 When you write content, your goal is to grab and hold the attention of your audience, and to make your content quick and easy to read and understand. One technique to make content easier to read and scan is to use bullet lists. Bullet lists are displayed lists (rather than in-line lists) that remove all the nonessential words, leaving the important words and information available quickly and easily. Bullet lists also provide more white space around the words, which helps readability by helping readers’ eyes scan more effectively. It’s not a surprise, then, that bullet lists are an effective plain language technique. As always, first check if your organisation has style guide and follow that. If there isn’t one, use the guide below on how to write effective bullet points, and punctuate them correctly. Numbered lists vs bulleted lists
There are two types of lists: numbered and bulleted. Use numbered lists when the order matters Use a numbered list to tell the reader in what order they should complete the steps, for example a step-by-step guide or a recipe, or when the order matters, such as a Top-10 list. Example
Use bulleted lists when the order doesn’t matter Use bulleted lists when the order of the items doesn’t matter. Bulleted lists have a dot or other symbol to indicate each item – but don’t make the symbol too complicated or it will take away from the impact of the bullet list. Example Bullet lists can:
Punctuation and grammar in bulleted lists Correct and consistent punctuation and grammar in a bulleted list makes your content look professional, and helps the reader to concentrate on the content rather than working out the sentence structure each time. Unless you’re following a strict style guide (such as APA style), the bullet list style rules are not hard and fast. But try to stick to the same style throughout your content as much as possible for consistency. Most lists have an introductory sentence or part-sentence. This is sometimes followed by a colon. Here are the three most common types of bullet lists. 1. Run-on list This type of list
2. Full sentences This type of list has the following features:
3. Hybrid This type of list is a mix of the first two, and has the following features:
Commas and semicolons at the end of bullet list items Some style guides allow a comma or semicolon at the end of each item in run-on and hybrid lists. If you do use commas or semicolons, Oxford Dictionary’s New Hart Rules says to not write an and or or at the end of the second-to-last item. Data NZ’s style guide also doesn’t allow it. However, the New Zealand Government’s style guide and APA style does allow this, especially if the items are longer or more complex. Choose a style that suits your content, and use it consistently in all your lists as much as possible. Example Eligible residents can apply for a maximum of either:
Example Eligible residents can apply for a maximum of either:
Write powerful bullet points for readability Bullet lists are not always just a list of single words. Bullet list items can be longer phrases or a full sentence, so it’s important to make sure each sentence has impact. Here are some tips on making longer bullet points impactful. 1. Highlight key elements Think of writing your bullets the way you would write an impactful heading. Write the most important words first, and keep it succinct. Example Include the most important information first so the reader can
NOT Include the most important information first to
When possible, omit articles such as “a,” “am,” or “the,” and repetitive words from the beginning of list items. 2. Keep it simple Avoid complex explanations. Remove extra words and include only the most important ideas and phrases. Don’t use sub-bullets if you can avoid it. They just add to the complexity, and make it more difficult to scan. Example Our health and safety guidelines say to
NOT Our health and safety rules state that
3. Keep all bullet points on the same topic Bullet points list key elements of very specific topics, so stay on topic. Create another list for a new topic, but try to separate the lists with a paragraph so that the reader’s eye can easily distinguish them. 4. Make your bullet points parallel Start each bullet list item with the same grammatical construction. Example To write a bullet list
NOT To write a bullet list
5. Ensure continuity Introduce a list with a clear, descriptive sentence or phrase. The introductory phrase lets the reader know what the list is about and why it is important. In run-on and hybrid lists, make sure your introductory sentence flows into the bullet list. A bullet point should make a grammatically correct sentence when joined with the introductory sentence. Don’t have more than one sentence for each bullet point, as it won’t follow on from the introductory sentence. Example Things to take on your hike:
NOT Take the following things on your hike:
6. Make your bullets a similar length It helps the reader to scan the content if each bullet list item is a similar length. Example To help the reader scan the content
NOT To help the reader scan the content
7. Don’t make items too long An overly long bullet list will lose the attention of your reader. Two to seven points is about right. And too many bullet lists close together will distract the reader rather than make it easier to read. Tips for more complex lists The main aim is to make the information as clear as possible to read. You can have more complex information in lists, or more than one sentence per bullet item, as long as the list is consistent. Here are some tips to make it easy to read. Use dashes and colons Use dashes and colons to separate the information in a single-sentence list. If you are using a lot of dashes, you might need to consider one of the other methods. Use a multi-sentence list Each bullet item is more than one sentence. You can bold the first sentence or phrase if it introduces the content of each bullet item. Use this option sparingly. Restructure the content Restructure the content into headings and sub-headings. What next? If you have written content in New Zealand English and this all sounds overwhelming, I can help. As a business editor and plain language specialist, I will help you publish better business and government content so that
Contact me today to discuss how I can help you achieve your goals with clear, professional writing. Comments are closed.
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