Contents
- 1 Can you start a sentence with a list?
- 2 How do you write a sentence when you are listing?
- 3 How do you list something in the middle of a sentence?
- 4 How do you punctuate a list in the middle of a sentence?
- 5 Do you start a list with a colon or semicolon?
- 6 Is there a comma after the last item in a list?
Can you start a sentence with a list?
It is possible to start a sentence with a list. However, this should only be done occasionally.
How do you write a sentence when you are listing?
If your list items are simple noun phrases or sentence fragments, do not use end punctuation — no periods, no commas, no semicolons. If your list items are complete sentences , then you can grammatically end them with a period as a stylistic choice.
What do you put before a list in a sentence?
Use a colon before a list when the list is preceded by a complete independent clause. Never use a colon to separate a preposition from its objects or a verb from its complements.
How do you list something in the middle of a sentence?
In-sentence lists
- Use a colon to introduce the list items only if a complete sentence precedes the list.
- Use both opening and closing parentheses on the list item numbers or letters: (a) item, (b) item, etc.
- Use either regular Arabic numbers or lowercase letters within the parentheses, but use them consistently.
How do you punctuate a list in the middle of a sentence?
Use lowercase for the text of in-sentence lists items, except when regular capitalization rules require caps. Punctuate the in-sentence list items with commas if they are not complete sentences; with semicolons, if they are complete sentences. Use the same spacing for in-sentence lists as in regular non-list text.
How do you write a list in the middle of a sentence?
Do you start a list with a colon or semicolon?
Semicolons separate items within a list, while a colon precedes and introduces a list. He took three things on the hike; his lunch, his binoculars, and his trusty walking stick.
Is there a comma after the last item in a list?
Do not place a comma after the last item in the list (see fourth example below) unless the structure of the sentence otherwise requires it (see third example below, in which the comma after audience is required to separate an introductory dependent clause from the main clause).