Punctuation
Heretto follows The Chicago Manual of Style, with some notable punctuation style considerations outlined for reference.
Bullets
- Use a bullet list when organizing three or more items into a list makes more sense.
- Capitalize the first letter of each list item.
- Use parallel structure when writing a bullet list. For example, start each list item with a verb.
Do not add a period to the end of any list item, even if the list items are complete sentences.
The only exception is when a list item includes more than one sentence. In this situation, you must add an end punctuation to all sentences in the list item and all list items in the bullet list.
Example
The interface enables you to:
- View activity
- Filter events
- Search keywords
Commas
The Oxford comma is the final comma in a series of three or more items. Using the Oxford comma helps to reduce ambiguity in writing.
- In a series of three or more items, use a comma before “and” and “or”
- Use a comma to connect two independent but connected clauses into a single sentence
- Do not use a comma to connect two independent thoughts
Example
To reduce the ambiguity and make it clear that the dedication is to the writer's parents, to Leroy, and to Joanne, we use the Oxford comma:
"I dedicate this book to my parents, Leroy, and Joanne."
In the following example, we don't know if the book is dedicated to the writer's parents, Leroy and Joanne, or to the writer's parents, as well as Leroy and Joanne.
"I dedicate this book to my parents, Leroy and Joanne."
Periods
- Always use a period at the end of a complete sentence. The only exception to this rule is bullet lists.
- Place periods inside quotation marks at the end of a sentence, unless the parenthetical content is nested in another sentence. In that case, the period should go outside of the quotation marks.