Lists

If the items in your list are complete sentences, start each one with a capital letter and finish each with a full stop.

Correct Incorrect

There are two distinct cultural protocols:

  • A Welcome to Country can only be made by an Aboriginal Traditional Owner of the country or land upon which the welcome is made.
  • An Acknowledgement of Country can be made by someone (Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal) who is not a Traditional Owner of the country or land upon which the statement is made.

There are two distinct cultural protocols:

  • a Welcome to Country can only be made by an Aboriginal Traditional Owner of the country or land upon which the welcome is made, and
  • an Acknowledgement of Country can be made by someone (Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal) who is not a Traditional Owner of the country or land upon which the statement is made

If the items in your list are not complete sentences, start each item with a lower-case letter. Don’t use commas or semicolons at the end of each item. Don’t use ‘and’ on the second-last item. Do use a full stop after the final item.

Correct Incorrect

The Welcome to Country always occurs at the start of an event. Such events include but are not limited to:

  • conferences
  • ceremonies
  • meetings
  • graduation ceremonies.

The Welcome to Country always occurs at the start of an event. Such events include but are not limited to

  • conferences,
  • ceremonies,
  • meetings, and
  • graduation ceremonies

All items in a list must follow the same grammatical structure. You can check this by reading the introductory phrase and then each item to see if it makes sense.

Correct Incorrect

Successful students:

  • are motivated
  • are organised
  • study hard.

Successful students are:

  • motivated
  • organised
  • study hard.