Titles are names, so they get capital letters. They also get a mark that shows what kind of work they name. Long works, and works that hold smaller parts, are in italics. Short works, and parts of bigger works, are in “quotation marks,” as with quoted words.
| Italics (long works) | Quotation marks (short works and parts) |
|---|---|
| books: Little Women, Treasure Island | poems: “The Raven”, “Casey at the Bat” |
| newspapers and magazines | articles in a newspaper or magazine |
| movies and TV series | episodes of a TV series |
| albums | songs: “Yankee Doodle” |
| a book of stories | a short story: “The Tell-Tale Heart”; a chapter |
Key idea
Italicize the titles of long works (books, newspapers, magazines, movies, TV series, albums). Put the titles of short works and parts (poems, short stories, articles, songs, chapters, episodes) in quotation marks. In handwriting, underline what you would italicize.
Why it works
The two marks show size and belonging. A song in quotation marks can sit on an album in italics; a chapter in quotation marks sits in a book in italics. The reader can tell at a glance which is the whole and which is the part.
Worked example: A part and its whole
Punctuate the titles: Read the chapter Storms at Sea in the book Wild Waters. (made-up titles)
- Storms at Sea is a chapter, a part: quotation marks.
- Wild Waters is the book, the whole: italics.
Answer: Read the chapter “Storms at Sea” in the book Wild Waters.
Common mistake
Putting a book title in quotation marks. Ask: is it a whole long work, or a short work or part? When you write by hand, you can’t make italics, so underline the title instead: Little Women.