Organization: Using Lists to Organize

Lists are a series of items grouped together in a sequence. Use a list whenever you have a sequence of information to pass along (ex: directions, points to remember, key steps in a process, etc.).

Lists are vital to helping readers move through a lot of material efficiently. If you have ever put together a new bookcase or a bicycle, you know the value of a list as it takes the form of instructions. If you have ever baked lasagna or cake from a recipe, then you also are familiar with lists.

According to plainlanguage.gov Links to an external site., you should use lists because they:

  • Highlight levels of importance
  • Help the reader understand the order in which things happen
  • Help readers skim and scan
  • Make it easy to identify all steps in a process
  • Add white space for easy reading
  • Are an ideal way to present items, conditions, and exceptions

For our purposes, you should focus on one of two types of lists:

Numbered Lists

Use a numbered list when the order of the items is important, as in a set of instructions.

  1. Attach Part A to Part D using TWO 2” screws.
  2. Attach Part D to Part F using TWO small angle brackets and four 1’ screws. Do not tighten the screws completely.
  3. Set the component upright.
  4. Tighten the screws fully on the angle bracket.

Notice that in #2, there is a carryover line. The line aligns with the text in the first line, not the number. This practice enables your reader to find each step number quickly. Achieve this by using the Numbered List function in Word, rather than inserting numbers manually.

Bulleted Lists

Use a bulleted list when the order is not important. If you are using a bulleted list, use an actual bullet -- not a dash or an asterisk or anything that has a grammatical or mechanical value.

Consider how bulleted lists can change the impact of information:

EXAMPLE 1
For this camping trip, in addition to your clothing and personal items, you are required to bring a basic compass, a 1-qt canteen, a Swiss Army knife, a basic first-aid kit, a spiral notebook that will fit in your pocket, and a mechanical pencil with lead and eraser refills.

EXAMPLE 2

For this camping trip, in addition to your clothing and personal items, you are required to bring

  • a 1-qt canteen
  • a Swiss Army knife
  • a basic first-aid kit
  • a spiral notebook that will fit in your pocket
  • a mechanical pencil with lead and eraser refills

If professional writing is supposed to be reader-friendly, and you (the writer) want to ensure that campers going on this trip (the readers) don’t leave any vital equipment behind, which version of the message would you send them? 

Because it is set up in paragraph form, Example 1 could cause the campers to forget an item.  However, Example 2 ensures they will arrive equipped for the expedition:  the list can be scanned easily and the items on it scratched off.

Tips for Using Lists

To determine whether you need a list and to understand how to set them up, use the following tips.

When to List

How do you know when to create a list? First, look at your writing. Have you written any sentences that include several related items in a row -- as few as two but definitely three or more?

Take this example, drawn from plainlanguage.gov Links to an external site.:

Each completed well drilling application must contain a detailed statement including the following information: the depth of the well, the casing and cementing program, the circulation media (mud, air, foam, etc.), the expected depth and thickness of fresh water zones, and well site layout and design.

Three things should clue you in to the fact that you have a list hidden within this paragraph:

  • The phrase "including the following information," which says "information will follow."
  • The colon, which effectively tells the reader "okay, here comes that information I said will follow."
  • The FIVE items, separated by commas and "and" that follow the colon and end the sentence.

Now imagine that you are applying for that drilling permit and need to make sure you provide all of the requested information. Wouldn't you have an easier time with this version of the same sentence:

With your application for a drilling permit, provide the following information:

      • Depth of the well
      • Casing and cementing program
      • Circulation media (mud, air, form, etc.)
      • Expected depth and thickness of fresh water zones
      • Well site layout and design

The above situation uses a fragment list. Each item in the list is a sentence fragment, not a complete sentence. More on that in a bit. In the above, you could rearrange the items and the entire list would still make sense, but when order matters, use a numbered list, as shown in this plainlanguage.gov Links to an external site. example:

When [an international] student presents a completed Form I-20:

      1. Enter the student’s admission number from Form 94.
      2. Endorse all copies of the form.
      3. Return a copy to the student.
      4. Send a copy to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

This example uses a sentence list. Every numbered item is a complete sentence -- in this case, an imperative or command sentence Links to an external site..

 

Use Correct Punctuation

When you create any kind of list, you will need to ensure that it is correctly punctuated. You will have to pay attention to the lead-in sentence and to the list itself.

Lead-In Sentence

Notice that all of the above lists are preceded by (a) an introductory sentence that (b) ends in a colon. This is the best method for punctuating a sentence preceding a list. Avoid ending this sentence with are -- but if you do, do not use a colon at the end. In other words, every list gets a lead-in sentence and a colon. If you can remember that, you're on the way toward creating solid lists.

The List Itself

How you punctuate your list depends on what kind of list it is.

      • Fragment lists (see example above) do not end in punctuation, except for a final period after the last item.
      • Sentence lists (see above) must end in a period because they are actually sentences. In all cases, each list item must begin with a capitalized word (Return instead of return).

One more item to consider. If you decide not to create a list when you have just two items, do not use a colon to introduce those items.

  • Don't Do This:
    • With your application for a drilling permit, provide: the depth of the well and the casing and cementing program.
  • Do This Instead:
    • With your application for a drilling permit, provide the depth of the well and the casing and cementing program.

 

Use Parallel Construction

When you create a list, make sure that all of your list items are parallel in construction. In other words, the list items must match in form (e.g., all items begin with -ing, all items begin with a noun).

In this example drawn from plainlanguage.gov Links to an external site., but slightly modified for our use, one of the list items is not parallel.

You must submit:

      • Your application
      • Recommendation letter
      • Teaching statement
      • Mail it express mail

The first three items are nouns; however, the last one is a verb (action, direction). The easiest way to fix this issue is to bring the last item up to the lead-in sentence, like this: You must submit by express mail:

But how can you tell if all of your items are parallel? One method is to create a complete sentence by combining the lead-in sentence with each list item. In the case of the above example, you'd get these sentences:

    • You must submit your application. This is a complete sentence.
    • You must submit [a] recommendation letter. This is a complete sentence, with an article added.
    • You must submit [a] teaching statement. This is a complete sentence, with an article added.
    • You must submit mail it express mail. This is not a complete sentence, so it is clearly not parallel.

You might sometimes have to add an article, as shown immediately above, or add the list item after the key verb in the intro sentence, like this:

Original

With your application for a drilling permit, provide the following information:

        • Depth of the well
        • Casing and cementing program.

List Items Tested

With your application for a drilling permit, provide the depth of the well.

With your application for a drilling permit, provide the casing and cementing program.

 

Avoid "Etc."

Never use "etc." at the end of a list, as it simultaneously introduces a vagueness to the information you are providing and suggests that you might be a bit lazy as a writer. Take this example:

In order to test your soil's pH level, you will need the following items:

      • Soil
      • Distilled water
      • pH test strip, etc.

What is missing from this list? The reader won't know. An "etc." basically means "hey, there are other things I could have mentioned, but I'm not going to." Avoid it.