To begin a bulleted or numbered list, use a colon. The colon appears just before the bulleted list in this example. For single words or brief sentences in bullet points or numbered lists, capitalization and terminating punctuation are optional. However, for longer phrases or complete sentences, adding a period is required.
The following is an example of a bulleted list: Products: Coffee, Tea. Milk, Eggs. Apples, Pears. Bread, Cookies, Cake. Soda, Pop.
This is an example of a numbered list: 1. Coffee 2. Tea 3. Milk 4. Eggs 5. Apples 6. Pears 7. Bread 8. Cookies 9. Cake 10. Soda 11. Pop
Numbered lists can be difficult to read because there is no indentation to indicate the sub-points within the main point. Therefore, it is important to provide context by preceding each item with a sentence that connects them all together.
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If the bulleted list is introduced by a complete sentence, each item in the list should finish with a full stop, not a colon, and each point should begin with a capital letter. For example: Notifications are sent out as soon as a job is completed or there's been a change made to a job.
1. Use a colon to introduce list items only if a complete phrase precedes the list. For example: My favorite color: red; my second favorite color: blue. If you want to include an adjective as part of the list item content, write it out separately and add it before the colon (or after, if you prefer). 2. Put multiple list items on one line if they relate to each other in some way. For example: Science: The study of nature and science's effects on human life. Math: The study of numbers and their relationships. 3. End lists with a full stop or semicolon.
Lists inside sentences
It turns out that using bullet points strategically to make your articles easier to read involves a little know-how. Here are some pointers: If the text that introduces your list is a whole sentence, it should be followed by a colon. If it's a fragment, skip the colon and go right to the list.
A list in a sentence requires three punctuation marks: a comma, a colon, and a semicolon. Whichever method you select is determined by the complexity of your list. If you're making a basic list, just put a comma after each item. A colon is needed if the items in your list have varying lengths. A semicolon joins two complete lists or sentences.
In the following cases, use a colon:
If the initial letter of your list item is a complete phrase, uppercase it.