Use periods after independent clauses, dependent clauses, or long phrases that are displayed on separate lines in a list. How to capitalize and punctuate bullet points by l. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. For example, the earlier references to mathematics rules and measles effects would better be phrased. Do not use commas or semicolons at the end of each item. Punctuation of bullet lists is important, but widely misunderstood and often incorrect. First, study pages gm29 through gm36 in the grammarmechanics handbook at the back of your book as well as study these punctuation mark rules in your gregg reference manual. When one item contains a complete sentence, punctuate all bulleted. Use a period after every bullet point that completes the introductory stem. The chapter on word use and misuse from the previous edition of the style manual has been eliminated for this version. Use numbered lists when youre working with instructions to be done in sequence, and the numbers. The rules depend on where the terms are in the sentence. Stanford libraries official online search tool for books, media, journals, databases, government documents and more.
The gregg reference manual is the most thorough and readable handbook ive found in thirtyyearsplus of teaching writing. Use periods, not semicolons, at the end of each section or a phrase. In the united states, the leading style guides are the chicago manual of style and the associated press stylebook. Bullets are graphic devices that substitute for alphanumeric designation of items in a list. Capitalize the first word following the dash or bullet. Features of the new edition the eleventh edition of the gregg reference manual. Symbols such as small circles, squares, dashes, and so forth may be used for the bullets. The purpose of the law is to improve clarity and simplicity in government communication.
Dec 21, 2016 the comprehensive gregg reference manual covers commas in 30 pages, and the chicago manual of style covers commas in 11 pages. The basic rules that apply to the most frequent problems are covered as thoroughly as the fine points of the problems that occur less often. For lists with longer sentence fragments, periods are optional. Business letter format gregg reference manual six flags great america brand. May 27, 2009 abbreviations punctuation and spacing slide 5 m. Colon capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or. The gregg reference manual uses periods only after bullets that are dependent clauses and long phrases. Gregg reference manual a manual of style, grammar, usage. Bad grammargood punctuation, and the gregg reference manual. When one item contains a complete sentence, punctuate all bulleted items as though they were complete sentences.
Make sure that all your bullet points are full sentences. The charts to help with common spelling errors are on pages 230243 and 244247. I proofread in pdf and return the annotated pages to you. Here are some simple rules to help you get it right. Bullet lists are a powerful way to display a list of ideas or items. Gregg reference manual a manual of style, grammar, usage, and. In a bulleted list, the graphic device obviates normal grammatical punctuation. The good news is that some of the grammar and punctuation rules we were taught in school for lists are not used anymore. Publication manual of the american psychological association.
Start studying gregg reference manual punctuation marks. How to use bullets and numbers in business documents. The eleventh tribute edition was published in 2010. In a heading or title, capitalize all the elements except articles a, an, and the, short prepositions at, by, for, in, of, off, on, out, to, and up, and short conjunctions and, as, but, if, or, and nor. Jan 20, 2019 the essential 99 punctuation rules for court reporters covers the commonly used punctuation rules from morsons english guide, bad grammar good punctuation, and gregg reference manual. Use a period after every bullet point that completes the. For more than 50 years, the gregg reference manual has been recognized as the best style manual for business professionals and students. The countys style manual developers consulted both those excellent references for guidelines on less common style matters to include in the county manual. How to use the gregg reference manual and common questions. Most manuals indicate it is unnecessary to set off text with bullets as well as add punctuation and conjunctions.
The gregg reference manual is intended for anyone who writes, edits, or prepares material for distribution or publication. The gregg reference manual, 10th edition, by william a. While some rules for punctuating bulleted lists differ, most are the same as those. With new punctuation rules such as the comma or period inside the quotation marks, we are confused. The gregg reference manual uses periods only after bullets that are. After each bullet, capitalize the first letter and use periods at the end of each item. How to punctuate bulleted and numbered lists perfectit.
The only real problem that i have come up with is that i work with punctuating the spoken word for certain record keeping processes. How to punctuate and capitalize bullet points proofeds. An absolute phrase is a phrase that modifies a noun and is connected to a sentence without the use of a conjunction. Capitalization and punctuation editing and writing.
So if you were to use fragments with simple bullets no numbers, chicago would advise you to make them lower case. The 1985 edition simply indicated that two spaces were to be used following terminal punctuation. The gregg reference manual is a style manual intended for business professionals. For over fifty years this manual has been recognized as the best style manual for business professionals and for students who want to master the onthejob standards of business professionals. This manual contains guidance for names and terms by topic. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the gregg reference manual 10e. For more information on usage, check the gregg reference manual, tribute eleventh edition by william a. The gregg reference manual these manuals are listed in priority order. For over forty years, the gregg reference manual has served as the primary reference for business professionals who are looking for guidance on matters of style, grammar, usage, and formatting. The gregg reference manual, 10e by sabin is intended for anyone who writes, edits, or prepares material for distribution or publication.
For nearly fifty years, this manual has been recognized as the best style manual for business professionals and for students who want to master the onthejob standards of business professionals. Features of the new editionthe eleventh edition of the gregg reference manual has been revised and enhanced to satisfy the continually evolving demands of business and academic writers. I used the gregg reference manual, ninth edition sabin, the copyeditors. This is clear, but ap doesnt fully address when to omit a period at the end of each bullet. Because the english language is ever evolving, these manuals are updated every few years and may not always agree.
The chicago manual of style capitalizes bulleted fragments only when they are in numbered lists. In bulleted lists within text passages, the bullet is the punctuation. Emphasize the beginning of the bullet point, as in this list, when the first few words capture the main idea. Based on the number of hits i receive on another of my websites, many webmasters are looking for help with grammar and punctuation for bullet lists. However, gregg also uses periods after bullets that are. As the author of an online grammar resource, i get hundreds of questions about writing every week, and i find myself reaching for grm over and over again to help me define a grammatical point or resolve an issue of english usage.
Cec staff may find these entries under the document production and notices icon on energynet. On october, 2010, president obama signed into law the plain writing act of 2010. How to punctuate bullet points law professor blogs network. Best practices for bullet points businesswritingblog. Bad grammargood punctuation coming soon chicago manual of style 16th edition 5. Refer to this tip sheet and gregg reference manual. Click the mouse button or press the space bar to advance the presentation. And, as a guideline, wed suggest punctuating bullet points as follows. It has gained the reputation of being one of the best style manuals for anyone who writes, edits, and prepares printed and. No other punctuation is required to separate listed items. In addition, the gregg reference manual gregg is used by the montana. I used the gregg reference manual, ninth edition sabin, the copyeditors handbook einsohn, and the chicago manual of style, 15th edition, university of chicago press, to put these tips together. I seek out errors in punctuation, spelling, grammar, misused words, and also consistency of format. Use bold type, italics, or underlining for emphasis.
There is a reason this is called a punctuation guide. Bullets associated press style is to use dashes, not bullets, for lists that follow a colon. As a general rule, use one space after the period or any other mark at the end of a sentence, but switch to two. If a sentence is correct as given, write c in the answer column. These are basic guidelines for punctuation of bullet lists in business writing. Sentence spacing in language and style guides wikipedia. The proven reference for matters of style, grammar, usage, and formatting. Rules for capitalisation and punctuation differ from rules for terms spelt out in full. May 28, 2012 the chicago manual of style, 16th edition, has eight pages of excellent and detailed guidance in compounds and hyphenation, 7. Mar 01, 2010 the gregg reference manual is intended for anyone who writes, edits, or prepares material for distribution or publication. The department prefers bullets, but punctuate them per ap style. As a rule, omit periods when a persons name is expressed entirely in initials. Garners modern american usage inserts periods at the end of bullet lists only if the bullet list begins with a capital letter. Also, remember that as in an outline, there should never be only one bullet item.
When listing full sentences, use a period for each entry like here. Include other punctuation only if it is part of the title or subtitle. I follow the gregg reference manuals rules on punctuating bullets. Garners modern american usage, a reference manual i respect and use, also inserts periods at the end of bullet points if they begin with a capital letter. The standards and style manual is a condensed reference tool. Jan 21, 2012 i follow the gregg reference manuals rules on punctuating bullets. Thanks very much and look forward to your expertise. Sabin and published by mcgrawhill the book is named after john robert gregg the eleventh tribute edition was published in 2010. For over fifty years this manual has been recognized as the beststyle manual for business professionals and for students who want to master the onthejobstandards of business professionals. The grammatical use of punctuation is fairly settled. It is designed to provide ccsd employees with the essential information necessary to increase the clarity and effectiveness of all district communications. To learn more, consult style and usage guides like the chicago manual of style, garners modern american usage, and the gregg reference manual.
Jan 19, 2016 use a period full stop after every bullet point that is a sentence as these bullets do. For indepth information on proper formatting and grammar usage, the gregg reference manual is the official guide for ccsd business. The gregg reference manual is intended for anyone who writes, edits, or prepares material fordistribution or publication. The rules in this editorial guide were taken from the chicago manual of style cms and the associated press stylebook ap, two respected authorities in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and word usage in american english. The ninth canadian edition, entitled simply the gregg reference manual with no subtitle, was published on february. I would like to see the article since the advice you quote is wrong and completely misrepresents the chicago manual of style s prescription see page 199, chapter 6. However, gregg also uses periods after bullets that are dependent clauses and long phrases. How to punctuate bullet points legal skills prof blog typepad. Were often asked whether you need a period at the end of each entry in a list. Style manual abbreviations used in this website ap associated press, apa american psychological association, cmos chicago manual of style, gregg gregg reference manual, mla mla handbook. How to correctly punctuate bullet point lists instructional solutions. Jul 23, 2019 four ways to punctuate a list of bullet points full sentences. I follow your preferences along with lillian morsons guide for court reporters, margie wakeman wells court reporting.
A manual of style, grammar, usage, and formatting is a guide to english grammar and style, written by william a. Updated to include new communication technology and its unique issues. Use shortened forms only when this choice supports plain english. It attempts to provide guidance, rather than blackandwhite rules. Spell out ages in nontechnical references and in formal writing. Where there is disagreement among these reference manuals, follow the usage recommendations provided in the highest priority manual on the list.
In addition, this special fourcolor edition of grm pays tribute to the author bill sabin with personal. Commas arent the only punctuation marks that writers have problems withthere are others that everyone needs to be use properly. The reference manual answers just about any question a writer might be able to come up with in regards to grammar. When do i use periods and when do i leave bulleted items without end punctuation. Gregg reference manual free ebook download as powerpoint presentation. For example, make all of them sentences or fragments or questions. The gregg reference manual capitalizes all bullets.
1072 1507 53 78 65 940 247 796 513 889 1396 1061 6 162 1139 511 47 791 588 434 334 1551