Q: Is the proper phrase "If money were no object" or "If money was no object"? In most cases, experts recommend that you start each bulleted item with acapital letter. 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.". Example: You will need to present the following information: Your driver's license. Note however that it is not wrong to capitalize a sentence or 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. Use a numbered list if you want to display items in a numbered series. See The MLA Style Center for more information. Do you need a colon to introduce a list? Finally, should you capitalize the first letter of each entry in a vertical list? While its not wrong and some style guides recommend this, its not the best business writing choice. Q: Should the names of decades be capitalized when written out? Avoid a mix. in compound modifiers (e.g., Mid-year, Anti-hero, etc.). Use a period after every bullet point that completes the introductory stem. Title case is the most common form of title and headline capitalization and is found in all four major title capitalization styles. The rules are fairly standard for title case: Making sure you have the right capitalization for APA headings is crucial for scholarly articles. A: Use "that" for a thing, "who" for the personal pronoun, although "that" also fits some human references. A: 2-5 p.m. is preferred. 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 . Bulleted Lists: Capitalization and Punctuation By Judy Vorfeld Did you know that before the introduction of word processing (via word processors and computers), most publications displayed lists in either outline form or numbered lists. Take a digital photo of a family member. A list of information can be neatly organised using bullet points. - 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. Whether using bullets or numbers, vertical lists can be tricky. This is where the semicolon confusion comes in. Q: Would "crew chief" and "team owner" be capitalized before a name? The Chicago Manual of Style Online is the venerable, time-tested guide to style, usage, and grammar in an accessible online format. There was an error submitting your subscription. 2003-2022 Judy Vorfeld's Office Support Services. 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. . The CMS is commonly used in the publishing sphere, and AP style is more press-oriented . A: Lowercase for post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, hepatitis C, etc. This guidance has been expanded from the 6th edition. A: corporate (adj.) Stay with us.". Below you'll find information on numbers, time and dates, locations, phone numbers, punctuation, capitalization and titles, and the Internet. Q: My AP Stylebook always lists examples in italics, so it's difficult to see if italics are part of the style. Problem solved. 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. In this tutorial, well explore guidelines for how to write vertical lists. STATES: Abbreviate state names when listed after a city. 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. This isn't an exhaustive list, but it will get you started. 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. Q: Is there a standard AP style for bulleted areas of text? Capitalization looks fancy and makes things seem important. 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 . In business writing, yes, use a colon at the end of the introductory stem sentence. The capitalization rules are as follows: Learn how to spot the 5 most common mistakes and fix them before you publish. - Use periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section. 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). A: As a descriptive term, doctorate in psychology is lowercase. The following example demonstrates this format as well as how to include a citation for the information in the bulleted list. Do use a comma before the last item in a series when it contains items with and/or. 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. We updated guidance on how to write about U.S. and international currency. 6. 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. Lowercase indefinite and definite articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions. The capitalization rules are as follows: Capitalize the first and the last word. This will convert your text to uppercase. RULE: Use periods after independent clauses, dependent clauses, or long phrases that are displayed on separate lines in alist. 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). However, clear bullet list punctuation adds visual scan-ability to your business writing. Complete sentences introducing ordered lists are traditionally punctuated with a colon. Sorry to pile on here, but your discussion of verb endings is inadequate. You can learn more in the Title Capitalization Rules by Style section. Q: How does AP treat programming language when used in general text? A: a month's confinement, per the QUASI POSSESSIVES section of the "possessives" entry. In Not quite. Copyright 2023 Lawrence Ragan Communications, Inc. mar Girls Beginning and Intermediate Guide to AP Style. and Ph.D. See "doctor" for an explanation of Dr. as a title for medical doctor on first reference. Does this help? 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. Capitalize the first word in each bullet. 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. Inconsistent punctuation; Sometimes the grammar isn't parallel between items. The huge difference is that AP colon rules allow you to use a colon after a sentence fragment. $;$ExRp" e8CQiQYgKdIw lP"1C[;d,|xk0:[#.kvZ|{wY14\.wCzb`*,a`FK{GQfl!hie "h9e tI*2$"/'O6\a>Zb=01fD?`ZTX7w$\a +!F7X o7N| *&Rp oTF G6eKeJ22N Mb[$er6_oZkh:.jFeX^Lu}]/E.tesv!8;>pi0B@09]l}llx| V:2`zXoyQ% 'w AP style is actually not capitalized, though AP Stylebook is. She excels at designing customized business writing training programs to maximize productivity, advance business objectives, and convey complex information. Chicago Style is one of the most used and respected headline capitalization methods used in journalism. If nothing else, your writing will be consistent. See "diseases" entry for further guidance. Your points should be consistent, either all sentences or all fragments. Do not capitalize articles, prepositions (regardless of length), and coordinating conjunctions. x]0)} N "d/J]g<3gcyY?9Y\}xLgH*vVQ8e[!}mg%O*~OqoEhe9k=~o^p{?~7?ZOu6ImR)Gow=\JrP Thanks for the catch! AP editor Paula Froke fields questions of widest interest posed by subscribers to the online AP Stylebook. 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. The Gregg Reference Manual uses periods only after bullets that are dependent clauses and long phrases. A: A partial spelling with hyphens in place of some letters would convey the meaning. This is ultimately a matter of stylistic preference. Q: In a news story, can you start a sentence with an acronym? These might seem like confusing rules with too many exceptions, but youre always welcome to homebrew your own style rules. Here is a sampling of frequently asked questions, with examples of AP style used in answers. AP and Chicago Manual of Style - capitalize initial word and use periods after sentence list items. 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.. Most often, the text that introduces such lists ends with a colon, as in "The value of . The Best 2023 AP Style Cheat Sheet Every Writer Needs (Free Download) Ben Sailer Content. No periods on the end of a list of bullets unless its more than one sentence. - Use periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section. 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 The capitalization chapter has new guidance on how to write about census divisions and geological formations. in English Literature from Boston College, and a C.A.G.S. Words that should not be capitalized include: A colon adds emphasis, too. Although a little old-fashioned, some people like to use semicolons or commas in lists. Q: Do you capitalize a conjunction in a headline? A: Commas in a series are for clarity and prevention of ambiguities. 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. The phrase "she has decided" warns the reader that the next . Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this websites owner is strictly prohibited. . Should each point start with a capital letter and end with a period? Lowercase the second word in a hyphenated compound when it is a prefix or suffix (e.g., Anti-itch,world-wide) or part of a single word. 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. 59 0 obj <>stream the proper name, do not capitalize. Bullets Associated Press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. In business writing, capitalize the first letter of bullet lists. Consider the examples below: 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. Right you are. It's hard for some people to wrap their heads around this rule, especially if each . Let me frame my recommendations. By far, this is the most vexing punctuation issue! Punctuation (commas; quotation marks; colon; semi-colon; ellipsis ). Any symbol may be used for the bullets, although small circles or squares are typical software defaults. . hb```"3VTa`0p4 )x3JH2HgQW(Iz8Nul i@fP!40XE&,0e0v`do`6c $X1)`U&y[#b s .6[ Following are some questions and answers to use as guidelines: When is it better to use bullets than numbers? Zip Airline offers Required fields are marked *. Well, that was really helpful; thanks for the effort. I was a fan until I realized it wasn't AP Style, all hail AP Style Honorable mention a.m. and p.m. - That's how they're used. A: AP stories use PHP, Ajax, XML, FTP search engine optimization click-through rate pay-per-click. 1 ). Your email address will not be published. News media (datelines; headlines; newswriting ). For more AP style tips, watch Grammar Girls Beginning and Intermediate Guide to AP Style any time. Use periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section or a phrase. This is clear, but AP doesnt fully address when to omit a period at the end of each bullet. The key thing is applying a clear and consistent punctuation style to all lists. These are perfectly acceptable, and some style guides suggest writing lists like this. The idea is that the list reads like a single sentence, with semicolons separating each point, a conjunction just before the final entry, and a period at the end. To make peace with periods in a list, think of the entire list (including the lead-in word or phrase) as several sentences (all of which need a period at the end). 10. A: AP lowercases wine varietals such as cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, and caps regional names such as Bordeaux, Sauternes and Chablis. We recommend following the AP Stylebooks bullet punctuation, with additional clarifications that AP doesnt address. Please list your allergies and give date of last flare-up. AP has a few punctuation rules that differ from many common style guides: Do not use a comma before the last item in a simple series ("My favorite candy includes Snickers, Twix and Zagnut bars."). [M zmp0&BLp$UPd67Z9Ha{0gPY "nG~h%rls 'wdt;:^2i+>f9V%EQ)j2"^e\KP"TiNc-((V A&N+E}E;SnIP always refer to the style guide and doublecheck capitalization recommendations. AP Stylebook Online builds on everything that's in the print Stylebook, and makes it a more comprehensive, convenient resource. Ordered lists can be introduced by a complete or incomplete sentence and are typically prefaced by numbers1 or letters2 followed by a period. And if so, when? Garner's Modern American Usage inserts periods at the end of bullet lists only if the bullet list begins with a capital letter. A: AP doesn't use italics in news stories. A: "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Input your member identification number. This post deserves a standing ovation. 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. Q: What is AP's style on the military's don't ask, don't tell policy? Today we'll look at numbered lists. However, in lists of bullet points, the beginning of a point is also indicated by space and the item marker (whether a bullet, a number, or a letter). Over 1.5 million copies sold! AP Style - use dashes, capitals and periods. If the elements are complex, uses commas for all. However, in regard to headlines, is it now true that press release headlines should be in sentence case? Individual list items following a complete sentence are usually capitalized but appear without terminal punctuation (i.e., they dont end in a period, comma, colon, or semicolon) if they are incomplete sentences, phrases, or single words.3. Follow the same capitalization rules you would follow for normal sentences. Q: If you have a hyphen in a headline, is the word after the hyphen capitalized? The first word after a colon unless it begins an independent clause. If checked, quotes will be output as straight quotes. Clean windows with a newspaper and . Common Style Guidelines A: AP uses the numeral for acres, even when less than 10, as a dimension: 5 acres. Regards, Julia! All contents 2023 Associated Press All rights reserved. Understanding what to capitalize in a title is important to make sure that your titles and headlines look correct. Write it. Capitalize the first word following the dash or bullet. 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. Because AP recommends the colon and AP is the preferred business writing style guide, I recommend using it consistently in your business writing. There's an old joke: You can also use this tool to do it automatically. Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions. So many choices to make! 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. ?X~soOr{/'gqjfZIuVCZQ!SdbnU)pHuL`>b"wlh)}4!ybjK Ordered vertical lists have, you guessed it, an order. Possessive versus descriptive Q: A months confinement or a month's confinement? A: AP lowercases civil rights movement. Punctuation AP uses dashes, not bullets, for lists in news stories that follow a colon. 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). 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. I the word Cocaine supposed to be capitalized? Added standalone cities to guidance on addresses and states. Capitalize all words of four letters or more. Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions (regardless of length). Capitalize words with four or more letters (including conjunctions and prepositions). However, you can omit the colon when a list follows a partial sentence. If you want to change your title from uppercase to title case, you can select the Title Case button above. One exception: email (no hyphen, which reflects majority of usage). Capitalize every word in the headline; the main subhead is a complete sentence with a period. Lowercase and spell out when not used with an individual name: The president issued a statement. Q: Do music groups take singular verbs, as do collective nouns, or plural verbs, as with sports teams? Thank you, Sarah! These include short words and conjunctions: The other major type of title capitalization standard is sentence case. In general, the following capitalization rules apply across the four styles in title case: Important words in that last bullet generally refer to: Title case is the most common title capitalization for book titles, headlines, articles titles, etc. That's . 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 22 December, 2021. Fax: 205-921-5595 2131 Military Street S Hamilton, AL 35570 View Location Our tool lets you convert the case of your text easily into sentence case. They are also written without terminal punctuation (i.e., they dont end in a period, comma, colon, or semicolon).9. Colon Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or Lists Introduced with a Complete Sentence Example: Hampton, Va. See the stylebook for specific abbreviations. Memorize the AP abbreviations. 10439 W Royal Palm Rd., Peoria AZ 85345 EPA follows the AP rule after the dash or bullet: capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each section. The first step in the process of how to write an AP style press release is to familiarize yourself with the guidelines. 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. driving, in which people text while in their vehicle (Schroeder & Sims, 2018). 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. The buttons at the bottom let you choose specific case conversion options for the various styles. 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. Bulleted lists are covered in Section 6.52 of the APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition This guidance has been expanded from the 6th edition. 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. is lowercase. 2-5 p.m.) and when to use the word "to"? Capitalization looks fancy and makes things seem important. Enter the email you used in your Ragan store purchase. It is intended as a guide to common PR Team style and . Unsubscribe at any time. The art instructor assigned three projects for the spring semester: 2. Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter! 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. Lowercase to in the infinitive (though not defined in the stylebook). 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? 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. A: AP uses hyphenated e- for generic terms such as e-commerce and e-strategies. It also connects closely related thoughts. Infants are happy to participate in normal household chores, such as cleaning up. You have multiple options to capitalize and change the case of your titles, headlines, song titles, book titles, email subjects, and more. When multiple letters in a title need to be capitalized, use title case capitalization. A: In this instance, use a plural verb. Numbered Lists and Bullet Lists: Why and How? Continue from there down the list. Are we nitpicking punctuation with these considerations of bullet lists? The default rule is to lowercase words unless theres a reason they should be uppercase. Capitalize the first word of the title/heading and of any subtitle/subheading. in English from the University of Rhode Island, an M.A. Lower is default; upper is special. 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. AP style provides consistent guidelines for such publications in terms of grammar, spelling, punctuation and language usage. There are five important things to watch for in numbered and bulleted lists: inconsistent capitalization. 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. Semicolons Use in Lists: Items with Internal Punctuation Writing, phrasing, usage (word choice; clarity; subjunctive mood; ethnic-racial; profanity; slang ). Welcome to Ask the Editor, a forum on writing, style and phrasing issues that go beyond the pages of the AP Stylebook. Grammar (essential vs. nonessential clauses; pronouns; subject-verb agreement ), Q: I'm confused on the use of "that" and "who" when talking about groups.
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ap style bulleted lists capitalization