3 wrong ways to use a numbered list
I can think of at least three incorrect ways to use a numbered list:
- “x ways to [blank] your [blank]!”
- “x something something, pictures of animals.”
- This list.
There are a few legitmate uses cases for numbered lists:
- “Numbered lists can be used to denote items in a series, such as conclusions or procedural steps.”
- “Numbered lists can be useful to show the relationship between items: a chronology of events, each item’s relative importance, and so on.”
Here’s a numbered list done right:
It’s an ordered series that reveals the relative importance of each of those people and creates a chronology. If Beatrix had written the names in a different order, there would be tangible consequences.
Most lists are more like Oliver Queen’s:
where there’s no inherent ordering and he’ll get to them when he’ll get to them. Similarly, the order in which you look at someone’s favorite cat pictures doesn’t matter.
Next time you start writing a list, think about whether the items are part of a series, have a quantitative relationship to each other, or if it matters how many of them there are. I’d bet not. Chances are that you want is a bulleted list or a checklist instead.