ap style bulleted lists capitalization

Q: My AP Stylebook always lists examples in italics, so it's difficult to see if italics are part of the style. The huge difference is that AP colon rules allow you to use a colon after a sentence fragment. Numbered, lettered, and bulleted lists. in Composition and Rhetoric from the University of New Hampshire. But if you are using a style guide, you may want to check it for guidance on which style to use. 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. A: member is lowercase, as are congressmen and congresswoman. AP Stylebook Online builds on everything that's in the print Stylebook, and makes it a more comprehensive, convenient resource. Because AP recommends the colon and AP is the preferred business writing style guide, I recommend using it consistently in your business writing. Unsubscribe at any time. The first word after a colon unless it begins an independent clause. Bulleted lists are covered in Section 6.52 of the APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition. Complete sentences introducing ordered lists are traditionally punctuated with a colon. Chicago Manual of Style does not. the proper name, do not capitalize. Capitalize nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, and subordinate conjunctions. 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. Use a numbered list if you want to display items in a numbered series. Thanks for the catch! There's an old joke: A colon should be used to introduce the list, and the first letter of each point should be capitalised. Quick Links: How to Use Capitalize My Title, What to Capitalize in a Title (What Is Title Case, What Is Sentence Case), Title Capitalization Rules by Style (APA, Chicago, AP, MLA, BB, AMA, NY Times, Wikipedia). in English Literature from Boston College, and a C.A.G.S. Zip Airline offers 59 0 obj <>stream Some guiding principles behind AP style are: Consistency Clarity Accuracy Brevity AP style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language. All rights reserved. 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. 7. Not using a colon isnt wrong, but omit it only with certainty that you comply with the style guide of your choice. Bulleted lists may be comprised of complete sentences or phrases. 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. 5 simple story types to fill out your editorial calendar, A quick refresher on using minor punctuation marks in AP style, 8 tips on writing and editing from Jerry Seinfeld. For a list of short items, there is no need to punctuate each point. in compound modifiers (e.g., Mid-year, Anti-hero, etc.). Thanks! Bulleted lists. Colon Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or You can also use a colon after a partial sentence. Possessive versus descriptive Q: A months confinement or a month's confinement? Very helpful stuff! A: A few examples: Radar, Laser, NATO, OPEC. Thanks for the comment, Anna. If all else fails, when it comes to accepting AP style: Just do it. Find it. See The MLA Style Center for more information. Proven techniques for attention grabbing headlines & titles. We could also write this list with commas instead of semicolons. A: AP style is email (changed from e-mail), but other e- words are hyphenated: e-commerce and e-book. The Best 2023 AP Style Cheat Sheet Every Writer Needs (Free Download) Ben Sailer Content. If you feel punctuation does not matter, consider the impact of punctuation in these bullet lists: 2023 Instructional SolutionsRefund Policy | Terms | Privacy Policy. Example: The software in this price range offers many excellent features: RULE: When one item contains acomplete sentence, punctuate all bulleted items as though they were complete sentences: capitalize the beginning words and use aperiod at the end of each item. (AP Style reminds writers that it is still correct to use bullets if preferred.) Read this and other articles on English grammar, mechanics, and usage at Get It Write. Others, like the Chicago Manual of Style, suggest lowercasing it. Ive never found the AP Stylebook entry that covers this, including capitalization.. If numbers arent essential, use bullets, especially in business documents. Copyright 2023 Lawrence Ragan Communications, Inc. mar Girls Beginning and Intermediate Guide to AP Style. The Gregg Reference Manual uses periods only after bullets that are dependent clauses and long phrases. How a list is punctuated depends on the sort of information that is being presented. 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. Again, style guides dont agree.]. Your email address will not be published. Bullets normally preface unordered list items.7. Follow the same capitalization rules you would follow for normal sentences. Q: If using "member of Congress" instead of congressman/congresswoman, should "member" be capitalized? And if so, when? I love traveling to Ireland because of its: [AP, Garner, and Gregg use the colon here. 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. Infants are happy to participate in normal household chores, such as cleaning up. 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. If nothing else, your writing will be consistent. Use proper punctuation for bulleted sections. 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. The individual list items following the complete sentence are usually lowercased if they arent complete sentences themselves. 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. Although a little old-fashioned, some people like to use semicolons or commas in lists. Use a period after bullet list that completes the opening stem sentence that introduces it. 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. Continue from there down the list. Bullet point structure Don't mix and match sentence structures. To help, weve prepared a guide to punctuating and capitalizing bullet points. Lower is default; upper is special. (Just like this bullet list youre reading now.). The Chicago Manual of Style Online is the venerable, time-tested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. . Q. The listing below reflects a few departures from Associated Press (AP) style typically used in Johns Hopkins' web and print text, as well as other style points that, while they are not departures from AP style, require special attention. Q: Is clarity essentially the only rule determining when a serial comma should be included? Q: Is the proper phrase "If money were no object" or "If money was no object"? There was an error submitting your subscription. Your email address will not be published. Lowercase the second word after a hyphenated prefix (e.g., Mid-, Anti-, Super-, etc.) A: Lowercase the compass point - central Louisiana -- unless it's a widely known section, as in Southern California or South Florida. A: AP doesn't use italics in news stories. Clean windows with a newspaper and . APA allows the use of bulleted lists with or without punctuation. finally, draft your conclusion. This is usually done when each list entry finishes an introductory phrase, as shown below: Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox. It is intended as a guide to common PR Team style and . This is a tricky one for me because, personally, I agree with you. Capitalize the first word of the title/heading and of any subtitle/subheading. Only use it to avoid ambiguity, if part of the series contains a conjunction or if you have a complex series of phrases. Clarity and consistency are the building blocks of great content. 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. Capitalize the first word in each bullet. 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. A: Lowercase for post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, hepatitis C, etc. 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. Prepositions that contain five letters or more. Capitalize all words of four letters or more. The capitalization rules are as follows: Capitalize the first and the last word. . A: A partial spelling with hyphens in place of some letters would convey the meaning. She excels at designing customized business writing training programs to maximize productivity, advance business objectives, and convey complex information. It makes it easier for your reader. By far, this is the most vexing punctuation issue! Infants often display positive emotions when following parents behavioral requests, such as not touching the stove. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this websites owner is strictly prohibited. But if youre following AP style, chances are youre overusing those big letters. Q: Would "crew chief" and "team owner" be capitalized before a name? The rule of thumb in AP style is that things should be lowercased unless a rule indicates that they're upper. When your writing is crisp, clear, and easy to understand, audiences will likely leave your site with a positive impression. Ordered vertical lists have, you guessed it, an order. Bulleted lists are appropriate when presenting a list of items in no particular order. There are two options for the punctuation of bulleted lists when the items are words or phrases. STATES: Abbreviate state names when listed after a city. Whether a numbered list is being used when a bullet list would be more appropriate, or vice versa, All contents 2023 Associated Press All rights reserved. Should the opening stem sentence end with a colon to introduce the bullet lists or use no colon? After each dash, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each section. In the example above, the first two list items end with a semicolon because the second list item has internal commas. See the "legislative titles" entry for rulings. A: AP uses dashes, not bullets, for lists in news stories that follow a colon. 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. Write it. Note however that it is not wrong to capitalize a sentence or clause after a colon. 205-921-5556. The following rules apply to APA headline capitalization and title capitalization: Making sure you have the right capitalization for MLA headings is crucial for scholarly articles. AP follows two broad rules for capitalization: Common names are not capitalized unless part of a proper name (the river vs. the Thames River). hbbd```b``"A$dH\8'$XM7"$c[D& j@H2w 2+: is lowercase. Infants will try to help others who seem like they need help with simple tasks, such as carrying multiple objects. That includes newspaper names and magazine references. This means you must CHECK to find out the proper name!) This isn't an exhaustive list, but it will get you started. Example: Hampton, Va. See the stylebook for specific abbreviations. Sentence case simply means you capitalize the first letter of a sentence, proper nouns, and nothing else as opposed to capitalizing almost every first letter in title case. First, it is important to note that there are four main title capitalization styles: Chicago style, APA style, MLA style, and AP style. Bullet points. AP uses dashes, not bullets, for lists in news stories that follow a colon. 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. Q: Do you capitalize a conjunction in a headline? Capitalize major words, e.g. Capitalize the first word following the dash or bullet. 10439 W Royal Palm Rd., Peoria AZ 85345 Yes. A: Always use figures for people, animals and objects: 3-year-old house. Q: In a news story, can you start a sentence with an acronym? 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. Other terminology (business; food and beverages; legal and justice; medical; ethnic and nationality; politics; religion ). TITLES ap style bulleted lists capitalization veterinary ophthalmologist santa barbara June 22, 2022 flood banks advantages and disadvantages montana national guard jobs ap style bulleted lists capitalization veterinary ophthalmologist santa barbara June 22, 2022 flood banks advantages and disadvantages montana national guard jobs ap style bulleted lists 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. AP Stylebook recommends: "Capitalize the first word following the dash or bullet. Problem solved. Use a rubber glove to twist the lid off. Careful punctuation also reflects thought and care. Q: Others use one word for internet-related terms. 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. By virtue of their formatting, numbered lists stand . I like oranges. 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. Local Phone: (623) 399-6676 | Entries (RSS). If unchecked, quotes will be output as curly quotes. Inconsistent punctuation; Sometimes the grammar isn't parallel between items. Q: If we're speaking about regions of the state, should it be South Louisiana, North Louisiana and Central Louisiana? Get an email every time a new blog post is published. 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. So long as your capitalization rules remain consistent in your organizations communications, youre golden. Cite it. The following examples demonstrate both options as well as how to integrate in-text citations into bulleted lists. Birth certificate . Don't use a bulleted list for only one item. Capitalization looks fancy and makes things seem important. Today we'll look at numbered lists. Symbols such as small circles, squares, dashes, and so forth may be used for the bullets. Bullets Associated Press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. This guidance has been expanded from the 6th edition. Vertical lists are set apart from the surrounding text and are usually prefaced with bullets or sequential numbers or letters. Garner calls this "vertical lists punctuated as a sentence." You can also use this tool to do it automatically. However, in regard to headlines, is it now true that press release headlines should be in sentence case? Follow @APStylebook AP uses dashes to introduce individual sections of a list, like this: - Put a space between the dash or bullet and the first word of each item in the list. 8. Lists, Part 4: Numbered Lists. AP Style: Sentence Fragments and Capitalization Finally, let's look at Associated Press style. For company names, use their preference: eBay. How will ChatGPT affect the communications profession? A list of information can be neatly organised using bullet points. How to Write Vertical Lists (Ordered and Unordered), How to Export PDF Tables from Adobe Acrobat to Excel (PC & Mac), How to Insert Images into Shapes in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac), How to Align the Periods in Numbered Lists in Microsoft Word (PC & Mac), How to Password Protect Files in Microsoft Word, How to Password Protect PDFs in Adobe Acrobat (PC & Mac). Watch your title convert case and be automatically capitalized! Some style manuals, such as the AP Stylebook and APA Publication Manual, recommend capitalizing an independent clause after a colon. Another easy decision. EPA follows the AP rule after the dash or bullet: capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each section. Please enable JavaScript and visit again! Use numbered lists when youre working with instructions to be done in sequence, and the numbers suggest ahierarchy. That's . Use either all full sentences in your bullet lists or all fragments. A: a month's confinement, per the QUASI POSSESSIVES section of the "possessives" entry. As an Amazon Associate, CapitalizeMyTitle.com earns from qualifying purchases. Its visually cluttered, impeding easy scan. The Fantastic Shakers have won many awards. Below are examples of vertical listswhich may be unnumbered, numbered, or bulletedand how to introduce, punctuate, and capitalize them. Next post: Make blog post content rich with layers, Previous post: Blog Post Format: Chunk It. Initial capitalization is preferred for list items that are complete sentences ( Example B) or stand-alone phrases (Examples C and D ). After each dash, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each section. Take a digital photo of a family member. With this format, use commas after each list item and on the next-to-last list, item use the word and close the list with a . Examples: House Cleaning Tips: Remove items from shelves before dusting. (After reading this) .. Capitalize nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs (including phrasal verbs such as "play with"), adverbs, and subordinate conjunctions. Lowercase to in the infinitive (though not defined in the stylebook). 5 Free French-to-English Translation Services. Lower is default; upper is special. Title case is also commonly used for book titles, movies titles, song names, plays, and other works. Capitalize every word in the headline; the main subhead is a complete sentence with a period. always refer to the style guide and doublecheck capitalization recommendations. Dont use a period at the end of a bullet if the bullet lists are one word or a short phrase that feels like an inventory or shopping list. Capitalize the first word in a bullet point and the introduction to the list, but not the rest. Example: You will need to present the following information: Your driver's license. In business writing, capitalize the first letter and keep bullet list punctuation clean. This will convert your text to uppercase. Do not capitalize articles, prepositions (regardless of length), and coordinating conjunctions. Most often, the text that introduces such lists ends with a colon, as in "The value of . 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 that sounds like a lot to remember, think of it this way instead: as a general rule of thumb, any word that's three letters or less should not be capitalized. Gently tap the lid against a hard surface. Right you are. See "diseases" entry for further guidance. To create a bulleted list, use the bulleted list function of your word-processing program. Capitalization looks fancy and makes things seem important. 8 Tips to Make Your Writing Sound More Formal, Capitalization in APA, Chicago, MLA, and AP. 7. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Erin Wright with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. That order can be based on rank (e.g., a list of most favorite to least favorite foods) or sequence (e.g., recipe instructions). Lowercase and spell out when not used with an individual name: The president issued a statement. If you left caps lock on accidentally, you can quickly convert your title from uppercase to lowercase by selecting the lower button above. But if you're following AP style, chances are you're overusing those big letters. Bulleted lists. So nice to hear the positive feedback! - Use periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section. Capitalization, Case Internet The word internet is all lowercase (unless, of course, it starts a sentence or comes after a bullet) . This is a grammar guide that accompanies our post on how to write better bullet points. Grammar (essential vs. nonessential clauses; pronouns; subject-verb agreement ), Q: I'm confused on the use of "that" and "who" when talking about groups. Sorry to pile on here, but your discussion of verb endings is inadequate. All major words in titles (including small words, such as "Is" and "It"); for example, "Business and Economics". Q: Is clarity essentially the only rule determining when a serial comma should be included? According to APA Style, the first word after the colon is capitalized only if it begins a complete sentence. Capitalize the first word of every bullet. No periods on the end of a list of bullets unless its more than one sentence. [M zmp0&BLp$UPd67Z9Ha{0gPY "nG~h%rls 'wdt;:^2i+>f9V%EQ)j2"^e\KP"TiNc-((V A&N+E}E;SnIP This will automatically indent the list as well. This is where the semicolon confusion comes in. To remove a lid from a jar that is stuck: Place the lid under hot water for ten seconds. Our amended style is website (one word, lowercase w), along with other compounds: webcam, webcast, webmaster. Our tool lets you convert the case of your text easily into sentence case. persistent psychological distress (Glozier et al., 2010; Lund et al., 2010). In AP style, the word that begins the list or series should generally only be capitalized if it is a proper noun. Avoid a mix. Q: There seem to be differing opinions on whether or not to capitalize the names of grapes used to make wine. The MLA's guidelines for styling vertical lists are derived from The Chicago Manual of Style (6.127-132). Q: If you have a hyphen in a headline, is the word after the hyphen capitalized? I the word Cocaine supposed to be capitalized? Colon Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun orFile Size: KB. Below is a description of the ways you can use our case converter. Its illogical to use semicolons and vertical lists punctuated as sentences in business writing because its visually cluttered so its harder to scan. 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. When to Use a Colon With Capitalization: The puppy left a trail of destroyed items in his wake: shredded papers, mangled stuffed animals and what looked like the remains of a shoe. 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. The capitalization and punctuation for each bulleted item are determined by the sentence structure. The bullets indicate that I like apples, bananas, and oranges equally. For example, here is a summary of the instructions to write a standard 5 paragraph essay. You have multiple options to capitalize and change the case of your titles, headlines, song titles, book titles, email subjects, and more. The first step in the process of how to write an AP style press release is to familiarize yourself with the guidelines. Added standalone cities to guidance on addresses and states. Any symbol may be used for the bullets, although small circles or squares are typical software defaults. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style . Recently, we looked at how to write run-in lists, which are lists that appear inside sentences. Over 1.5 million copies sold! Government, including federal government and U.S. government. A: AP uses the numeral for acres, even when less than 10, as a dimension: 5 acres. Bulleted lists can be used with complete sentences, phrases, or a combination. Capitalization is a style choicewith sentence fragments, you can choose to start each with either upper- or lower-case letters. Vacuum windowsills and corners with a vacuum hose. 6. Why wouldnt you want to add a list to your work? Semicolon Use in Lists A properly inserted semicolon helps to provide pause and clarifying separation in sentences. This will uncapitalize your text. The capitalization chapter has new guidance on how to write about census divisions and geological formations. The rule of thumb in AP style is that things should be lowercased unless a rule indicates that theyre upper. 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. Bulleted lists help make information more scannable and easier to understand. The Gregg Reference Manual(Sabin). These are perfectly acceptable, and some style guides suggest writing lists like this. To draw visual attention to items in a list without implying that items go in a certain order (e.g., chronology, importance, priority), use a bulleted list. Q: Do music groups take singular verbs, as do collective nouns, or plural verbs, as with sports teams? 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." We updated guidance on how to write about U.S. and international currency. Q: A months confinement or a month's confinement? To make peace with periods in a list, think of the entire list (including the lead-in word or phrase) as several sentences (all of which need a period at the end). A: The phrase suggests a contingency unlikely to come true, so use "were" for the subjunctive mood. ?X~soOr{/'gqjfZIuVCZQ!SdbnU)pHuL`>b"wlh)}4!ybjK I am a technical writer and editor who shares writing-related software tutorials on this website and on YouTube. Garner's Modern American Usage inserts periods at the end of bullet lists only if the bullet list begins with a capital letter. %PDF-1.4 % You can quickly convert your text or title to all caps by selecting the UPPER button on the tool. One exception: email (no hyphen, which reflects majority of usage). A) Begin each bullet with the same part of speech (noun, verb, adjective) It is very common to use action verbs (also known as dynamic verbs) to begin each item in a bulleted list. Q: Is the age of an inanimate object expressed in numerals or spelled out? Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions (regardless of length). I like apples. 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. So many choices to make! Judy Vorfeld Oppress means to persecute/tyrannize/bully. The AP Stylebook is a writing and editing reference for newsrooms, classrooms and corporate offices worldwide. 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. (CMS) and the Associated Press Stylebook (AP style) are what writers typically use. The Chicago Manual of Style. Bulleted lists: Capitalize the first letter after the bullet. Please try again. 'I hope this email finds you well:' Emailing During the Pandemic, Business Grammar: Pronoun Antecedent Errors, Use a period or other full stop after every bullet that is a sentence. Q: How do I deal with a vulgarity from a movie that is integral to the article I'm writing? Good business writing seeks to make information easy to understand. Chicago Style is one of the most used and respected headline capitalization methods used in journalism. Q: Veteran's Benefits, Veterans Benefits or Veterans' Benefits? These aren't always the same abbreviations the mail carrier uses. This article is a summary of AP style. In business writing, capitalize the first letter of bullet lists. Input your member identification number. Now we have bullets. In this tutorial, well explore guidelines for how to write vertical lists. Q: Why is atheist not capitalized while Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists, etc., are? This is the fourth in a six-part series.