How to use bullet points

Bullet points can be used to:

• break up complicated information
• make it easier to read
• turn it into a list

Don't forget to add a colon before the list.

Let's look at an example.

I visited my friend and we played computer games, football, a board game, chess and the piano.

Could become:

I visited my friend and we played:

• computer games

• football

• a board game

• chess

• the piano

Top tip!

• You always need an introductory sentence (punctuated with a colon) to let the reader know what your list is about. This is sometimes called the 'stem'.

• You do not need to include the word ‘and’ in a bullet point list.

Bullet points are often used in non-fiction writing to explain information clearly to the reader.

Watch the following non-fiction clip to learn about ‘The Human Body’.

Listen carefully to the information that you are being told. Which parts could be written using bullet points?

Write a bullet point list of all the things you can find inside the human body.

You need to include:

• An introduction sentence explaining what the list is about.

• A colon (:) in the right place.

• Each thing inside the body on a new line.

Top tip!

You could start by writing: 'Inside the human body, there is:'

Convert these sentences into bullet point lists.

1. Humans have five senses which are sight, smell, hearing, touch and taste.

2. To help some bodies to work their best we use glasses, hearing aids and wheelchairs.

3. The human body is strong, hard-working and comes in all shapes and sizes.