Mark the list items clearly

Mark the list items clearly by using a clear, consistent beginning for each. The beginnings could be bullets, numbers, headings, ordinals, or any other designation that indicates clearly when the list item has begun. Do not change the type of beginning. Otherwise, the reader may become confused.

This e‑mail contains two items of information about the meeting:

  1. The time and date
  2. The agenda topics I want you to prepare for

TIME AND DATE

The meeting will be . . . e‑mail continues here]

AGENDA ITEMS TO PREPARE FOR

Please come prepared to discuss these two agenda items:

  1. When to begin the new marketing campaign.
  2. How to proceed on developing brochures for the new product line.

[e‑mail continues here]

The writer chose to use numbers for the list of contents at the beginning and for the list of agenda items. The reader is able to follow the lists easily because the writer uses the numbers consistently at the beginning and breaks for each new list item.

The writer has also chosen to use headings to designate the two "items of information." The reader can easily follow the e‑mail because the items are consistently marked. Their marks differ from the other two lists that are numbered.

If you choose not to use headings, mark the beginnings of each of the two "items of information" with ordinals and the category words, as in this example:

This e‑mail contains two items of information about the meeting:

  1. The time and date
  2. The agenda topics I want you to prepare for

The first item of information about the meeting is the time and date. The meeting will be . . . [e‑mail continues here]

The second item of information about the meeting is a list of agenda topics I want you to prepare for. Please come prepared to discuss these two agenda items:

  1. When to begin the new marketing campaign.
  2. How to proceed on developing brochures for the new product line.

[e‑mail continues here]

Follow this formula when you choose not to use headings or numbers:

  1. Start with the ordinal (the first, the second).
  2. Follow with the category word you decided to use for items in this list (step, item of information, concern, issue, and so on).
  3. Don't use an ordinal by itself: "First, we need to . . ." You need to remind the reader of what this is the first of: "The first step . . ." "The first concern . . ." If you don't include the category word defining what the item is the first or second of, you would be better off to use the Arabic number (1, 2, and so on).

Prefer simple filled circles rather than fancy bullets.

Use the more conservative bullets for all but the most informal documents. Fancy bullets may be graphically appealing, but they decrease the formal, business nature of the document.

Prefer simple filled circles or small filled blocks for the first-level bullets.

For nested or second-level bullets (lists within lists), use hollow circles or other simple bullets.

Hollow bullets are suitable for nested or second-level lists (lists within lists). The bullets you choose should be clearly weaker than the filled bullets you use for the higher, first level. That helps the reader to see the outline hierarchy. Indent the second-level lists one-quarter inch or to the indentation of text of the first-level bullet.

Break with white space before and after items if they are longer.

If the items wrap (go on to the next line), help the reader see the separate items by skipping a blank line between the list items. If you are setting the space before using Microsoft Word's paragraph functions, set the space before to 12 points.

Consider bolding a key word or phrase at the beginning to give the item focus.

One way to make the list items clear is to bold a key word or phrase at the beginning of each item. That gives the item focus and allows the reader to see the central idea of each item at a glance.

This is an example of a paragraph that contains lists, but they are buried in the paragraph:

Advertising Wizard (AW) is a new tool that will revolutionize the way advertisers traffic ad campaigns. It has a new reporting capability. Advertisers can better target their advertising dollars when they know what is working for their campaigns. AW provides the flexibility necessary to change your campaign depending on the report results. Reports can be run on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis and can be exported into a number of formats. The new interface allows for advertisers to traffic their campaigns more quickly and efficiently. It has an intuitive navigation and tabbing system. Even if a user has little or no trafficking experience, he or she can quickly understand where information is located and how to use AW to best suit his or her advertising needs. It has new content-sensitive help. Wherever a user is in the interface, the user can click on help and they will receive help targeted to their current position in AW. The new help allows for users to get started on AW without spending time in training classes. A user can learn the basic features right in AW. When a user is ready to use some of the more advanced tools such as Spotlight Reports, the Websoft Support Team is ready with online training classes, a robust knowledge base and one-to-one personal support.

This is the same content, broken out into lists. The list items have the central concept of each item bolded to set it apart and make the content of the list items clearer.

Advertising Wizard (AW) is a new tool that will revolutionize the way advertisers traffic ad campaigns. Five new features make this the clear choice in available software solutions.

  1. The new reporting capability. You can better target your advertising dollars when you know what is working for your campaigns. AW provides the flexibility to adjust your campaign using report results to make it more successful. You may run reports daily, weekly, or monthly and export them into 14 formats.

  2. User interface that allows you to traffic your campaigns more quickly and efficiently. AW's user interface allows you to . . . [Follow with what they can do that will allow them to do that.]

  3. Quick references that show where information is located. Even if your users have little or no trafficking experience, they can quickly understand where information is located and how they can use AW to best suit their advertising needs.

  4. Help with what users doing wherever they are in AW. One of the most important new features is new content-sensitive help. Wherever a user is, he or she can click on "Help" and receive information targeted to that place in AW. The new help feature allows for users to get started on AW without spending time in training classes.

  5. User friendly features users will learn correctly as they work. When a user is ready to use some of the more advanced tools such as Spotlight Reports, the Websoft Support Team is ready with
    • online training classes,
    • a robust knowledge base, and
    • one-to-one personal support.

Notice these parts of the rewritten paragraph:

  1. The list opens with an introduction and statement of the contents of the list: "Five new features make this the clear choice in available software solutions."
  2. The list contains a specific number: five.
  3. The list has a name for the types of items: "new features."
  4. Each item in the list is numbered and the key concept is stated in a bolded sentence at the beginning.
  5. The items are separated by blank lines.

 

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