How to Format a List

Neha Karve

A list may be vertical or horizontal. A vertical list is often introduced by a complete sentence followed by a colon.

Example
  • The following tasks are still pending:
    • Changing the sparkplug
    • Oiling the wheels
    • Launching the ship

Numbers instead of bullet points are used when either the order or the number of elements in a list is important. Each bullet point or numbered element in a vertical list is generally capitalized. A period appears only at the end of a list item that is a complete sentence.

Example
  • Follow these steps:
    1. Change the sparkplug.
    2. Oil the wheels.
    3. Launch the ship.

A horizontal (or run-in) list can be drafted as a simple sentence, but it may contain numbering if the list elements are meant to stand out from the text.

Examples
  • We still have to clean the windows, stock the pantry, and refuel the ship.
  • Today, we must (a) clean the windows, (b) stock the pantry, and (c) refuel the ship.

Vertical lists are more prominent than horizontal ones and stand out more from the rest of the text. Below we discuss how lists should be indented, numbered, capitalized, and punctuated.

Numbers, bullets, indentation

Vertical lists are usually indented and either bulleted or numbered.

Examples
  • Farley carried three things on his journey to the North Pole:
    • A gold watch
    • A fountain pen
    • A silk vest
  • To swim, follow these steps:
    1. Buy a swimsuit.
    2. Find a pool.
    3. Jump in.
    4. Move your arms and legs, and keep your nose above water.

Bullets or numbers are not essential and are sometimes omitted—for example, when ingredients are listed in a recipe.

Example
  • Ingredients
    • 2 teaspoons sugar
    • 3 tablespoons butter
    • 1 cup cracker crumbs
    • 1 cup peas
    • 1 diced potato

Indentation, though preferred, may be omitted—for example, in a restaurant menu.

Example
  • Tea
    English Breakfast
    Earl Grey
    Darjeeling
    Golden orange pekoe

    Coffee
    Espresso
    Americano
    Latte
    Cappuccino

Numbers vs. bullets

If the sequence of the listed items is important, use a numbered (i.e., ordered) list.

Example
  • To restart the device, follow these steps:
    1. Unplug the device from its power source.
    2. Turn around three times.
    3. Touch your nose with your index finger.
    4. Plug the device back in.
    5. Wait until you see a green light.
    6. Press the red button.

You may also use a numbered list to emphasize the number of items.

Example
  • You need to bring just three things on this trip:
    1. A flashlight
    2. A camera
    3. Your sense of adventure

Letters instead of numbers are generally used to present a list of options, such as in a quiz with multiple-choice questions.

Example
  • How many foreign countries have you visited in the last year?
    1. None
    2. 1–3
    3. 4–7
    4. More than 7

Use bullets instead of numbers when the sequence or number of elements in your list is not important. Such lists are called unordered lists. Changing the sequence of items in such a list does not affect meaning or make the list difficult to understand.

Example
  • During your stay, you have access to these amenities:
    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Jacuzzi
    • Concierge desk
    • Restaurant

Capitalization

The elements in a vertical list are often capitalized. This capitalization style is relatively simple and thus preferred by many. It has the additional advantage of making each of the listed points stand out. If you introduce a list using a complete sentence followed by a colon, capitalize each list item.

Example
  • In this chapter, we discuss the following:
    • Count nouns
    • Mass nouns
    • Nouns that are both count and mass

However, capitalization is not always necessary, especially in a list that isn’t bulleted or numbered, or introduced by a sentence followed by a colon.

Examples
  • Document checklist
    • application form
    • proof of residence
    • bank statement
  • Weekly grocery list
    • eggs
    • milk
    • muesli
    • bread
    • olives
    • lettuce
    • tomatoes

Punctuation

If the elements in your list are complete sentences, end each one with a period or a question mark (i.e., terminal punctuation).

Examples
  • Here are the steps to a hearty lentil soup:
    1. Wash and boil lentils.
    2. Season with salt.
    3. Put away to use later.
    4. Order Ezogelin soup from the nearest Turkish restaurant.
  • In this lesson, we discuss the following:
    • What are em dashes?
    • What are en dashes?
    • How are they different?

If your list isn’t made up of complete sentences, periods aren’t required.

Example
  • To assemble the furniture yourself, you need the following:
    • Allen keys
    • Spirit level
    • Power drill
    • Pencil
    • Patience

An entire list may be laid out and punctuated as one complete sentence. Don’t use a colon to introduce such a list. End each list item with a comma, and use a period at the end of the list. Since such a list is meant to be read as a sentence, don’t capitalize any of the individual elements.

Example
  • In the treasure chest, we found
    • another map,
    • an empty bottle,
    • a human skull.

Use semicolons if the points in your list contain internal commas. An and before the final element is optional.

Example
  • You will need
    • a wooden plank, two feet wide and four feet tall;
    • a box of paints, preferably acrylic; and
    • a steady hand.

Colon to introduce a list

Use a colon after a complete sentence or independent clause to introduce a list.

Example
  • For the apocalypse, pack the following:
    • Surgical masks
    • Hand sanitizer
    • Toilet paper

Don’t place a colon after a simple heading or introductory phrase.

Example
  • Main Characters
    • Farley
    • Tumkin
    • Lulu
    • Anita
    • Poco
    • Nesbit
    • Maya
    • Rita
Caution

Use a colon only after a complete introductory sentence.

Examples
  • Incorrect: This year, Tumkin will visit:
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam
    • Indonesia
  • Correct: This year, Tumkin will visit the following countries:
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam
    • Indonesia

If you don’t introduce the list using a complete sentence, the list itself can be the sentence.

Example
  • This year, Tumkin will visit
    • Thailand,
    • Vietnam,
    • Indonesia.

Such a list is better laid out horizontally, especially if the list items are short.

Example
  • This year, Tumkin will visit Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
Note

The serial comma before and after the second-last item in a horizontal list is optional but often preferred, especially in formal American usage.

Multilevel lists

You may sometimes need more than one level to create an effective outline. Such multilevel lists (or outlines) work particularly well as project plans, hierarchies, and indexes. If number, sequence, or chronology are important, use numbers and letters for each element in the list (I, A, 1, a, i); otherwise, use variously sized and shaped bullets (•, ◦, ▪).

Example
    1. Geographical regions of the world
      1. Africa
        1. Northern Africa
        2. Sub-Saharan Africa
          1. Eastern Africa
          2. Middle Africa
          3. Southern Africa
          4. Western Africa
      2. Americas
        1. Latin America and the Caribbean
          1. Caribbean
          2. Central America
          3. South America
        2. Northern America
      3. Asia
        1. Central Asia
        2. Eastern Asia
        3. Southeastern Asia
        4. Southern Asia
        5. Western Asia
      4. Europe
        1. Eastern Europe
        2. Northern Europe
        3. Southern Europe
        4. Western Europe
      5. Oceania
        1. Australia and New Zealand
        2. Melanesia
        3. Micronesia
        4. Polynesia
    2. Political divisions of the world
Note

You may use any sequential numbering system (e.g., [I, A, 1, a, i] or [1, 1.1, 1.1.1]) as long as it makes the hierarchy of the levels clear to your reader.

As with any list, if the sequence or number of list elements is unimportant, use bullets. Use a different style or size of bullet point to denote each sublevel. (Programs such as Microsoft Word do this automatically for you.)

Example
    • Alien life forms
      • Flora
        • Locomotory
        • Sessile
      • Fauna
        • Chirpy
        • Grumpy
    • Terrestrial life forms
      • Flora
        • Autotrophic
        • Heterotrophic
          • Carnivorous
          • Herbivorous
          • Omnivorous
      • Fauna
        • Very friendly
        • Somewhat unfriendly
        • Mostly harmless
Caution

Format multilevel or nested lists logically and consistently. Indent, number, or format each sublevel such that it is clear which level each list element belongs to. Inconsistent formatting can make an outline look messy and unprofessional.

Horizontal lists

In its simplest form, a horizontal list (also called a run-in list) is a sentence with items separated by commas.

Example
  • To bake a cake, you need flour, eggs, butter, and time.
Tip

Use a semicolon to separate items in a list when they themselves contain internal punctuation.

Example
  • Tumkin visited Hamburg, Germany; George Town, Malaysia; and Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Use letters or numbers to make list elements stand out, highlight their number, or imply a sequence. Enclose these letters or numbers in parentheses to separate them from the surrounding text.

Examples
  • I can’t live here because (a) it’s dirty and (b) it stinks.
  • Make sure to pack (1) binoculars, (2) pencils, and (c) spare socks.
  • On our trip to Turkey, we plan to visit the following places: (1) Istanbul, (2) Antalya, (3) Ankara, (4) Bodrum.
Caution

Use a colon only if you use a complete sentence to introduce the list.

Example
  • Incorrect: For his trip to Mars, Farley packed: (a) a gold watch, (b) a silk tie, (c) a pair of dress shoes.
    Correct: For his trip to Mars, Farley packed (a) a gold watch, (b) a silk tie, (c) a pair of dress shoes.
    Correct: For his trip to Mars, Farley packed three things: (a) a gold watch, (b) a silk tie, (c) a pair of dress shoes.

Parallel structure

For a list to be logical and readable, it must have parallel structure across its elements. This means that each element in your list should be of the same type functionally (word, phrase, clause, or sentence) and grammatically (nouns, verbs, adverbs, etc.). Also, don’t mix tone. If one of the points in your list is a question, all should be questions. If one is an imperative (an instruction), so must they all be.

Example
  • Poor: Lulu loves adventure, eating ice-cream, and to laugh when she can.
    This list lacks parallel structure: the first item is a noun, the second a gerund phrase, and the third an infinitive phrase.
  • Better: Lulu loves being adventurous, eating ice-cream, and laughing when she can.
    We have parallel structure: all the items in this list are gerund phrases.
  • Better: Lulu loves adventure, ice-cream, and laughter.
    We’ve ensured parallel structure by rephrasing and turning all the elements into nouns.
  • Better: Lulu loves to be adventurous, eat ice-cream, and laugh when she can.
    All the elements in this list are infinitive phrases.

Don’t mix imperatives with factual statements and questions.

Example
  • Poor: To prepare for the apocalypse, follow these steps:
    1. Buy seven crates of coconut water.
    2. It’s useful to be strong and agile; try swimming every day.
    3. When did you last have a dental checkup?
    Each item in this list is differently structured. We have an imperative, a declarative, and an interrogative. Such a hodgepodge of sentence structures can be jarring for readers.
  • Better: To prepare for the apocalypse, follow these steps:
    1. Buy seven crates of coconut water.
    2. Stay strong and agile by going swimming every day.
    3. Get a dental checkup done.
    All the elements are imperatives and together read as a set of instructions.

Don’t allow the list items to be functionally different—for example, one shouldn’t be a noun and another an adjective.

Example
  • Poor: The six basic animal classes are as follows:
    1. Invertebrate species
    2. Fish
    3. Amphibians
    4. Reptilian
    5. Birds
    6. Mammalian
    This list lacks parallel structure because it does not consistently use nouns or adjectives.
  • Better: The six basic animal classes are as follows:
    1. Invertebrates
    2. Fish
    3. Amphibians
    4. Reptiles
    5. Birds
    6. Mammals
    We’ve modified the list to make sure all the elements are nouns.

When to use (and not use) a list

A list is a useful way to organize information and present it logically and sequentially. It stands out typographically from the rest of the text, encouraging the reader to focus on it.

Examples
  • The things I miss most in this apocalypse are (a) diet soda, (b) toilet paper, and (c) good moisturizer.
  • In the basement we found some interesting items:
    • A torn notebook
    • An old scarf
    • A half-eaten candle

A list is best used to present important information that is logically organized and similarly structured—for example, to provide a set of instructions or make key points clear to the reader. Don’t overuse lists in your writing. To maintain a natural tone, use paragraphs to convey information, occasionally using lists to clarify ideas for your reader.

Before creating a list, ask yourself whether you need one. Remember that a list stands out from the rest of the text, unlike sentences in a paragraph.

Tip

If the elements of a list comprise many long sentences, they are probably better set in a paragraph than in a list.

Quick Quiz

To list instructions that must be followed in order, what should you use?
Choose from these answers
All done!
When should a colon be used to introduce a list?
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When should periods be used to punctuate items in a list?
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Can a list contain multiple levels?
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When does a list have parallel structure?
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