Everybody loves a list, especially Father Christmas.
Have you been naughty or nice this year? Why not earn back some of your Santa points by properly punctuating your Christmas wish list. I'll show you how.
Using bullet points and lists is a great way to break down complicated information, making it easier for the reader to skim through and see the most important points at a glance.
Lists like this are great for large pieces of text like letters to Santa, academic texts, business papers, marketing materials such as brochures and websites, and in slide presentations where you want to keep your text to a minimum.
Bullet points and lists can be used in a variety of ways, but punctuating them seems to confuse us all. Should you capitalise each point? Should you use a full stop, a semi colon, or nothing at all?
How to punctuate lists
There are a few different ways to punctuate lists; here are the most common ones:
A list of short points or single items
All I want for Christmas is:
a pony
a puppy, and
world peace.
Or
For Christmas this year, I would like the following:
A pony
A puppy
World peace
When each point in the list is a complete sentence
My Christmas list is simple this year.
I'd like a few more hours in each day;
I need a new keyboard for my computer because my old one has worn out; and
I'd give anything for everyone around the world to be happy on Christmas day.
A list that is a continuous sentence
I've been very good this year, Santa, but there is nothing I want for myself. I'd be really grateful if you could:
give my sister the diamond ring she's been dreaming of;
deliver the Ferrari that my brother has always wanted;
take away my parents' aches and pains; and
bring peace to all mankind.
And, as always, don't forget to proofread your list to avoid unwanted gifts!
Photo by Mike Arney on Unsplash