Lists

Use vertical lists to break up complicated text. Lists allow you to present information in manageable chunks. Use them to arrange related elements of text in a form that is easy for the reader to grasp.

Elements of a list should refer to things of the same kind. Within the lists, use parallel structures and punctuate the items consistently.

Items in a vertical list need only be numbered if you refer to them elsewhere by number or letter.

List types

The four basic types of listing are illustrated below:

(a) Lists of short items (without main verbs) should be introduced by a full sentence and have the following features:

i. introductory colon

ii. no initial capitals

iii. no punctuation after each item (for very short items) or just a comma

iv. close with a full stop.

(b) Where each item completes the introductory sentence, you should:

i. begin with an introductory colon;

ii. start each item with a small letter;

iii. end each item with a semicolon;

iv. close with a full stop.

(c) If all items are complete statements without a grammatical link to the introductory sentence, proceed as follows:

i. introduce the list with a colon;

ii. label each item with a small letter or small roman numeral;

iii. start each item with a small letter;

iv. end each one with a semicolon;

v. close with a full stop.

(d) If any one item consists of several complete sentences, announce the list with a main sentence and continue as indicated below.

i. Do not introduce the list with a colon.

ii. Use letters or small roman numerals to identify each item.

iii. Begin each item with a capital letter.

iv. End each statement with a full stop. This allows several sentences to be included under a single item without throwing punctuation into confusion.

Most important of all: do not mix these list styles.

There are two styles of lists used in documents: bulleted lists and numbered lists. You should use Microsoft Word template styles to create these. They exist in three levels in the template.

All lists should have the same layout throughout the publication. Separate lists from running text by using extra space above and below.

Bulleted lists

The bulleted list is ideal for giving a neat presentation to items. Avoid using this style, however, for lengthy items of over one sentence long, and avoid overusing the bulleted lists feature.

Example:

The key facts about temporary agency work in the EU are:

• temporary agency work was the most rapidly growing form of atypical employment in the European Union during the 1990s;
• between 1.8 and 2.1 million workers work for temporary agencies in the EU, corresponding to 1.2% – 1.4% of the total number of people in employment;
• agency work is highly concentrated among young people in the labour force, with those under 25 years of age making up between 20% and 50% of all agency workers;
• with the exception of the three Nordic Member States, the majority of agency workers are men.

Numbered lists

Numbered lists should generally be used only where there is some particular reason to allocate a specific number to each item in the list. This may be to indicate an order of priority, or to list a number of points already given numbers.

Example:

The four issues most frequently included in collective agreements in 1996 were:

1. pay (covered by 96% of agreements)
2. working time (78%)
3. pensions (45%)
4. training (27%)

Sublists

Within both numbered and bulleted lists, there is a facility for numbered or bulleted sublists. The same rules apply as for lists. Do not use sublists unless you absolutely have to. They tend to make the logic of the text difficult to follow, thus defeating the purpose of the use of lists.