Formatting and capitalising titles
Key Notes:
In most titles, capitalize the first word, the last word, and every important word in between.
| The Wind in the Willows | James and the Giant Peach |
These words are not important in titles:
Articles, a, an, the
Short prepositions, such as at, by, for, in, of, on, to, up
Coordinating conjunctions, such as and, but, or
The title of a book, film, play, TV programme, magazine or newspaper should be in italics. If you write it by hand, it can be underlined instead.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The title of a poem, song, or short story should be in quotation marks.
‘You Are My Sunshine’
Learn with an example
đ„Which sentence is correct?
- He didn’t know the words to the poem ‘All the World’s a Stage’.
- He didn’t know the words to the poem All the World’s a Stage.
A poem should be in quotation marks.
The correct title is ‘All the World’s a Stage’.
đ„Which sentence is correct?
- The newspaper Retford Trader and Guardian said that a storm was coming.
- The newspaper Retford Trader and Guardian said that a storm was coming.
Capitalise the first word, the last word and every important word in between. The word and is not important, so it should not be capitalised.
The correct title is Retford Trader and Guardian.
đ„Which sentence is correct?
- My friends never watch the TV programme You Can’t Make This Stuff Up!
- My friends never watch the TV programme You Can’t Make This stuff Up!
Capitalise the first word, the last word and every important word in between.
The correct title is You Can’t Make This Stuff Up!
let’s practice!
