ap style bulleted lists capitalization ap style bulleted lists capitalization

Online and technology (the web; the internet; URL; computers; e-commerce ). How to punctuate bullet lists can be tricky because various style guides contradict each other. Avoid a mix. Q: For a subject/verb agreement, how should I treat "one or more features? persistent psychological distress (Glozier et al., 2010; Lund et al., 2010). Do not capitalize articles, prepositions (regardless of length), and coordinating conjunctions. When do Icapitalize the first letter in abulleteditem? Awesome sauce! If you want to, you can press Enter on your keyboard or click the Copy button next to the text box to copy the text to your clipboard. Q. ?X~soOr{/'gqjfZIuVCZQ!SdbnU)pHuL`>b"wlh)}4!ybjK The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style . finish the project by Friday, January 23; place everything youve turned in to date, plus this assignment, on afloppy disk;and. Not using a colon isnt wrong, but omit it only with certainty that you comply with the style guide of your choice. Use a period after bullet list that completes the opening stem sentence that introduces it. In our latest quarterly roundup of AP Style reminders, we cover back-to-school terms, travel terminology, and more. 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. If you left caps lock on accidentally, you can quickly convert your title from uppercase to lowercase by selecting the lower button above. In general, capitalize formal titles used directly before a name. A: Commas in a series are for clarity and prevention of ambiguities. 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 tricky thing is punctuation. Abbreviations, acronyms (24/7; NATO; laser; U.S.; No. The buttons at the bottom let you choose specific case conversion options for the various styles. If all else fails, when it comes to accepting AP style: Just do it. If bulleted items are complete sentences, begin each item with a capital letter and finish it with a period or other appropriate punctuation. For example, are newspapers italicized? Bulleted lists are covered in Section 6.52 of the APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition This guidance has been expanded from the 6th edition. Hello! Q: A months confinement or a month's confinement? When your writing is crisp, clear, and easy to understand, audiences will likely leave your site with a positive impression. The Chicago Manual of Style. The bullets indicate that I like apples, bananas, and oranges equally. Do use a comma before the last item in a series when it contains items with and/or. 2023 American Psychological Association, 750 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, Telephone: (800) 374-2721; (202) 336-5500. 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 This post deserves a standing ovation. But here are a few things you might not realize are actually lowercase in AP style. In Not quite. Don't use a bulleted list for only one item. - Use periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section. Q: In denoting area, which is correct for numbers under 10 -- 5 acres or five acres? Numbered, lettered, and bulleted lists. Colon Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or Today we'll look at numbered 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). 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. Q: Veteran's Benefits, Veterans Benefits or Veterans' Benefits? In business writing, capitalize the first letter of bullet lists. For company names, use their preference: eBay. 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 . A: AP lowercases wine varietals such as cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, and caps regional names such as Bordeaux, Sauternes and Chablis. Example: You will need to present the following information: Your driver's license. 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. For example, here is a summary of the instructions to write a standard 5 paragraph essay. AP flags such cases atop the story with an editor's note. - Capitalize the first word following the dash or bullet. 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 most accepted style guide in business writing and web publishing is the AP Stylebook. Erin Wright, 20122023. Well, that was really helpful; thanks for the effort. The two major capitalization styles for headlines and titles are sentence case and title case. 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. It is the indispensable reference for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers, informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice. According to APA, racial and ethnic groups are designated by proper nouns and Get your free sample back in 3 to 6 hours! Complete sentences introducing ordered lists are traditionally punctuated with a colon. Sixth and Seventh streets). Q: Do music groups take singular verbs, as do collective nouns, or plural verbs, as with sports teams? Capitalize the first word of the title/heading and of any subtitle/subheading, Capitalize all major words (nouns, verbs including. 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. Q: Do you capitalize a conjunction in a headline? It is intended as a guide to common PR Team style and . Writing, phrasing, usage (word choice; clarity; subjunctive mood; ethnic-racial; profanity; slang ). Ive never found the AP Stylebook entry that covers this, including capitalization.. We wont send you spam. 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. Birth certificate . Bulleted Lists: APA uses bulleted lists to avoid the perception of importance/priority connotated in numbered lists. And consistency goes a long way in creating clear, credible content. DO NOT capitalize plural words even when part of a proper name (e.g. Common Style Guidelines 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. Q: Is clarity essentially the only rule determining when a serial comma should be included? Ordered lists that are part of an incomplete introductory sentence are lowercased and punctuated as if each item was inside the sentence.5, The animal shelters most generous donors were, 2. local businesses, including the hardware store, grocery store, and coffee shop; and. Preferred style is without terminal punctuation, unless the list item is a complete sentence. Input your member identification number. 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. Stay with us.". Bullets Associated Press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. Other terminology (business; food and beverages; legal and justice; medical; ethnic and nationality; politics; religion ). Required fields are marked *. 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 all words of four letters or more. Try it with a list of shorter items like this. 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. Q: Is clarity essentially the only rule determining when a serial comma should be included? Q: Is there a standard AP style for bulleted areas of text? This is another case where there are no hard rules! But if you are using a style guide, you may want to check it for guidance on which style to use. Published: November 13, 2012 Updated: August 22, 2020. 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. 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. Problem solved. This is where the semicolon confusion comes in. Capitalize words with four or more letters (including conjunctions and prepositions). 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). endstream endobj startxref Microsoft and Gregg would capitalize flat and sharp if they appeared in a title (unlike Rule 2). Lowercase the second word in a compound modifier (e.g., Mid-year or On-site). 205-921-5556. nouns, pronouns, verbs. I like oranges. If you have questions, read our. AP and Chicago Manual of Style - capitalize initial word and use periods after sentence list items. 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. 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. Your points should be consistent, either all sentences or all fragments. Semicolon Use in Lists A properly inserted semicolon helps to provide pause and clarifying separation in sentences. All major words in titles (including small words, such as "Is" and "It"); for example, "Business and Economics". 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. A: AP stories use PHP, Ajax, XML, FTP search engine optimization click-through rate pay-per-click. Were often asked whether you need a period at the end of each entry in a list. Topics: Writer's Passport, Writing & Editing. In business writing, yes, use a colon at the end of the introductory stem sentence. You can also use this tool to do it automatically. . Use a lettered list if you want to emphasize separate parallel items within a sentence. 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. 6. Now we have bullets. For more AP style tips, watch Grammar Girls Beginning and Intermediate Guide to AP Style any time. The art instructor assigned three projects for the spring semester: 2. Watch your title convert case and be automatically capitalized! This will automatically indent the list as well. 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: Eight states are never abbreviated in datelines or text: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah. 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. Very helpful stuff! The capitalization rules are as follows: Capitalize the first and the last word. Although a little old-fashioned, some people like to use semicolons or commas in lists. Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter! In sentence case, only the first word and all proper nouns are capitalized, as shown in the following example: One more day of extreme heat for East Coast Right you are. The capitalization chapter has new guidance on how to write about census divisions and geological formations. The capitalization rules are as follows: Bluebook style capitalization is mainly used by lawyers. Geography, addresses (state names, regions: Mideast; Northwest; northeast Minnesota; 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.; Fifth Avenue ). Next, identify a newsworthy angle and set up your press release's header section. 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). Use numbered lists when youre working with instructions to be done in sequence, and the numbers suggest ahierarchy. 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). Do you need a colon to introduce a list? Judy Vorfeld Oppress means to persecute/tyrannize/bully. Follow the same capitalization rules you would follow for normal sentences. Q: Why is atheist not capitalized while Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists, etc., are? She holds a B.A. Ordered lists can be introduced by a complete or incomplete sentence and are typically prefaced by numbers1 or letters2 followed by a period. RULE: Use periods after independent clauses, dependent clauses, or long phrases that are displayed on separate lines in alist. A: corporate (adj.) You can also use a colon after a partial sentence. She excels at designing customized business writing training programs to maximize productivity, advance business objectives, and convey complex information. 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. 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 . This is ultimately a matter of stylistic preference. Gently tap the lid against a hard surface. Continue from there down the list. Our tool lets you convert the case of your text easily into sentence case. Fax: 205-921-5595 2131 Military Street S Hamilton, AL 35570 View Location 8 Tips to Make Your Writing Sound More Formal, Capitalization in APA, Chicago, MLA, and AP. There are five important things to watch for in numbered and bulleted lists: inconsistent capitalization. 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. You can quickly convert your text or title to all caps by selecting the UPPER button on the tool. x]0)} N "d/J]g<3gcyY?9Y\}xLgH*vVQ8e[!}mg%O*~OqoEhe9k=~o^p{?~7?ZOu6ImR)Gow=\JrP All rights reserved. driving, in which people text while in their vehicle (Schroeder & Sims, 2018). A: a month's confinement, per the QUASI POSSESSIVES section of the "possessives" entry. 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. 22 December, 2021. Understanding what to capitalize in a title is important to make sure that your titles and headlines look correct. The Gregg Reference Manual uses periods only after bullets that are dependent clauses and long phrases. Q: What is AP's style on the military's don't ask, don't tell policy? However, clear bullet list punctuation adds visual scan-ability to your business writing. '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. Capitalize major words, e.g. finally, draft your conclusion. 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. A: AP style is email (changed from e-mail), but other e- words are hyphenated: e-commerce and e-book. is lowercase. A: AP lowercases those descriptive titles. The capitalization rules are as follows: Learn how to spot the 5 most common mistakes and fix them before you publish. "The cat's toy" means one cat owns that toy. Q: There seem to be differing opinions on whether or not to capitalize the names of grapes used to make wine. 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. Capitalization (proper nouns: America; proper names: Democratic Party; popular names: Indy 500; compositions: books, movies, operas ). For a list of short items, there is no need to punctuate each point. Vacuum windowsills and corners with a vacuum hose. If unchecked, quotes will be output as curly quotes. Title case is the most common form of title and headline capitalization and is found in all four major title capitalization styles. Enter the email you used in your Ragan store purchase. That order can be based on rank (e.g., a list of most favorite to least favorite foods) or sequence (e.g., recipe instructions). Some guiding principles behind AP style are: Consistency Clarity Accuracy Brevity AP style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language. The following rules apply to MLA headings: AP style capitalization is mainly used by writers for the Associated Press but is also used widely throughout journalism. Bulleted lists are appropriate when presenting a list of items in no particular order. Subscribe to AP Stylebook Online: AP Stylebook Online is a searchable, customizable guide for writers and editors that is updated throughout the year. Write it. Capitalize the first and the last word of titles and subtitles. Bulleted lists help make information more scannable and easier to understand. Cite it. So nice to hear the positive feedback! 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. When a vertical list follows a full sentence, introduce it with a colon. Lower is default; upper is special. Learn how your comment data is processed. Capitalize the first word of every bullet. 8. 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. Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: AP style, APA style, Chicago style, formatting, grammar, MLA style, punctuation. Careful punctuation also reflects thought and care. Some style manuals, such as the AP Stylebook and APA Publication Manual, recommend capitalizing an independent clause after a colon. These include short words and conjunctions: The other major type of title capitalization standard is sentence case. Capitalize My Title requires JavaScript to be enabled in order to run. This is the fourth in a six-part series. - Use periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section. A: In this instance, use a plural verb. First, it is important to note that there are four main title capitalization styles: Chicago style, APA style, MLA style, and AP style. 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. %PDF-1.4 % Next post: Make blog post content rich with layers, Previous post: Blog Post Format: Chunk It. Use a numbered list if you want to display items in a numbered series. 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. Capitalize every word in the headline; the main subhead is a complete sentence with a period. Bulleted lists. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You can also upload a document to get an instant quote. 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. Your subscription includes the . Do it anyway. Garner calls this "vertical lists punctuated as a sentence." (AP Style reminds writers that it is still correct to use bullets if preferred.) To help, weve prepared a guide to punctuating and capitalizing bullet points. AP style provides consistent guidelines for such publications in terms of grammar, spelling, punctuation and language usage. Bullets normally preface unordered list items.7. And, as a guideline, wed suggest punctuating bullet points as follows: However, this again comes down to preference and your chosen style guide.