Bachelor of Arts is capitalized as an academic degree, as are B.A. A: Normally staff is a collective taking a singular verb, Spelling (one word or two; hyphenation; noun phrases; prefixes; suffixes), Titles (academic; courtesy; professional; military; occupational; political; religious). It is the indispensable reference for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers, informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice. Find it. Read this and other articles on English grammar, mechanics, and usage at Get It Write. In most cases, experts recommend that you start each bulleted item with acapital letter. Try it with a list of shorter items like this. x]0)} N "d/J]g<3gcyY?9Y\}xLgH*vVQ8e[!}mg%O*~OqoEhe9k=~o^p{?~7?ZOu6ImR)Gow=\JrP Sixth and Seventh streets). endstream endobj startxref - Use periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section. 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). Q: Which states are never abbreviated in datelines? TITLES Semicolon Use in Lists A properly inserted semicolon helps to provide pause and clarifying separation in sentences. While its not wrong and some style guides recommend this, its not the best business writing choice. 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. AP style capitalization is mainly used by writers for the Associated Press but is also used widely throughout journalism. Numbered and unnumbered lists are more commonly used in scholarly publications. Should the opening stem sentence end with a colon to introduce the bullet lists or use no colon? 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. 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. Bulleted lists are covered in Section 6.52 of the APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition. 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. Were often asked whether you need a period at the end of each entry in a list. If a bulleted list contains phrases, each bullet should begin with a lowercase letter. 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. This guidance has been expanded from the 6th edition. AP Style: Sentence Fragments and Capitalization Finally, let's look at Associated Press style. AP Stylebook: Use periods after bullets. If checked, quotes will be output as straight quotes. The capitalization rules are as follows: AMA style capitalization is mainly used in the scientific community. - Capitalize the first word following the dash or bullet. 2-5 p.m.) and when to use the word "to"? 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. Bulleted lists are covered in Section 6.52 of the APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition This guidance has been expanded from the 6th edition. Problem solved. Everyone loves a vertical list. 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. endstream endobj 32 0 obj <>stream Use a numbered list if you want to display items in a numbered series. The Best 2023 AP Style Cheat Sheet Every Writer Needs (Free Download) Ben Sailer Content. In the example above, the first two list items end with a semicolon because the second list item has internal commas. I like bananas. Its hard for some people to wrap their heads around this rule, especially if each item on the list is not a full sentence. Regards, Julia! These are perfectly acceptable, and some style guides suggest writing lists like this. Semicolons Use in Lists: Items with Internal Punctuation [M zmp0&BLp$UPd67Z9Ha{0gPY "nG~h%rls 'wdt;:^2i+>f9V%EQ)j2"^e\KP"TiNc-((V A&N+E}E;SnIP (CMS) and the Associated Press Stylebook (AP style) are what writers typically use. This means you must CHECK to find out the proper name!) The stylebook uses italics for examples only. Capitalize the first word following the dash or bullet. 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. Possessive versus descriptive Q: A months confinement or a month's confinement? For MBA, AP Style don [t use periods. The first word after a colon unless it begins an independent clause. This creates anew layer of confusion on how to use capitalization and punctuation in such lists. Capitalization is a style choicewith sentence fragments, you can choose to start each with either upper- or lower-case letters. In a simple series, AP doesn't use a comma before the last item. Q: For a subject/verb agreement, how should I treat "one or more features? Next post: Make blog post content rich with layers, Previous post: Blog Post Format: Chunk It. the proper name, do not capitalize. This will automatically indent the list as well. Now we have bullets. Considering those rules, these hyphenated words would all be correctly capitalized in titles: In the list above, up, in, on, off, and out are adverbs-not prepositions. Colon Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun orFile Size: KB. A: AP uses dashes, not bullets, for lists in news stories that follow a colon. Avoid a mix. Include the dateline - BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Jan. 1, 2022; . Lowercase and spell out when not used with an individual name: The president issued a statement. Include periods after independent clauses, dependent clauses, and long phrases, and also after short phrases or words that are necessary to make the sentence grammatically complete: To register for the Annual Meeting: Go to aad.org. The capitalization rules are as follows: Bluebook style capitalization is mainly used by lawyers. Below you'll find information on numbers, time and dates, locations, phone numbers, punctuation, capitalization and titles, and the Internet. Capitalize the first word of the title/heading and of any subtitle/subheading. Garner calls this "vertical lists punctuated as a sentence." A: A few examples: Radar, Laser, NATO, OPEC. Bulleted lists allow a writer to create a list that stands out from the text without the implied chronology or order of importance that a numbered list might convey. The capitalization rules are as follows: Wikipedia editors must follow certain capitalization rules for any posts to Wikipedia. . 1 ). 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? 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. 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. Other terminology (business; food and beverages; legal and justice; medical; ethnic and nationality; politics; religion ). 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. If the elements are complex, uses commas for all. persistent psychological distress (Glozier et al., 2010; Lund et al., 2010). A list of information can be neatly organised using bullet points. The buttons at the bottom let you choose specific case conversion options for the various styles. It's like APA style in that you capitalize the first word after a colon if it's the start of at least one complete sentence. Complete sentences introducing ordered lists are traditionally punctuated with a colon. You can also use this tool to do it automatically. 7. Please enable JavaScript and visit again! If all else fails, when it comes to accepting AP style: Just do it. Bulleted lists can be used with complete sentences, phrases, or a combination. How about AP? Microsoft and Gregg would capitalize flat and sharp if they appeared in a title (unlike Rule 2). finally, draft your conclusion. Initial capitalization is preferred for list items that are complete sentences ( Example B) or stand-alone phrases (Examples C and D ). The Gregg Reference Manual uses periods only after bullets that are dependent clauses and long phrases. Items that are complete sentences If bulleted items are complete sentences, begin each item with a capital letter and finish it with a period or other appropriate punctuation. Title case is also commonly used for book titles, movies titles, song names, plays, and other works. 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 Subscribe to the My Blog Editor blog for the latest TIPS on improving the QUALITY of your business content. Capitalize the first word in each bullet. The two major capitalization styles for headlines and titles are sentence case and title case. The art instructor assigned three projects for the spring semester: 2. Important Note: The MLA Handbook from the Modern Language Association (MLA style) follows Chicago-style recommendations for ordered and unordered vertical lists. Writing, phrasing, usage (word choice; clarity; subjunctive mood; ethnic-racial; profanity; slang ). Q. Stay with us.". We could also write this list with commas instead of semicolons. A: corporate (adj.) The tricky thing is punctuation. This post links directly to APA Style topics of interest that users may not even know exist on the website. A: AP stories use PHP, Ajax, XML, FTP search engine optimization click-through rate pay-per-click. Write it. They look good. Q: Others use one word for internet-related terms. Do you need a colon to introduce a list? Now check your email to confirm your subscription for My Blog Editor blog alerts. Below are examples of vertical listswhich may be unnumbered, numbered, or bulletedand how to introduce, punctuate, and capitalize them. Copyright 2023 Lawrence Ragan Communications, Inc. mar Girls Beginning and Intermediate Guide to AP Style. Dont use a period after bullet lists that are not complete sentences or do not complete the opening stem sentence. In this tutorial, well explore guidelines for how to write vertical lists. A: Commas in a series are for clarity and prevention of ambiguities. Words that should not be capitalized include: Q: Great Depression is capitalized and so is American Revolution. Capitalize My Title requires JavaScript to be enabled in order to run. Use all sentences or all. RECOMMENDATION: Please avoid usingthe following format: If you write alot of reports and documents with lists, youll always do well if you follow the guidelines above, recognizing the need of the reader to grasp information quickly and easily. Right you are. in Composition and Rhetoric from the University of New Hampshire. How to punctuate bullet lists can be tricky because various style guides contradict each other. AP Stylebook recommends: "Capitalize the first word following the dash or bullet. Punctuation The huge difference is that AP colon rules allow you to use a colon after a sentence fragment. If necessary, rewrite the list item so that all items begin with capital letters or all items begin with lowercase words. in English from the University of Rhode Island, an M.A. 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. Whether youre writing an essay, email, or cover letter, youll likely use parentheses. Capitalization looks fancy and makes things seem important. By virtue of their formatting, numbered lists stand . Lists, Part 4: Numbered Lists. The Chicago Manual of Style has pages of rules and examples of bullet lists that agree with the Garner style recommendation to use semicolons after each item, use and after the next-to-last-item, and use a period at the end of the last item. 9. For more AP style tips, watch Grammar Girls Beginning and Intermediate Guide to AP Style any time. AP style provides consistent guidelines for such publications in terms of grammar, spelling, punctuation and language usage. 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. and Ph.D. See "doctor" for an explanation of Dr. as a title for medical doctor on first reference. 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 I have a tendency to be very verbose when I write. According to APA, racial and ethnic groups are designated by proper nouns and Get your free sample back in 3 to 6 hours! A: Veterans benefits, lowercase and not a possessive, is usually a descriptive term. When do Icapitalize the first letter in abulleteditem? Cite it. (Just like this bullet list youre reading now.). 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. Q: Why is "doctorate in psychology" not capped, but "Bachelor of Arts" is? First, it is important to note that there are four main title capitalization styles: Chicago style, APA style, MLA style, and AP style. In our latest quarterly roundup of AP Style reminders, we cover back-to-school terms, travel terminology, and more. And if so, when? A 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? The Copyeditors Handbook (Einsohn). If bulleted items are complete sentences, begin each item with a capital letter and finish it with a period or other appropriate punctuation. A: AP lowercases wine varietals such as cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, and caps regional names such as Bordeaux, Sauternes and Chablis. hb```"3VTa`0p4 )x3JH2HgQW(Iz8Nul i@fP!40XE&,0e0v`do`6c $X1)`U&y[#b s .6[ The capitalization rules are as follows: Learn how to spot the 5 most common mistakes and fix them before you publish. Lowercase indefinite and definite articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions. If the bulleted text is a whole sentence, uppercase the initial letter of the first word and use a period to conclude the paragraph (see "Lists, Part 5: Bulleted Lists" in the APA Style Blog . Unfortunately, many brands forego style guides and choose to wing . Thanks for the catch! Mary founded Instructional Solutions in 1998, and is an internationally recognized business writing trainer and executive writing coach with two decades of experience helping thousands of individuals and businesses master the strategic skill of business writing. 205-921-5556. Some style manuals, such as the AP Stylebook and APA Publication Manual, recommend capitalizing an independent clause after a colon. Numbered lists (as noted on p. 64 of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association) can be used to denote items in a series, such as conclusions or procedural steps. There was an error submitting your subscription. Following are some questions and answers to use as guidelines: When is it better to use bullets than numbers? 28 0 obj <> endobj 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. A: AP uses dashes, not bullets, for lists in news stories that follow a colon. If you feel punctuation does not matter, consider the impact of punctuation in these bullet lists: 2023 Instructional SolutionsRefund Policy | Terms | Privacy Policy. Take the sentence "She has decided: She won't have surgery to hide the scar.". Each of these capitalization styles has slightly different rules for which words are capitalized and each of these styles can be written using title case capitalization or sentence case capitalization. EPA follows the AP rule after the dash or bullet: capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each section. However, most people now leave out the extra punctuation. Bullet points. However, clear bullet list punctuation adds visual scan-ability to your business writing. The Gregg Reference Manual uses periods only after bullets that are dependent clauses and long phrases. 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. 10. You can also use this tool to do it automatically. Prepositions that contain five letters or more. Bullet point structure Don't mix and match sentence structures. You should always use a colon before a bulleted or numbered list. Others, like the Chicago Manual of Style, suggest lowercasing it. Does this help? Don't use the Oxford comma in a simple series before the conjunction. July 31, 2019. - Capitalize the first word following the dash or bullet. finish the project by Friday, January 23; place everything youve turned in to date, plus this assignment, on afloppy disk;and. Your email address will not be published. Our tool lets you convert the case of your text easily into sentence case. When writing a list, ensure all items are syntactically and conceptually parallel. 2003-2022 Judy Vorfeld's Office Support Services. Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: AP style, APA style, Chicago style, formatting, grammar, MLA style, punctuation. Learn how your comment data is processed. This will convert your text to uppercase. Use periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section or a phrase. This is clear, but AP doesnt fully address when to omit a period at the end of each bullet. Q: In a news story, can you start a sentence with an acronym? Capitalization and end punctuation depend on the type of list and the contents of the list. Subscribe to AP Stylebook Online: AP Stylebook Online is a searchable, customizable guide for writers and editors that is updated throughout the year. You are reading a blog that focuses on business writing. Use either all full sentences in your bullet lists or all fragments. A: We follow Webster's on that term, which is lowercase. The department prefers bullets, but punctuate them per AP style: After each bullet, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each item. Because AP recommends the colon and AP is the preferred business writing style guide, I recommend using it consistently in your business writing. Chicago Manual of Style does not. Lowercase the second word after a hyphenated prefix (e.g., Mid-, Anti-, Super-, etc.) 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). Q: What is AP's style on the military's don't ask, don't tell policy? A: AP style is email (changed from e-mail), but other e- words are hyphenated: e-commerce and e-book. 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. Use proper punctuation for bulleted sections. AP's style is now to capitalize Black in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense, conveying an essential . - Use periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section. Whether using bullets or numbers, vertical lists can be tricky. Thanks! Lists Introduced with a Complete Sentence Most often, the text that introduces such lists ends with a colon, as in "The value of . 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. Example: You will need to present the following information: Your driver's license. We updated guidance on how to write about U.S. and international currency. For a list of short items, there is no need to punctuate each point. Note however that it is not wrong to capitalize a sentence or clause after a colon. Q: There seem to be differing opinions on whether or not to capitalize the names of grapes used to make wine. Q: When referring to your company in internal (or external) communications, which is correct: Corporate or corporate? Grammar (essential vs. nonessential clauses; pronouns; subject-verb agreement ), Q: I'm confused on the use of "that" and "who" when talking about groups. There are two options for the punctuation of bulleted lists when the items are words or phrases. Bulleted lists. In business writing, capitalize the first letter and keep bullet list punctuation clean. For example, are newspapers italicized? Capitalization looks fancy and makes things seem important. Please list your allergies and give date of last flare-up. Ordered vertical lists have, you guessed it, an order. 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! The same applies when someone may refer to specific items by number. Title case is the most common form of title and headline capitalization and is found in all four major title capitalization styles. APA allows the use of bulleted lists with or without punctuation. A: A partial spelling with hyphens in place of some letters would convey the meaning. Thanks for the tips. "The cat's toy" means one cat owns that toy. Colon Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or The Chicago Manual of Style Online is the venerable, time-tested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. Do you capitalize the first word of a bullet point? Capitalize words with four or more letters (including conjunctions and prepositions). Q: In denoting area, which is correct for numbers under 10 -- 5 acres or five acres? The rule of thumb in AP style is that things should be lowercased unless a rule indicates that theyre upper. 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. Bulleted Lists: APA uses bulleted lists to avoid the perception of importance/priority connotated in numbered lists. Although a little old-fashioned, some people like to use semicolons or commas in lists. Example 1: Proven techniques for attention grabbing headlines & titles. 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. We wont send you spam. Again, these will depend on the specific style you choose (see Title Capitalization Rules by Style section). 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. 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.. 22 December, 2021. To see what I mean, read the lead-in word or phrase then read the first item on the list. A: The phrase suggests a contingency unlikely to come true, so use "were" for the subjunctive mood. Examples: House Cleaning Tips: Remove items from shelves before dusting. Your email address will not be published. (After reading this) .. Awesome sauce! . All rights reserved. The Chicago Manual of Style. Hello! That's . Capitalize the first word in a bullet point and the introduction to the list, but not the rest. One exception: email (no hyphen, which reflects majority of usage). As with so many things in the English language, capitalization with colons can be complex, and many times, it's more of a style issue than one of correctness. Capitalize the first and the last word of titles and subtitles. Any symbol may be used for the bullets, although small circles or squares are typical software defaults. According to APA Style, the first word after the colon is capitalized only if it begins a complete sentence. Q: If we're speaking about regions of the state, should it be South Louisiana, North Louisiana and Central Louisiana? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You can also upload a document to get an instant quote. The first step in the process of how to write an AP style press release is to familiarize yourself with the guidelines. Please try again. You can also use a colon after a partial sentence. Input your member identification number. Another easy decision. The default rule is to lowercase words unless theres a reason they should be uppercase. Consider the examples below: Lower is default; upper is special. 0 Abbreviations, acronyms (24/7; NATO; laser; U.S.; No. The capitalization chapter has new guidance on how to write about census divisions and geological formations. AP and Chicago Manual of Style - capitalize initial word and use periods after sentence list items. A: 2-5 p.m. is preferred. Thanks for the comment, Anna. You're not "piling on." In AP style, headlines capitalize the first word, proper names, or proper abbreviations, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs. I recommend APs style guidance for end punctuation: All of these recommendations follow AP, but one clarification is needed. A: AP lowercases civil rights movement. Its visually cluttered, impeding easy scan. Numbered Lists and Bullet Lists: Why and How? As an Amazon Associate, CapitalizeMyTitle.com earns from qualifying purchases. By far, this is the most vexing punctuation issue! Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions (regardless of length). Very helpful stuff! Understanding what to capitalize in a title is important to make sure that your titles and headlines look correct. Q: Is it staff has or staff have? AP has a few punctuation rules that differ from many common style guides: Do not use a comma before the last item in a simple series ("My favorite candy includes Snickers, Twix and Zagnut bars."). 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 . 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." 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). Sorry to pile on here, but your discussion of verb endings is inadequate. A: Lowercase for post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, hepatitis C, etc. To remove a lid from a jar that is stuck: Place the lid under hot water for ten seconds. 4.24.14 AP style rules on state abbreviations updated. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this websites owner is strictly prohibited.