Lists

All lists should have their entries begin with a capital (unless that word never has a capital). If a list (excluding sets of instructions) has no entries that are more than one sentence long then they should end with a semicolon, the penultimate entry should follow the semicolon with “and”, and the final entry should end with a full stop:

• Beginning;

• Middle; and

• End

If a single entry is more than one sentence, all entries should end with a full stop.

When writing a set of instructions, please use an ordered list (numbered). Ideally, the first word should be an imperative as well, but you can compromise on this in favour of a more informal style. Ordered lists can also be used to list ideas in order of priority, such as the ten best footballers.

Unordered lists can be used in many different ways, but if you want to use them to describing many different terms, please use this style:

• Mass spectroscopy — Where the molecules are ionised.

• Infra red — Where the molecules are dissolved in solution.

If you can’t decide whether or not to use an ordered list or an unordered list, choose unordered.