Embedded Files
Title Case Capitalization
Title Case Capitalization
General Rule
General Rule
Most words in a title start with a capital letter. If you're not sure, use a capital letter.
Exceptions
Exceptions
Unless they are the first or last word in the title, these words do not need to be capitalized:
articles (a, an, the)
coordinating conjunctions (and, but)
prepositions (at, by, to)
Examples
Examples
Lord of the Flies
of is a preposition and the is an article, so neither word needs to be capitalized.
To Kill a Mockingbird
To is a preposition, but it is also the first word, so it needs to be capitalized.
a is an article, so it does not need to be capitalized.
Essay Titles
Essay Titles
Basic Title Formatting
Basic Title Formatting
Center align your title and (if you have one) subtitle.
Do not skip a line before or after the title.
Use Title Case capitalization. (This means that the first letter of (almost) every word is capitalized.)
If you have both a title and a subtitle, use a colon between the two parts. (If the title is a question, though, the question mark replaces the colon.)
Crafting an Effective Title
Crafting an Effective Title
Titles should catch readers’ attention while also informing them about the topic of your paragraph or essay. One common strategy is to write a short, attention-catching title followed by a more informative subtitle.
The title can be a phrase, short question, or short sentence. You can use rhyme or alliteration to make it stand out. The subtitle is almost always a noun phrase. Both parts of your title should be central to the topic of your essay.
Example 1
Example 1
Neither Yo-Yo nor Bracelet:
Rosaura’s Misinterpretation of Events in “The Stolen Party”
The attention-catching title refers to the moment when Rosaura does not receive a yo-yo or a bracelet as a party favor, which is when she realizes she has misinterpreted her role. It is a short phrase, not a complete sentence. The informative subtitle is also a phrase, and it directly identifies the topic of the paragraph.
Example 2
Example 2
Destined to be a Maid?
An Analysis of Social Class in “The Stolen Party”
The attention-catching title is a short question that the essay will explore. It is followed by a question mark instead of a colon. The informative subtitle is a phrase, and it directly identifies the topic of the paragraph. You can often start the subtitle with phrases such as "An Analysis of..." or "An Exploration of..."
Example 3
Example 3
The Mother and the Monkey:
Herminia’s Wisdom and Advice in “The Stolen Party”
The attention-catching title creates emphasis with the alliteration of "mother" and "monkey." It is also relevant to the essay, since the first piece of advice Herminia gives Rosaura is not to get too excited about the monkey. It is a short phrase, not a complete sentence. The informative subtitle is also a phrase, and it directly identifies the topic of the paragraph.
Example 4
Example 4
A Monkey at a Birthday Is Too Good to Be True:
Rosaura Confronts Reality in “The Stolen Party”
The attention-catching title is a short sentence referring to the argument Rosaura and her mother have at the beginning of the story. The informative subtitle is also a short sentence, and it directly identifies the topic of the paragraph.
Formatting Source Titles
Formatting Source Titles
Title Format: Italics or Quotation Marks?
Title Format: Italics or Quotation Marks?
When you refer to a title of another work in your writing or on a Works Cited page, you must format it correctly. Depending on the type of text, titles are either italicized or put in quotation marks.
Use italics for titles of longer works.
Use italics for titles of longer works.
These include novels, plays, epic poems, films, television series, academic journals, and magazines.
the book To Kill a Mockingbird
the play Romeo and Juliet
the epic poem Beowulf
the movie Finding Nemo
the TV series The Office
the publication The New York Times
the online database collection Student Resources in Context
Note: When handwriting, underline titles of longer works instead of using italics.
Use quotation marks around titles of shorter works.
Use quotation marks around titles of shorter works.
These are usually parts of larger collections. They include short stories, poems, articles, and television episodes.
The short story “The Stolen Party”
The poem “Fire and Ice”
The article "Love Is Not All You Need in a Marriage"
The TV episode "The Injury"
Page updated
Report abuse