Effective Wrting: Itemization

Repetition of structure is effective in making long sentences easy to read. Itemization is another important device for making a sentence containing several long parallel elements easy, perhaps possible, to read. Itemization can also be used to emphasize the individual parallel elements.

The test indicated

-That continuous thermal exposure degraded the strength of the composite material.
-That cyclic thermal exposure did not degrade the strength of the composite material.

In the above example, the common element, that would usually be included in the introductory clause: "The test indicated that."

In an itemization, all items must be the same grammatical construction, for example, all prepositional phrases, all noun phrases, or all complete sentences:


Poor: Continuous cyclic exposure resulted in

- The matrix diffusing to the reaction layer.
- Degradation of the strength of the composite material

Better: Continuous cyclic exposure resulted in

- Diffusion of the matrix to the reaction layer
- Degradation of the strength of the composite material

Poor: The investigation was conducted

- To determine mechanisms causing strength degradation
- Because the rate of degradation varied widely depending on the composite matrix

Better: The investigation was conducted

- To determine mechanisms causing strength degradation
- To explain the wide variation in degradation rate for various composite matrixes

A Handbook for Technical Writers and Editors, Mary K. McCaskill