ap style bulleted lists capitalization

Example: Hampton, Va. See the stylebook for specific abbreviations. Use proper punctuation for bulleted sections. 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. A 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. In business writing, yes, use a colon at the end of the introductory stem sentence. There are five important things to watch for in numbered and bulleted lists: inconsistent capitalization. Capitalization - VA.gov Design System - Veterans Affairs However, clear bullet list punctuation adds visual scan-ability to your business writing. Infants are happy to participate in normal household chores, such as cleaning up. . A: AP uses dashes, not bullets, for lists in news stories that follow a colon. Welcome to Ask the Editor, a forum on writing, style and phrasing issues that go beyond the pages of the AP Stylebook. Its illogical to use semicolons and vertical lists punctuated as sentences in business writing because its visually cluttered so its harder to scan. Find it. For MBA, AP Style don [t use periods. A colon adds emphasis, too. Use a lettered list if you want to emphasize separate parallel items within a sentence. Bonus: We have some great shortcuts to make your life easier. Lists | Google developer documentation style guide | Google Developers Q: A months confinement or a month's confinement? [M zmp0&BLp$UPd67Z9Ha{0gPY "nG~h%rls 'wdt;:^2i+>f9V%EQ)j2"^e\KP"TiNc-((V A&N+E}E;SnIP It makes it easier for your reader. Sorry to pile on here, but your discussion of verb endings is inadequate. STATES: Abbreviate state names when listed after a city. This is why capitalization of items that make up a list of bullet points is sometimes a matter of style. Yes. Capitalization looks fancy and makes things seem important. This post deserves a standing ovation. Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter! 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. In Not quite. Do use a comma before the last item in a series when it contains items with and/or. Bullets Associated Press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. Bulleted list punctuation ap style manual instruction For example, here is a summary of the instructions to write a standard 5 paragraph essay. 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. 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. %%EOF Capitalization after a Colon | Editor's Manual 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. The AP Stylebook is a writing and editing reference for newsrooms, classrooms and corporate offices worldwide. Whether youre writing an essay, email, or cover letter, youll likely use parentheses. 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). When a vertical list follows a full sentence, introduce it with a colon. After each dash, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each section. Understanding what to capitalize in a title is important to make sure that your titles and headlines look correct. AP Style: Sentence Fragments and Capitalization Finally, let's look at Associated Press style. The Gregg Reference Manual uses periods only after bullets that are dependent clauses and long phrases. Use a numbered list if you want to display items in a numbered series. 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 periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section. Below is a description of the ways you can use our case converter. Titles. Include the dateline - BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Jan. 1, 2022; . 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. Regards, Julia! Use either all full sentences in your bullet lists or all fragments. AP Style Quick Guide - ProofreadingPal Zip Airline offers The capitalization rules are as follows: Bluebook style capitalization is mainly used by lawyers. Any symbol may be used for the bullets, although small circles or squares are typical software defaults. Q: Is clarity essentially the only rule determining when a serial comma should be included? Capitalize the first and the last word of titles and subtitles. How to use the colon - Columbia Journalism Review 0 We wont send you spam. Q: Others use one word for internet-related terms. The buttons at the bottom let you choose specific case conversion options for the various styles. . 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. 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. By far, this is the most vexing punctuation issue! The default rule is to lowercase words unless theres a reason they should be uppercase. Again, these will depend on the specific style you choose (see Title Capitalization Rules by Style section). Q: Do music groups take singular verbs, as do collective nouns, or plural verbs, as with sports teams? Here is a sampling of frequently asked questions, with examples of AP style used in answers. (Just like this bullet list youre reading now.). A: Commas in a series are for clarity and prevention of ambiguities. A: AP uses hyphenated e- for generic terms such as e-commerce and e-strategies. Filed Under: Writing Tagged With: AP style, APA style, Chicago style, formatting, grammar, MLA style, punctuation. 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. Try it with these examples and see if the period makes more sense. 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). Everyone loves a vertical list. Next, read the lead-in word or phrase again followed by the second item on the list. APA allows the use of bulleted lists with or without punctuation. Capitalize the first word of the title/heading and of any subtitle/subheading. 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. DO NOT capitalize plural words even when part of a proper name (e.g. Capitalization, Case Internet The word internet is all lowercase (unless, of course, it starts a sentence or comes after a bullet) . All major words in titles (including small words, such as "Is" and "It"); for example, "Business and Economics". 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. (AP Style reminds writers that it is still correct to use bullets if preferred.) 22 December, 2021. Note however that it is not wrong to capitalize a sentence or clause after a colon. Bullet point structure Don't mix and match sentence structures. Because AP recommends the colon and AP is the preferred business writing style guide, I recommend using it consistently in your business writing. 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. Complete sentences introducing ordered lists are traditionally punctuated with a colon. Lists - More APA Style Guidelines - Academic Guides at Walden University In this tutorial, well explore guidelines for how to write vertical lists. Navigating the not-so-hidden treasures of the APA Style website. Capitalization and end punctuation depend on the type of list and the contents of the list. If you want to change your title from uppercase to title case, you can select the Title Case button above. Poor sleep quality has been linked with the following symptoms: The second option is to insert punctuation after the bulleted items as though the bullets were not there, which may be better when the items are longer or more complex. Q: If you have a hyphen in a headline, is the word after the hyphen capitalized? 11.5.13 Updates made to University statistics, the list of research centers and section on Web addresses. Bulleted lists. Alternatively, you can use our tool to convert text from lowercase to uppercase by clicking the UPPER button. Q: What is AP's style on the military's don't ask, don't tell policy? PDF AP STYLE GENERAL RULES - Kennesaw State University AP Stylebook: Use periods after bullets. Watch your title convert case and be automatically capitalized! If a bulleted list contains phrases, each bullet should begin with a lowercase letter. Some guiding principles behind AP style are: Consistency Clarity Accuracy Brevity AP style also aims to avoid stereotypes and unintentionally offensive language. Use a period after every bullet point that completes the introductory stem. You should always use a colon before a bulleted or numbered list. 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. This isn't an exhaustive list, but it will get you started. AP Stylebook recommends: "Capitalize the first word following the dash or bullet. Q: Is it staff has or staff have? Asthma or some allergies. Finally, should you capitalize the first letter of each entry in a vertical list? Title case is the most common form of title and headline capitalization and is found in all four major title capitalization styles. There's an old joke: endstream endobj 32 0 obj <>stream Capitalize the first word in a bullet point and the introduction to the list, but not the rest. Following are some questions and answers to use as guidelines: When is it better to use bullets than numbers? The top tabs allow you to select which style of capitalization you want to use. 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 We recommend following the AP Stylebooks bullet punctuation, with additional clarifications that AP doesnt address. Don't Be That Guy - Part 1: The Most Common Capitalization Mistakes Again, style guides dont agree.]. 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 Quickly convert your title or text to title case by simply clicking the Title Case button in the tool above. The same applies when someone may refer to specific items by number. 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. When to Use a Colon in AP Style - BKA Content Use all sentences or all. 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. 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: If we're speaking about regions of the state, should it be South Louisiana, North Louisiana and Central Louisiana? If checked, quotes will be output as straight quotes. 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. Infants will try to help others who seem like they need help with simple tasks, such as carrying multiple objects. The Fantastic Shakers have won many awards. Lists - American Psychological Association The individual list items following the complete sentence are usually lowercased if they arent complete sentences themselves. endstream endobj startxref Should each point start with a capital letter and end with a period? 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 a grammar guide that accompanies our post on how to write better bullet points. Editorial Style Guide | University Brand Guide | Texas A&M University Should the opening stem sentence end with a colon to introduce the bullet lists or use no colon? This article is a summary of AP style. Bulleted lists may be comprised of complete sentences or phrases. No periods on the end of a list of bullets unless its more than one sentence. Added standalone cities to guidance on addresses and states. Capitalize every word in the headline; the main subhead is a complete sentence with a period. nouns, pronouns, verbs. APA Headings and Seriation - Purdue OWL - Purdue University A: Always use figures for people, animals and objects: 3-year-old house. 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. Ive never found the AP Stylebook entry that covers this, including capitalization.. Here's what the AP Stylebook says about when to capitalize names Numbered, lettered, and bulleted lists. Ordered vertical lists have, you guessed it, an order. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You can also upload a document to get an instant quote. . Preferred style is without terminal punctuation, unless the list item is a complete sentence. However, most people now leave out the extra punctuation. - Use periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section. Q: If using "member of Congress" instead of congressman/congresswoman, should "member" be capitalized? 8 Tips to Make Your Writing Sound More Formal, Capitalization in APA, Chicago, MLA, and AP. finally, draft your conclusion. AP Style - Purdue OWL - Purdue University - Purdue Writing Lab Associated Press Stylebook Topics: Writer's Passport, Writing & Editing. In our latest quarterly roundup of AP Style reminders, we cover back-to-school terms, travel terminology, and more. 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. Q: Would "crew chief" and "team owner" be capitalized before a name? Q. Punctuation (commas; quotation marks; colon; semi-colon; ellipsis ). Q: When referring to your company in internal (or external) communications, which is correct: Corporate or corporate? AP Stylebook: Use periods after bullets - My Blog Editor If you have questions, read our. 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. Example: You will need to present the following information: Your driver's license. If numbers arent essential, use bullets, especially in business documents. Sixth and Seventh streets). Whether using bullets or numbers, vertical lists can be tricky. And consistency goes a long way in creating clear, credible content. (CMS) and the Associated Press Stylebook (AP style) are what writers typically use. Microsoft and Gregg would capitalize flat and sharp if they appeared in a title (unlike Rule 2). 7. Capitalize the first word of every bullet. Colon Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun orFile Size: KB. My name is Erin. Associated Press Stylebook Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions. Bulleted Lists: Capitalization and Punctuation 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. All rights reserved. Good business writing seeks to make information easy to understand. Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions of four letters or fewer. I like bananas. APA Style 6th Edition Blog: Lists, Part 5: Bulleted Lists Q: In denoting area, which is correct for numbers under 10 -- 5 acres or five acres? 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. The Chicago Manual of Style Online is the venerable, time-tested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. Sentence Case vs. Title Case: When to Use Which Capitalize the first word of the title/heading and of any subtitle/subheading, Capitalize all major words (nouns, verbs including. In business writing, capitalize the first letter and keep bullet list punctuation clean. AP Refresh: 10 Updates to the 2018 AP Stylebook - Communiqu PR Capitalize the first word following the dash or bullet. Do it anyway. Mr. Heckle and Mr. Jeckle enjoy several feline activities: Like ordered lists, unordered lists that are part of an incomplete introductory sentence are lowercased and punctuated as if each item was inside the sentence.10, People who grew up in the 1980s watched a lot of television, including, 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 each list item with a period even if the item is an incomplete sentence.11. July 31, 2019. When your writing is crisp, clear, and easy to understand, audiences will likely leave your site with a positive impression. Other terminology (business; food and beverages; legal and justice; medical; ethnic and nationality; politics; religion ). 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. Symbols such as small circles, squares, dashes, and so forth may be used for the bullets. Q: For a subject/verb agreement, how should I treat "one or more features? Bulleted lists. First, it is important to note that there are four main title capitalization styles: Chicago style, APA style, MLA style, and AP style. The Best AP Style Cheat Sheet Every Writer Needs Lowercase and spell out when not used with an individual name: The president issued a statement. This is a tricky one for me because, personally, I agree with you. How about Civil Rights Movement? Q: How do I deal with a vulgarity from a movie that is integral to the article I'm writing? Bullets Associated Press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. 59 0 obj <>stream There was an error submitting your subscription. EPA follows the AP rule after the dash or bullet: capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each section. 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. These are the words you don't capitalize in AP style - Capitalize the first word following the dash or bullet. 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. PDF Smps At-a-glance Editorial Guidelines She excels at designing customized business writing training programs to maximize productivity, advance business objectives, and convey complex information. The Chicago Manual of Style. 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. . A: AP lowercases civil rights movement. Input your member identification number. There are two options for the punctuation of bulleted lists when the items are words or phrases. Lowercase the second word in a compound modifier (e.g., Mid-year or On-site). Please list your allergies and give date of last flare-up. Its visually cluttered, impeding easy scan. Numbered and unnumbered lists are more commonly used in scholarly publications. 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 Gregg Reference Manual uses periods only after bullets that are dependent clauses and long phrases. This is where the semicolon confusion comes in. News media (datelines; headlines; newswriting ). Bachelor of Arts is capitalized as an academic degree, as are B.A. . 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. 7 Tips for Writing Powerful Bullet Points | Grammarly 9. Capitalization (proper nouns: America; proper names: Democratic Party; popular names: Indy 500; compositions: books, movies, operas ). Your subscription includes the . 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. The Best 2023 AP Style Cheat Sheet Every Writer Needs (Free Download) Ben Sailer Content. AP style of writing: a comprehensive guide | AP style guide - Writer If youre confused about what words to capitalize in a title or headline, we recommend using our title capitalization tool above, but if you want specific capitalization rules, they are as follows. The two major capitalization styles for headlines and titles are sentence case and title case. The capitalization rules are as follows: Capitalize the first and the last word. A: AP doesn't use italics in news stories. Q: In a news story, can you start a sentence with an acronym? Important Note: The MLA Handbook from the Modern Language Association (MLA style) follows Chicago-style recommendations for ordered and unordered vertical lists. Thanks! Q: My AP Stylebook always lists examples in italics, so it's difficult to see if italics are part of the style. Gently tap the lid against a hard surface. Vertical Lists, Bullets - The Chicago Manual of Style Online Common Style Guidelines A: AP Stylebook entry on "collective nouns" says band names take plural verbs. Its all about readability. Bulleted lists - VA.gov Design System - Veterans Affairs PDF Associated Press Style - Colorado Department of Transportation Don't use the Oxford comma in a simple series before the conjunction. 2023 American Psychological Association, 750 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, Telephone: (800) 374-2721; (202) 336-5500. Unsubscribe at any time. Geography, addresses (state names, regions: Mideast; Northwest; northeast Minnesota; 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.; Fifth Avenue ). The key thing is applying a clear and consistent punctuation style to all lists. Clean windows with a newspaper and . label all file pages (and the disk itself) with your designatedcode. So many choices to make! 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. To see what I mean, read the lead-in word or phrase then read the first item on the list.