The capitalization rules are as follows: Wikipedia editors must follow certain capitalization rules for any posts to Wikipedia. driving, in which people text while in their vehicle (Schroeder & Sims, 2018). 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.". While its not wrong and some style guides recommend this, its not the best business writing choice. in compound modifiers (e.g., Mid-year, Anti-hero, etc.). 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. When do Iuse periods and when do Ileave bulleted items without end punctuation? A: Always use figures for people, animals and objects: 3-year-old house. Capitalization looks fancy and makes things seem important. Cite it. Q: Would "crew chief" and "team owner" be capitalized before a name? Online and technology (the web; the internet; URL; computers; e-commerce ). In business writing, yes, use a colon at the end of the introductory stem sentence. 4.24.14 AP style rules on state abbreviations updated. Use periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section or a phrase." This is clear, but AP doesn't fully address when to omit a period at the end of each bullet. I like apples. Chicago Style is one of the most used and respected headline capitalization methods used in journalism. 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. Awesome sauce! It also connects closely related thoughts. Its all about readability. Here is an example of bullet lists that need a period to complete the introductory stem sentence: Here is an example of bullets lists that do not need a period because they are fragments not connected to the introductory stem sentence: These are reasons I love traveling to Ireland: Here is an example of bullet lists that do not need a period because theyre one word or a short phrase that feels like an inventory or shopping list: This issue is straightforward. - Capitalize the first word following the dash or bullet. 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 Lowercase the second word in a compound modifier (e.g., Mid-year or On-site). Q: Is the age of an inanimate object expressed in numerals or spelled out? Write it. Infants will try to help others who seem like they need help with simple tasks, such as carrying multiple objects. 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. That includes newspaper names and magazine references. Q: Is there a standard AP style for bulleted areas of text? - Use periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section. How about Civil Rights Movement? You can also use a colon after a partial sentence. 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. Copyright 2023 Lawrence Ragan Communications, Inc. mar Girls Beginning and Intermediate Guide to AP Style. (After reading this) .. the proper name, do not capitalize. Beyond that, all three capitalize the first and last word of a title. 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. Writing, phrasing, usage (word choice; clarity; subjunctive mood; ethnic-racial; profanity; slang ). This is why capitalization of items that make up a list of bullet points is sometimes a matter of style. Q: When referring to your company in internal (or external) communications, which is correct: Corporate or corporate? Q: Others use one word for internet-related terms. The Chicago Manual of Style Online is the venerable, time-tested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. The Gregg Reference Manual(Sabin). For example, here is a summary of the instructions to write a standard 5 paragraph essay. Q: In a news story, can you start a sentence with an acronym? Published: November 13, 2012 Updated: August 22, 2020. In Not quite. Bulleted lists help make information more scannable and easier to understand. Following are some questions and answers to use as guidelines: When is it better to use bullets than numbers? The capitalization rules are as follows: Bluebook style capitalization is mainly used by lawyers. hb```"3VTa`0p4 )x3JH2HgQW(Iz8Nul i@fP!40XE&,0e0v`do`6c $X1)`U&y[#b s .6[ If nothing else, your writing will be consistent. Bulleted lists are covered in Section 6.52 of the APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition. Right you are. The capitalization chapter has new guidance on how to write about census divisions and geological formations. Punctuation (commas; quotation marks; colon; semi-colon; ellipsis ). Now we have bullets. The book club members made a list of their favorite genres: Individual list items following a complete sentence that are themselves complete sentences are each punctuated with a period.4. Enter the email you used in your Ragan store purchase. AP style is actually not capitalized, though AP Stylebook is. 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. A: Veterans benefits, lowercase and not a possessive, is usually a descriptive term. The first step in the process of how to write an AP style press release is to familiarize yourself with the guidelines. She excels at designing customized business writing training programs to maximize productivity, advance business objectives, and convey complex information. Proven techniques for attention grabbing headlines & titles. Microsoft and Gregg would capitalize flat and sharp if they appeared in a title (unlike Rule 2). It's hard for some people to wrap their heads around this rule, especially if each . See The MLA Style Center for more information. Instead, texts like The Canadian Style (2nd ed., 1997) offer guidelines for styling bulleted lists, some of which strike some writers (this one, for instance) as needlessly complicated. Capitalize the first word of the title/heading and of any subtitle/subheading. Local Phone: (623) 399-6676 | Entries (RSS). Capitalize the first word in a bullet point and the introduction to the list, but not the rest. Use a lettered list if you want to emphasize separate parallel items within a sentence. 10439 W Royal Palm Rd., Peoria AZ 85345 The following example demonstrates this format as well as how to include a citation for the information in the bulleted list. And, as a guideline, wed suggest punctuating bullet points as follows: However, this again comes down to preference and your chosen style guide. Title case is the most common form of title and headline capitalization and is found in all four major title capitalization styles. Important Note: The MLA Handbook from the Modern Language Association (MLA style) follows Chicago-style recommendations for ordered and unordered vertical lists. Two new and potentially controversial suggestions when writing bulleted lists are to use dashes instead of bullets and to always use periods (rather than semicolons) at the end of each section, even if it is a phrase and not a sentence. 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. A: A few examples: Radar, Laser, NATO, OPEC. 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. Although a little old-fashioned, some people like to use semicolons or commas in lists. 2-5 p.m.) and when to use the word "to"? Examples: House Cleaning Tips: Remove items from shelves before dusting. Very helpful stuff! You can quickly convert your text or title to all caps by selecting the UPPER button on the tool. Other terminology (business; food and beverages; legal and justice; medical; ethnic and nationality; politics; religion ). RULE: Use periods after independent clauses, dependent clauses, or long phrases that are displayed on separate lines in alist. 0 in English from the University of Rhode Island, an M.A. You can also use this tool to do it automatically. 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. Example: You will need to present the following information: Your driver's license. Capitalization and end punctuation depend on the type of list and the contents of the list. label all file pages (and the disk itself) with your designatedcode. The following examples demonstrate both options as well as how to integrate in-text citations into bulleted lists. 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. Sorry to pile on here, but your discussion of verb endings is inadequate. ?X~soOr{/'gqjfZIuVCZQ!SdbnU)pHuL`>b"wlh)}4!ybjK Bullets Associated Press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. Now check your email to confirm your subscription for My Blog Editor blog alerts. Sixth and Seventh streets). Use a period after every bullet point that completes the introductory stem. Quickly convert your title or text to title case by simply clicking the Title Case button in the tool above. Because AP recommends the colon and AP is the preferred business writing style guide, I recommend using it consistently in your business writing. Your email address will not be published. Read this and other articles on English grammar, mechanics, and usage at Get It Write. It makes it easier for your reader. 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. Infants often display prosocial behaviorthat is, behavior intended to help otherswhen interacting with their parents, as demonstrated in the following examples (Hammond & Drummond, 2019): If bulleted items are words or phrases (but not complete sentences), begin each item with a lowercase letter (except words such as proper nouns). In business writing, capitalize the first letter of bullet lists. Capitalize the first and the last word of titles and subtitles. The buttons at the bottom let you choose specific case conversion options for the various styles. This is the fourth in a six-part series. AP Stylebook: Use periods after bullets. 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. Important Note: If you follow The Associated Press Stylebook (AP style), see the Style Guide Alert at the bottom of this post for clarification on AP styles recommendations for unordered lists, which differ from the general guidelines explained below. AP style provides consistent guidelines for such publications in terms of grammar, spelling, punctuation and language usage. Q: If you have a hyphen in a headline, is the word after the hyphen capitalized? Problem solved. Numbered Lists and Bullet Lists: Why and How? 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 endstream endobj 32 0 obj <>stream 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. Vacuum windowsills and corners with a vacuum hose. A: In a simple series, AP doesn't use a comma before the last item. Subscribe to the My Blog Editor blog for the latest TIPS on improving the QUALITY of your business content. This article is a summary of AP style. How about AP? 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. 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. 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. 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. Does this help? Numbered and unnumbered lists are more commonly used in scholarly publications. always refer to the style guide and doublecheck capitalization recommendations. Titles. The top tabs allow you to select which style of capitalization you want to use. After each dash, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each section. Zip Airline offers In our latest quarterly roundup of AP Style reminders, we cover back-to-school terms, travel terminology, and more. 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. 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. Certainly, your business writings substance and information are far more critical than exacting punctuation that technically is neither correct nor incorrect since style guides vary. 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. 2003-2022 Judy Vorfeld's Office Support Services. The individual list items following the complete sentence are usually lowercased if they arent complete sentences themselves. A: AP uses hyphenated e- for generic terms such as e-commerce and e-strategies. If necessary, rewrite the list item so that all items begin with capital letters or all items begin with lowercase words. Q: Is it staff has or staff have? Lowercase and spell out when not used with an individual name: The president issued a statement. However, most people now leave out the extra punctuation. Lowercase to in the infinitive (though not defined in the stylebook). 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. nouns, pronouns, verbs. Again, style guides dont agree.]. You can also use this tool to do it automatically. Not using a colon isnt wrong, but omit it only with certainty that you comply with the style guide of your choice. 9. Q: There seem to be differing opinions on whether or not to capitalize the names of grapes used to make wine. You can learn more in the Title Capitalization Rules by Style section. Example: Hampton, Va. See the stylebook for specific abbreviations. To see what I mean, read the lead-in word or phrase then read the first item on the list. 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! In bulleted and numbered lists, do not use a period or other punctuation after titles or phrases that are not complete sentences (also good for accessibility). This will automatically indent the list as well. A: AP lowercases civil rights movement. Do you capitalize the first word of a bullet point? 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. Navigating the not-so-hidden treasures of the APA Style website. Q: Is there a standard AP style for bulleted areas of text? 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. Watch your title convert case and be automatically capitalized! If a sentence contains more than three items or ideas, we recommend breaking them up into a bulleted list. 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. Should the opening stem sentence end with a colon to introduce the bullet lists or use no colon? 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. When writing an argumentative essay, you would typically research a topic and adopt a certain How to Punctuate and Capitalize Bullet Points. This will convert your text to uppercase. Find it. Q: Do music groups take singular verbs, as do collective nouns, or plural verbs, as with sports teams? To help, weve prepared a guide to punctuating and capitalizing bullet points. In most cases, experts recommend that you start each bulleted item with acapital letter. Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: AP style, APA style, Chicago style, formatting, grammar, MLA style, punctuation. Whether youre writing an essay, email, or cover letter, youll likely use parentheses. Bulleted lists may be comprised of complete sentences or phrases. 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. Erin Wright, 20122023. 28 0 obj <> endobj This isn't an exhaustive list, but it will get you started. But here are a few things you might not realize are actually lowercase in AP style. Some guiding principles behind AP style are: Consistency Clarity Accuracy Brevity AP style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language. A: corporate (adj.) (AP Style reminds writers that it is still correct to use bullets if preferred.) All rights reserved. AP Stylebook recommends: "Capitalize the first word following the dash or bullet. Write a strong thesis statement, compose the body of your essay, complete the introduction, and. Subscribe to AP Stylebook Online: AP Stylebook Online is a searchable, customizable guide for writers and editors that is updated throughout the year. Theyre easy to read. Semicolon Use in Lists A properly inserted semicolon helps to provide pause and clarifying separation in sentences. [M zmp0&BLp$UPd67Z9Ha{0gPY "nG~h%rls 'wdt;:^2i+>f9V%EQ)j2"^e\KP"TiNc-((V A&N+E}E;SnIP It is the same across all of the four styles. Most often, the text that introduces such lists ends with a colon, as in "The value of . Include the dateline - BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Jan. 1, 2022; . The Copyeditors Handbook (Einsohn). (CMS) and the Associated Press Stylebook (AP style) are what writers typically use. However, in regard to headlines, is it now true that press release headlines should be in sentence case? . By far, this is the most vexing punctuation issue! Grammar (essential vs. nonessential clauses; pronouns; subject-verb agreement ), Q: I'm confused on the use of "that" and "who" when talking about groups. Some style manuals, such as the AP Stylebook and APA Publication Manual, recommend capitalizing an independent clause after a colon. The most accepted style guide in business writing and web publishing is the AP Stylebook. Another easy decision. You should always use a colon before a bulleted or numbered list. The two major capitalization styles for headlines and titles are sentence case and title case. Bulleted Lists: APA uses bulleted lists to avoid the perception of importance/priority connotated in numbered lists. Capitalize nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs (including phrasal verbs such as "play with"), adverbs, and subordinate conjunctions. 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 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: For a subject/verb agreement, how should I treat "one or more features? They are also written without terminal punctuation (i.e., they dont end in a period, comma, colon, or semicolon).9. My name is Erin. The stylebook uses italics for examples only. 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). If the elements are complex, uses commas for all. Fax: 205-921-5595 2131 Military Street S Hamilton, AL 35570 View Location Q: Should the names of decades be capitalized when written out? Try it with these examples and see if the period makes more sense. This will uncapitalize your text. 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. Note however that it is not wrong to capitalize a sentence or clause after a colon. It is intended as a guide to common PR Team style and . If you have questions, read our. So nice to hear the positive feedback! 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. Garner's Modern American Usage inserts periods at the end of bullet lists only if the bullet list begins with a capital letter. We wont send you spam. They look good. Lowercase the second word after a hyphenated prefix (e.g., Mid-, Anti-, Super-, etc.) The Gregg Reference Manual uses periods only after bullets that are dependent clauses and long phrases. First, it is important to note that there are four main title capitalization styles: Chicago style, APA style, MLA style, and AP style. A: "don't ask, don't tell" policy. In AP style, headlines capitalize the first word, proper names, or proper abbreviations, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs. 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. 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.. For more AP style tips, watch Grammar Girls Beginning and Intermediate Guide to AP Style any time. In general, capitalize formal titles used directly before a name. Thanks for the catch! This is a grammar guide that accompanies our post on how to write better bullet points. 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. Ordered vertical lists have, you guessed it, an order. A: We follow Webster's on that term, which is lowercase. You're not "piling on." See APA 7, Section 6.52 for examples and more information. How to punctuate bullet lists can be tricky because various style guides contradict each other.