Example 

“Did you know:

• That one in three people will need blood?
• That only one in thirty donates?”

Effect on reader

Much like subheadings or a logical structure, dot points make a piece easier to follow. They can be used to allow the reader to logically follow a list or set of conditions that are key to the writer’s contention. In this way, they contribute to a logical structure, and a writer may subsequently appear more logical and therefore credible.

Sometimes dot points are used to either summarise or outline an issue. For example, a writer trying to persuade readers that the government should build more bike paths may use dot points to demonstrate the many benefits of riding bikes, and to outline the demands they are issuing to the government as a way of showing how simple those demands are. In this example dot points add clarity and demonstrate that the aims suggested are achievable.

Related technique

Dot points are sometimes used in conjunction with the technique of listing to simplify the list the writer is providing.