Titles of Books, Plays, Articles, etc.: Underline? Italics? Quotation Marks?
Prior to computers, people were taught to underline titles of books and plays and to surround chapters, articles, songs, and other shorter works in quotation marks. However, here is what The Chicago Manual of Style says: When quoted in text or listed in a bibliography, titles of books, journals, plays, and other freestanding works are italicized; titles of articles, chapters, and other shorter works are set in roman and enclosed in quotation marks.
Below are some examples to help you:
Example: We read A Separate Peace in class. (title of a book)
Example: That Time magazine article, “Your Brain on Drugs,” was fascinating.
Note that the word “magazine” was not italicized because that is not part of the actual name of the publication.
Example: His article, “Death by Dessert,” appeared in The New York Times Magazine.
Note that the and magazine are both capitalized and set off because the name of the publication is The New York Times Magazine.
Newspapers, which follow The Associated Press Stylebook, have their own sets of rules because italics cannot be sent through AP computers.
August 14, 2008 at 2:14 am
His article, ‘Death by Dessert,’ appeared …
His article, “Death By Dessert”, appeared …
Are these both wrong? Should the comma not be placed after “
August 15, 2008 at 10:46 pm
It should be as follows: His article, “Death by Dessert,” appeared. The comma is placed inside the quotation mark.
October 27, 2008 at 11:24 am
I’m trying to find out how to punctuate a book with a subtitle. I’ve normally seen subtitles with a colon; however, there is no punctuation in the actual title of the book on the cover since it is on a separate line. In writing the title with both on the same line, how should I separate the two?
Thanks!
October 27, 2008 at 3:13 pm
I’m not sure that I understand your question. I would recommend a colon to separate the title from the subtitle, particularly if both are on the same line.
October 8, 2009 at 11:39 am
What about when its a section, etc., within a larger document like policies or bylaws? For example, what would be correct if you were to type the following sentence? At the meeting, Policy 102 Dress Code, was revised as the committee requested.
Thanks for your help.
August 18, 2010 at 10:01 am
My boss (attorney) always wants to put quotation marks around the titles of his pleadings when he references them in the text of the document. Is this correct?
August 18, 2010 at 11:59 am
Yes, this is correct. However, capitalizing the titles of pleadings may be considered enough in terms of setting them off from the rest of the text.