Bullet points and lists are effective tools for presenting information in a clear and easily digestible format. They help break down complex information into manageable chunks and highlight key points.
Use of Bullet Points:
- Use bullet points for non-sequential items: Bullet points are ideal for listing items that don’t follow a specific order. Example: “Features of the new update include:”
- Enhanced security
- Improved user interface
- Faster load times
- Keep bullet points concise: Each bullet point should be a brief, complete thought or statement. Avoid lengthy explanations within bullet points.
Parallel Structure:
- Ensure parallel structure: All bullet points should follow the same grammatical structure. If one point starts with a verb, the others should as well. Example: “The software can:”
- Generate reports
- Analyse data
- Provide recommendations
Punctuation in Bullet Points:
- Be consistent with punctuation: If your bullet points are full sentences, end each with a period. If they are fragments, no punctuation is needed at the end.
- Avoid mixing sentence fragments and full sentences: Maintain consistency within the list.
Dos:
- Use bullet points for unordered lists
- Keep bullet points grammatically parallel:
Don’ts:
- Don’t mix sentence fragments and full sentences in a list