Formatting titles

Key Notes:

Capitalization Rules

  • Always capitalize the first and last words of the title.
  • Capitalize important words (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs).
  • Do not capitalize short words like a, an, the, and, but, or, for, nor, with unless they are the first or last word.

Italicizing vs. Quotation Marks

  • Use italics for longer works:
    • Books (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)
    • Magazines (National Geographic)
    • Movies (The Lion King)
    • Newspapers (The New York Times)
    • TV shows (Stranger Things)
  • Use quotation marks for shorter works:
    • Poems (“The Road Not Taken”)
    • Short stories (“The Tell-Tale Heart”)
    • Articles (“The Benefits of Reading”)
    • Songs (“Let It Go”)
    • Chapters (“A New Beginning”)

Underlining (Alternative to Italics)

  • If writing by hand, underline titles that should be italicized in print.
  • Example: The Hobbit → The Hobbit (if writing by hand).

Consistency is Key

  • Always follow the same format throughout a document.
  • Example: If one book title is italicized, all book titles should be italicized.

Practice Examples

  • Book: Charlotte’s Web
  • Movie: Finding Nemo
  • Song: “Shake It Off”
  • Poem: “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”

let’s practice!