1. WRITING TITLES

2. TITLES are informative, clear, specific, concise
point to thesis
suggest or state the point of essay
identify the Rhetorical Strategy
give readers an idea of the paper’s concerns
catch readers’ attention
stir thought and curiosity
are not too long or too short
can include part of the thesis statement

3. TITLES: Don’ts do NOT rename the assignment
do NOT use boring, uninformative titles
“School & Work”
do NOT strain for an effect
“Suppose You Were a Toe” —
don’t be too cute
do NOT use cute, amusing, ambiguous titles

4. TITLES: Examples TOPIC + MAIN IDEA
The Causes and Effects of Teen Smoking
College Is Like a Rite of Passage
Abortion: Two Sides to the Debate
Should the Death Penalty Be Supported or Revoked?
The Elements of Argument Found in The Great Debaters
TOPIC + MAIN IDEA

5. TITLES: Format Centered beneath the header Single-Spaced
as the header
Not Bold-Faced
Not Italicized
Not Underlined
Unless it contains a title that must be
Not enclosed with Quotation Marks
Unless it contains a title that must use them

6. TITLES: Capitalization
CAPITALIZATION in TITLES:
Always capitalize
the FIRST word
and the LAST word.

7. TITLES: Capitalization
CAPITALIZATION in TITLES:
Capitalize all
NOUNS
PRONOUNS
ADJECTIVES
VERBS
ADVERBS
SUBORDINATING CONJUNCTIONS
as, because, although
“LONG” PREPOSITIONS
five characters or more
after, among, between

8. TITLES: Capitalization
CAPITALIZATION in TITLES:
Lowercase all
ARTICLES
COORDINATE CONJUNCTIONS
and, or, nor
PREPOSITIONS
shorter prepositions
the "to" in an infinitive
when they are not the first or last word

9. SUMMATION *TITLES* Topic + Main Idea Keep it simple, clear, concise
Don’t be cute, uninformative, long, vague
Capitalize the major words