consider using bullets whenever possible because bullet-less list items can be difficult to identify on mobile devices with responsive text layouts. Bulleted lists are covered in Section 6.52 of the APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition. The key thing is applying a clear and consistent punctuation style to all lists. endstream endobj 29 0 obj <> endobj 30 0 obj <>/Border[0 0 0]/Rect[603 407.25 648 420.75]/Subtype/Link/Type/Annot>><>/Border[0 0 0]/Rect[270.75 387.75 315.75 401.25]/Subtype/Link/Type/Annot>><>/Border[0 0 0]/Rect[281.25 368.25 318.75 381.75]/Subtype/Link/Type/Annot>>]/Contents[34 0 R 35 0 R 36 0 R 37 0 R 38 0 R 39 0 R 41 0 R 42 0 R]/CropBox[0 0 792 612]/MediaBox[0 0 792 612]/Parent 26 0 R/Resources<>/Font<>/ProcSets[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/Type/Page>> endobj 31 0 obj <>stream Q: There seem to be differing opinions on whether or not to capitalize the names of grapes used to make wine. The following examples demonstrate both options as well as how to integrate in-text citations into bulleted lists. Subscribe to the My Blog Editor blog for the latest TIPS on improving the QUALITY of your business content. AP Stylebook Online builds on everything that's in the print Stylebook, and makes it a more comprehensive, convenient resource. This is where the semicolon confusion comes in. Q: How does AP treat programming language when used in general text? The Gregg Reference Manual uses periods only after bullets that are dependent clauses and long phrases. Bulleted lists: Capitalize the first letter after the bullet. In AP style, headlines capitalize the first word, proper names, or proper abbreviations, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs. Capitalization and end punctuation depend on the type of list and the contents of the list. Some style manuals, such as the AP Stylebook and APA Publication Manual, recommend capitalizing an independent clause after a colon. Next, identify a newsworthy angle and set up your press release's header section. The Associated Press Stylebook provides an A-Z guide to issues such as capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, spelling, numerals and many other questions of language usage. 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. Example: You will not be accepted if you have been diagnosedwith: RECOMMENDATION: If youre creating along document full of bulleted items, you may choose to be consistent and end each item with aperiod. Now we have bullets. By far, this is the most vexing punctuation issue! A: Lowercase for post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, hepatitis C, etc. Continue from there down the list. Capitalize the important words in the title, Subordinating conjunctions (when fewer than 5 letters), Coordinating Conjunctions (and, but, for), Capitalize nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs (including. Understanding what to capitalize in a title is important to make sure that your titles and headlines look correct. Were so programmed to capitalize only proper nouns and the first word of acomplete sentence that it almost seems wrong to capitalize single words and phrases. is lowercase. If your bulleted list is part of the sentence and is not preceded by a colon, treat the bullets like a part of the sentence, adhering to standard capitalization and punctuation. In general, capitalize formal titles used directly before a name. For more AP style tips, watch Grammar Girls Beginning and Intermediate Guide to AP Style any time. How about Civil Rights Movement? Title case is the most common form of title and headline capitalization and is found in all four major title capitalization styles. Please list your allergies and give date of last flare-up. Because AP recommends the colon and AP is the preferred business writing style guide, I recommend using it consistently in your business writing. 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. The Chicago Manual of Style Online is the venerable, time-tested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. 10439 W Royal Palm Rd., Peoria AZ 85345 Capitalization (proper nouns: America; proper names: Democratic Party; popular names: Indy 500; compositions: books, movies, operas ). - Use periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section. in compound modifiers (e.g., Mid-year, Anti-hero, etc.). Bonus: We have some great shortcuts to make your life easier. Inconsistent punctuation; Sometimes the grammar isn't parallel between items. Capitalization is a style choicewith sentence fragments, you can choose to start each with either upper- or lower-case letters. This creates anew layer of confusion on how to use capitalization and punctuation in such lists. This will convert your text to uppercase. However, in regard to headlines, is it now true that press release headlines should be in sentence case? Include the dateline - BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Jan. 1, 2022; . Sixth and Seventh streets). Does this help? Style Bullets Capitalize the first letter after a bullet. Q: Is there a standard AP style for bulleted areas of text? You have multiple options to capitalize and change the case of your titles, headlines, song titles, book titles, email subjects, and more. However, most people now leave out the extra punctuation. Beyond that, all three capitalize the first and last word of a title. Your email address will not be published. Q: A months confinement or a month's confinement? AP uses dashes, not bullets, for lists in news stories that follow a colon. Get an email every time a new blog post is published. social connection, in which people text as a way to connect with others; escapism, in which people text to get away from dull or uncomfortable situations such as waiting in line; distraction, in which people text to distract themselves while having a conversation with someone or being in a meeting; audacity, in which people text to get a response from someone, such as to break up with them or ask them on a date; nurturing, in which people text to foster relationships by saying things like good morning or I love you; and. You can learn more in the Title Capitalization Rules by Style section. Bulleted Lists: 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.

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