Page 131 - Planning Group Induction Pack_Neat

Mass-produced
His mobile number is 0405-364-237
He was the pre-eminent scientist of his era
There was a lengthy build-up to the presentation.

Dot points and lists

When writing a simple list, end the introductory phrase with a colon. If each point is a sentence fragment,
don’t use a full stop, colon or semi-colon. Leave each point bare until the last one and then finish with a full
stop. Don’t use capitals.

Example:
Corporate stationery includes:
• envelopes

• letterhead
• photocopy paper.

For longer dot point lists of standalone sentences, use an initial capital letter and a full stop at the end of
each dot point.

Example:
The committee came to two important conclusions:

• Officers from the department will investigate the feasibility of moving research staff to regional areas
for the duration of the project.
• Research will be conducted in the areas identified by the Chief Scientist.

Full stops

Full stops end an idea or thought in a sentence.
Full stops are not used in acronyms (DELWP), names (Ms Jones), dates (12 February 1996) or
abbreviations.

The exception to this rule is The Honourable, which is shortened to The Hon.
Italics

Italics are used for the titles of:
• books and periodicals
• legislation and legal cases.

Examples:

It appeared in an article in The Australian.
Nature published the results last year.
Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Act 1995 prohibits...

Informal titles of legislation are not italicised, e.g. the Young Offenders Act.
Latin names, such as those describing flora and fauna, should also be italicised:

Writing with style 11
Our guide to better writing and reaching your readers