保持 bullet point 結構一致


我剛去了趟美國探望家人,並在Houston住了幾天。


一天下午,我們帶同女兒到一所小孩子的博物館。館中有一個「兒童城鎮」遊樂區,可以讓孩子們假裝做不同的職業來「賺錢」。


城鎮中的不同「機構」,包括咖啡館、雜貨店、銀行等,都有一個「就業中心」,列出了不同「職位」。


每個職位也用「bullet points」列出了一些對應的「工作職責」。


例如,孩子們如果想成為「雜貨店經理」,他們須要:


  • Check prices

  • Return food to shelves

  • Return fruits and vegetables to bins



還記得我經常說,只要對英文有系統性的理解,我們便可以有效地使用現實生活中遇到的每一個正確例子來學習 -- 既鞏固已有知識,同時有系統地學習新知識。


那麼,我們又能從兒童城鎮列舉「工作職責」的方式中學到甚麼?


我們會看到,在寫作時使用「bullet points」 ,應該要保持它們的結構一致


這些以「bullet points」列舉的「工作職責」,全都以一個基本字形的動詞開始:


  • Check…

  • Return…

  • Work…

  • Greet…

  • Prepare…



由於這些要點全以一個「infinitive」字形(基本動詞字形)起首,它們的結構都屬同一種類的,是「infinitive phrase」(基本動詞組)。


書寫時,我們會選擇一類型的詞組(或子句、句子),並確保列出的每個重點都有相同結構。


如果「bullet points」是「獨立」出現的,即不屬於某句子中的一部分,那麽使用哪種詞組起首也沒關係,只要它們是一致的便可以了。


例如:


  • Checking prices

  • Returning food to shelves

  • Returning fruits and vegetables to bins


就算我們轉用「checking」、「returning」等gerund,將所有「求職中心」中的「bullet points」都改做gerund名詞組也沒問題,只要保持它們的一致性便可。


然而,以下的列舉方式會導致結構上不一致,我們應該避免:


  • Check prices

  • Returning food to shelves


我經常看到學生在他們的CV上,用不一致的「bullet points」例舉過往的工作職責。例如:


  • Preparation of reports for the board

  • Checking data 

  • Correspond with major accounts


第一點的起首是名詞「preparation」,是個名詞組;第二點則用了gerund,是個gerund詞組;第三點用「infinitive」開始,是個「infinitive」詞組 。它們的結構不一致。


為了保持統一,我們會選定一種結構來使用。


不過還有一點要注意,假如那些「bullet points」屬於句子的一部分,我們便要使用結構正確的字形和詞組去完成那個句子。這種情況下,我們便不可隨意地選擇字形。


例如:


A grocery store manager needs to:


  • Check prices

  • Return food to shelves


因為這裡的「bullet points」需要完成「A grocery store manager needs to…」這句子,唯一的結構選擇只有「infinitive」詞組 -- 因為我們需要在「to」後面連接infinitive詞組才能正確完成句子。


下次使用「bullet points」時記得注意這一點了!


_________


小練習:


請根據句子所需,統一以下「bullet points」的結構:


My duties as the assistant to the CEO:


  • Preparation of reports for the board

  • Checking data 

  • Correspond with major accounts

***************************************


答案:


My duties as the assistant to the CEO:


  • Preparing reports for the board

  • Checking data

  • Corresponding with major accounts

_________________________________________


Keeping bullet points structurally consistent


I was recently in the city of Houston in the U.S.A. to visit family. 


One afternoon, we went to a children’s museum with my daughters. There was a “children’s town” in the museum where kids can pretend to do different jobs to “earn” money.


The different “establishments” in the “town” – including a cafe, a grocery store, a bank, etc. – all have a “job center” that lists out the jobs that can be done in that particular location. 


These “jobs” are listed along with a few of the “job duties” as bullet points.


For example, if children wanted to be the “grocery store manager,” they would have to:


  • Check prices

  • Return food to shelves

  • Return fruits and vegetables to bins



Remember that, as long as we have a systematic understanding of English, we can use every correct example we encounter in real life effectively as learning input - to both consolidate what we know and learn new things.


What can we learn from these bulleted lists of “job duties” in this children’s town? 


We can learn that, if we want to use bullet points in our English writing, we should keep them structurally consistent


The bullet points of “job duties” in the children’s town all start with an infinitive form of a verb:


  • Check…

  • Return…

  • Work…

  • Greet…

  • Prepare…



Because these points all start with the same form – an infinitive – of a verb, they are all the same type of phrase structurally – infinitive phrases. 


In writing, it is common practice to keep bullet points structurally consistent by picking a type of phrase (or clause or sentence) and making sure that each point has that structure. 


If the bullet points are “independent” and are not part of a sentence, it does not matter what type of phrase the bullet points are, as long as they are consistent. 


For example:


  • Checking prices

  • Returning food to shelves

  • Returning fruits and vegetables to bins


If we changed all the “job center” bullet points to gerund noun phrases starting with gerunds like “checking” and “returning,” it would still be fine – as long as we keep them all the same. 


Something like this, however, would be structurally inconsistent and should be avoided:


  • Check prices

  • Returning food to shelves


I have often seen students write structurally inconsistent bullet points on their CVs about their job duties in a past job experience. For example:


  • Preparation of reports for the board

  • Checking data 

  • Correspond with major accounts


The first bullet point starts with the noun “preparation” and is a noun phrase. The second bullet point starts with a gerund noun and is a gerund phrase. The third bullet point starts with an infinitive verb form and is an infinitive phrase. This list is structurally inconsistent.


We can make it consistent by picking one structural form and sticking with it for all three points.


However, another point to note is that, if the bullet points are part of a sentence, they need to be in the correct structural form that completes that sentence. We cannot “choose” which form to use in this case.


For example:


A grocery store manager needs to:


  • Check prices

  • Return food to shelves


If the bullet points need to finish the sentence “A grocery store manager needs to…,” then the only choice is to make them infinitive phrases – because the sentence needs an infinitive phrase after “to” to be complete.


Try to watch out for this next time you write bullet points! 


_________


Mini Exercise:


Make the following bullet points structurally consistent.


My duties as the assistant to the CEO:


  • Preparation of reports for the board

  • Checking data 

  • Correspond with major accounts


*************************************************


Answer:


My duties as the assistant to the CEO:


  • Preparing reports for the board

  • Checking data

  • Corresponding with major accounts





Comments

Popular Posts

及物與不及物動詞對:「Lay」vs.「Lie」(+其他例子)

有被動語態的動名詞組(Gerund Phrases): 「Being Chosen for a Flight Mission」 ✈️

比利時巧克力 - 「Belgian」Chocolate 🍫

2025 New Year's Resolutions?

你有「完善的計劃」(“Robust” Plan)來學習英文嗎?

No Doubt… 不容置疑(?)