Using and Creating Lists in Word 2007

There are two types of lists commonly used in printed material: bulleted lists and numbered lists. A bulleted list is a nothing but a list of individual items with a symbol to the left side of the first line of each item in the list. For example, the following is a bulleted list:

• This is the first item in the list.
• This is the second item in the list. There is more than one line in this item. Notice that the extra lines are aligned with the line above, not with the bullet or the text margin.
• This is the third item in the list.
• This is the fourth item in the list.

In the case of this bulleted list, the symbol used as the "bullet" is a small dot. A numbered list is a little bit different. It consists of a series of items, each with a sequential number in front of it. Numbered lists are often used to describe a sequence of steps to be followed.

This usage points out the primary way you can decide which type of list to use. If you have a sequence of steps that must be followed in order, then you should use a numbered list. If you have a group of items to which you want special treatment given, but they don't represent a series that must be followed in sequence, then you should use a bulleted list.

Word allows you to quickly and easily create lists. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Type your list, only pressing Enter at the end of each item in the list. If an item runs more than one line, do not press Enter at the end of each line. Also, do not add a number or asterisk at the beginning of each list item.
2. Select all the items in the list.
3. Click on the Bullets list tool to create the bulleted list or the Numbering tool to create a numbered list. Both tools are located on the Home tab of the Ribbon, in the Paragraph group.

Note the advice in step 1 to not add numbers or asterisks at the beginning of each item in your list. Numbers and bullets are added automatically when you perform step 3. However, if you add a number or an asterisk at the beginning of your items (contra the suggestion in step 1), Word 2007 may recognize that you are creating a list and apply list formatting automatically.