Pimp my English | Lists and punctuation

By Anna Malczyk

Bullet or numbered lists are a handy way of displaying a lot of information clearly. Here’s a quick overview of the proper punctuation to use when creating a list.

Simple lists

There are three basic list types. The first is a simple list of items, like an inventory: it indicates a number of single things that belong together.

Every GetSmarter module includes:

• Notes
• A quiz
• Video lectures
• A discussion forum

For a simple list, the first letter of each point is always capital, and there is no other punctuation. You can introduce the list with a colon (:).

“Split sentence” lists

The second type is more complex: this list is actually a sentence that has been broken up to make it more readable. Sometimes it is important to include a lot of information in a sentence, but that makes it hard to read.

“As part of the course, GetSmarter students have to download and read the course notes, complete the practical exercises and practice quiz, contribute to the discussions on the forum and get at least 50% for the final assignment.”

So, you can split this sentence up into individual points to make it more readable:

As part of the course, GetSmarter students have to:

• Download and read the course notes;
• Complete the practical exercises and practice quiz;
• Contribute to the discussions on the forum, and
• Get at least 50% for the final assignment.

When you transform the sentence into a list, the first letter of each point must be capital. The very last line gets a full stop (because it is the end of the sentence). The second-last line gets “, and”. Every other line before that gets a semicolon (;).

“Full sentence” lists

The third type is, quite simply, a number of sentences that are included in a bulleted list to show that they are important and related.

• The cost of the course is R6,000.
  
• Payments can be made by credit card and EFT.
  
• The first payment must be made by 20 July 2010.
  

The punctuation for these is exactly like that for a normal, full sentence (since that is what they are).