“Getting Ducks in a Row:The Rules for Displayed Lists”

Article by Linda B. JorgensenPresentation by Shelley Young

Topics to Discuss

• Good Lists vs. Bad Lists• Common Flaws in Writing Displayed Lists• Three Conventions for Displayed Lists• List Style• Parallel Construction• Consistent Formatting• Punctuation Guidelines• Different Lists for Different Content• Summary

What’s the Difference?

Option # 1:

Good Lists vs. Bad Lists, Common Flaws in Writing Lists, Three Conventions for Displayed Lists, List Style, Parallel Construction, Consistent Formatting, Punctuation Guidelines, Different Lists for Different Content, Summary

Topics to Discuss

Option # 2:

• Good Lists vs. Bad Lists• Common Flaws in Writing Lists• Three Conventions for Displayed Lists• List Style• Parallel Construction• Consistent Formatting• Punctuation Guidelines• Different Lists for Different Content• Summary

Topics to Discuss

Good Lists vs. Bad Lists

• Run-in list vs. Displayed list• When is a list not a list? When it’s not recognized as

such by the reader!• Rule of Thumb: If listing 8 items or more, use displayed

list format• Helps readers absorb and retain information more easily

Common Flaws

• Displayed lists are not foolproof!The two most common flaws are:• Camouflaging coordinate information with

inconsistent writing or punctuation• Formatting sequential items erratically so that

readers are distracted or miscued

3 Conventions for Displayed Lists

• List style: dingbats and indentation• Parallel construction: form and grammar• Consistent formatting: capitalization and

punctuation

List Style• When deciding whether to use bullets or numbers just ask

yourself: Does order matter? If the answer is no, don’t use numbers!• When using numbers, follow them with periods, not parentheses

ex: 1. or 1)

• If list contains 10 or more numbers, align the periods• Bulleted items look best with hanging indentation• Any type of bullets are ok (round, square, diamond, etc)• Bullets should be consistent in positioning (spacing) and in the

level they denote

Parallel Construction• Parallelism - principle that parts of a sentence

that are parallel in meaning should be parallel in form

• Uses all phrases or all sentences• Emphasizes coordinate relationships

NOTE: If one item requires a period, then ALL items, even phrases should end with a period

Consistent Formatting

• Punctuate and capitalize lists consistently• One rule without an exception is that a sentence

fragment introducing a list should not be followed by a colon

• Basic guidelines for lead-ins and within lists

Punctuation Guidelines for Lead Ins

• Use colon after introductory statement containing as follows or the following

• Use colon or period after other statements introducing lists

• Don’t use colon or dash when the introduction is not a complete sentence and one or more of the items on the list are needed to complete it

• Use a comma, colon, or dash in between a word and its definition

Punctuation Guidelines for Within Lists

• If list items follow a complete introductory sentence and are not complete sentences, items may begin with uppercase or lowercase and end with periods or no punctuation

• If list items following complete introductory sentences are complete sentences, each item should begin with an uppercase and end with a period

• If none of the items in the list has an internal comma, each item ends with a comma instead of a semicolon

NOTE: Just pick a style and stick with it

Different Lists for Different Content

Types of List Content• Exclusive

(A,B, and C are a comprehensive list, a closed unit)• Representative

(A,B, and C are a list of samples in the same category)• Inclusive (A,B, and C are independent variables that cross categories

but are equally key)

Summary

Services of displayed lists:• Helping readers understand and remember multiple items,

factors, and ideas• Breaking up copy visually so that even complex information

seems approachable• Clarifying the relationship among list items and the nature

of the contentNOTE: Displayed lists prevent ringers