1. How to Indicate a Title

2. 1. Titles Are in Title Case  The first word is capitalized.  The last word is capitalized.  The important words in between are capitalized.

3.  Some words in between are capitalized  Important words  Nouns  Pronouns  Verbs (even the small ones)  Adjectives  Adverbs  Some words are not  Small, unimportant words  Prepositions (from, in, to…)  Articles (a, an, the)  Conjunctions (and, or, yet, for, but, so, nor)

4.  The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

5.  This lecture will tell you how to indicate a title in your academic essays.  Your essay’s title (the title you write) is already indicated: it is centered.  There is no need to underline or put quotes around your title.  This lecture is about the titles of other, outside works in your essay

6.  Examples  The Cat in the Hat  Gone with the Wind  “The Tell-Tale Heart”  “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World”  The Complete Persepolis

7.  When you write an essay, you must always give that essay a title.  That title must be in title case.  That title must be centered.  However, because it is centered, you do NOT need quotes and you do NOT need italics. You do NOT need to underline. You do NOT need to bold.

8.  When you cite other people’s titles in your essay, you must indicate those titles with:  italics (for major works)  “quotation marks” (for minor works)

9. 2. Titles of Major Works Are Italicized or Underlined  Italics and Underlining mean the same thing  Use one or the other: never both.  If you’re typing, always use italics.  If you’re writing by hand, always underline

10. Italicize or Underline Major Works  Think of a major work as anything you can pick up in your hand.  Novels  Comic books  Magazines  Newspapers  Apply that idea to everything else:  Album titles  TV shows  Movies  Titles of web pages

11. Italicize or Underline Major Works  Books  Magazines  Newspapers  Pamphlets  Long Poems  Plays  Films  TV shows  Radio shows  Album titles  Choreographic works (dance)  Works of visual art (Painting)  Electronic databases  Web sites  Electronic games

12.  EXCEPTIONS:  Do not underline, italicize, or put quotation marks around the following titles:  Religious Texts (The Bible, The Koran)  Individual Books within Religious Texts (Genesis)  Legal Documents (The Constitution)  (But NOT individual court cases)  Computer Software (Microsoft Word)

13. 3. Titles of Minor Works Are in Quotes  Minor works are in “quotes”  Think of a minor work as anything inside of a major work.  Short stories  Poems  Articles  Essays  Chapter titles  Apply that idea to everything else:  Individual song titles  Episode titles of TV shows  Article titles on web pages

14.  The short story “A Rose for Emily” tells us “[the character] left and never looked back” (Hemmingway 98).

15.  Last night we read the essay “For My Indian Daughter” in the book The Prose Reader.  Last night we read “For My Indian Daughter,” an essay, in the book The Prose Reader.  Did we read “For My Indian Daughter”?

16. 4. Punctuation with Titles  If the title uses punctuation, include it.  If the sentence that contains the title of a minor work needs a period or comma AFTER the title, that period or comma goes INSIDE the quotes.  Example:  I really like the short story “A Rose for Emily.”  She read the short story “A Rose for Emily,” and she enjoyed it.  She read the short story “A Rose for Emily” and enjoyed it.  I really like “A Rose for Emily,” a short story.

17. Titles of TV Shows  The show Lost had an episode titled, “All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues.”

18. 4. Punctuation with titles  Whatever punctuation the title uses, include it.  If the title needs to be followed with a question mark, exclamation mark, colon, or semi-colon, those marks go OUTSIDE:  Did you like the short story “A Rose for Emily”?  I like the play “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?”  Did you like the play “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?” that we all watched last night?  Did you like the short story “A Rose for Emily”?  The play “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf?” was good. Did you like it?

19.  An Analysis of “A Rose for Emily”  In Smith’s essay, “An Analysis of ‘A Rose for Emily,’” he argues that story is good (42).

20.  The song “Through the Roof and Underground” appeared on the album Gypsy Punks by Gogol Bordello.

21.  If the sentence that contains the title of a minor work needs a question mark, exclamation mark, colon, or semi-colon after the title, that punctuation mark goes OUTSIDE the quotes.  Example:  Have you read the short story “A Rose for Emily”?  Have you read “A Rose for Emily” which is a short story?

22.  Practice: Correctly indicate the following titles:  rereading america: cultural contexts for critical thinking and writing  idiot nation (page 132)

23.  Practice: Correctly indicate the following titles:  Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing  “Idiot Nation” (page 132)

24. Want More Information?  See LBCH pages 304-307

26. Practice  Novel: Into Thin Air  Anthology: World of Ideas  Essay: Morality as Anti-Nature  Poem: I Wondered Lonely as a Cloud  TV show: Lost  TV episode: Even the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues  Song: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star  CD title: Best Children’s Songs of all Time