Italic vs Quotation Marks - How to Format Titles
Introduction
Nobody really memorizes formatting rules until they lose points on a paper.
You write a great paragraph about a movie, and then you just freeze. Do you underline it? Italics? Quotes? Getting it wrong makes the whole paper look a bit sloppy.
Luckily, the rule for this is surprisingly easy. Once you learn the "big vs. small" trick, you won't ever have to guess again.
The Big vs Small Rule
Think about the size of the thing you're writing about. Is it a massive, standalone piece of work? Or is it a tiny piece tucked inside something else?
Big things get italics. Small things get quotation marks. That's really it.
When to Use Italics
These are for the big things. Stuff you could physically hold in your hand as a complete package.
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Books (Harry Potter)
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Movies (The Matrix)
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Music Albums (Abbey Road)
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Newspapers (The New York Times)
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TV Shows (Stranger Things)
(Quick note: If you are writing by hand with a pen, just underline these. You can't really write in italics!)
When to Use Quotation Marks
These are for the smaller pieces that live inside those bigger works.
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A chapter inside a book ("The Boy Who Lived")
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A single song on an album ("Here Comes the Sun")
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An article inside a magazine ("How to Study Better")
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One episode of a TV show ("The Pilot")
Putting Them Together
Sometimes you need both in one sentence.
Check this out: My favorite song is "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from the album Nevermind.
See how that works? Small piece in quotes, big piece in italics.
Common Mistakes
Don't use both at the same time. Never write "The Great Gatsby". Pick one.
Also, remember to capitalize the important words in your titles, no matter which format you use.
Conclusion
It seems super picky, but it actually helps people read your work without getting confused. Keep the big vs small rule in your head, and your formatting will be flawless every single time.
