Use underlining, italics, or quotation marks for titles?

Some grammar rules (and embarrassing mistakes!) transcend the uniqueness of different regions and style guides. This new International Grammar section by OnlineBookClub.org ultimately identifies those rules thus providing a simple, flexible rule-set, respecting the differences between regions and style guides. You can feel free to ask general questions about spelling and grammar. You can also provide example sentences for other members to proofread and inform you of any grammar mistakes.

Moderator: Official Reviewer Representatives

Post Reply
ems1schafer
Posts: 34
Joined: 22 Apr 2019, 14:30
Currently Reading: Labyrinth
Bookshelf Size: 12

Re: Use underlining, italics, or quotation marks for titles?

Post by ems1schafer »

Those rules are correct. Also, you could think of it as using quotation marks for shorter works and italics for longer ones, although that is a little more subjective.
Example: poems, short stories, journal entries, songs, chapters, pamphlets of information, etc. - quotation marks
novels, newspapers, textbooks, magazines, albums, etc. - italics
User avatar
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 5205
Joined: 27 Apr 2018, 16:22
Favorite Author: Kristin Hannah
Favorite Book: The Nightingale
Currently Reading: Killing Shore
Bookshelf Size: 2389
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-mar-a-andrea-fern-ndez-sep-lveda.html
Latest Review: You Say Goodbye by Keith Steinbaum
fav_author_id: 5604

Post by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda »

Advice needed: should the title of a movie be in italics or quotation marks?
User avatar
MrsCatInTheHat
Posts: 3817
Joined: 31 May 2016, 11:53
Favorite Book: Cry the Beloved Country
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 376
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-mrscatinthehat.html
Latest Review: Marc Marci by Larry G. Goldsmith
Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU
Publishing Contest Votes: 0

Post by MrsCatInTheHat »

Lunastella wrote: 24 Apr 2019, 11:27 Advice needed: should the title of a movie be in italics or quotation marks?
Italics
Life without a good book is something MrsCatInTheHat cannot imagine.
User avatar
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 5205
Joined: 27 Apr 2018, 16:22
Favorite Author: Kristin Hannah
Favorite Book: The Nightingale
Currently Reading: Killing Shore
Bookshelf Size: 2389
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-mar-a-andrea-fern-ndez-sep-lveda.html
Latest Review: You Say Goodbye by Keith Steinbaum
fav_author_id: 5604

Post by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda »

CatInTheHat wrote: 24 Apr 2019, 15:57
Lunastella wrote: 24 Apr 2019, 11:27 Advice needed: should the title of a movie be in italics or quotation marks?
Italics
Thanks! :D
User avatar
Gaby+LysMom2KB
Posts: 42
Joined: 10 May 2019, 17:09
Currently Reading: Sink Reflections
Bookshelf Size: 19
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-gaby-lysmom2kb.html
Latest Review: Beneath the Muscle by Lauren Powers

Post by Gaby+LysMom2KB »

Thanks for this great info, Scott! It gave me chuckles reading all the replies. It makes great sense to use the italics. I'm sure it is marked clearly on your Review Form, like it is here.
I look forward to being part of your special team.
Kay
User avatar
Thabsile_Ngwenya
Posts: 2
Joined: 03 Jun 2019, 11:16
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by Thabsile_Ngwenya »

The rules are crystal clear to me and thank you very much for this information.
User avatar
RichardAbara
Posts: 3
Joined: 28 Jul 2019, 13:37
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 3
Reading Device: B01EUTOT9Y

Post by RichardAbara »

The rules are crystal clear and helpful. Thank you very much for the information.
User avatar
Chelsey Coles
Posts: 438
Joined: 04 Oct 2018, 23:32
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 99
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-chelsey-coles.html
Latest Review: Donny and Mary Grace's California Adventures by Catherine A. Pepe

Post by Chelsey Coles »

:D So helpful! I'm so glad this site has support for us to improve our writing. Thank you.
“It's far less important to me to be liked these days than to be understood.” :sad-teareye:
― Lionel Shriver, We Need to Talk About Kevin
User avatar
debraguyette
Posts: 1
Joined: 29 Jul 2019, 02:14
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by debraguyette »

The article was very clear to me. Thank you.
User avatar
S+fercho
Posts: 1
Joined: 12 Aug 2019, 22:30
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by S+fercho »

The rules for underlining, italics, or quotation marks for titles are clear and accepted.

Sfercho
Amyrich
Posts: 21
Joined: 18 Sep 2018, 05:07
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by Amyrich »

With so many new writing and style guides and the yearly revisions of standards, these rules do tend to get quite confusing. Keeping a track of them is a huge problem for me as well. That's why I use this writing help tool. It has been of immense help!
Nikolas Farmakis
Posts: 786
Joined: 29 Sep 2019, 04:18
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 285
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-nickolas-farmakis.html
Latest Review: Cynthia and Dan by Dorothy May Mercer

Post by Nikolas Farmakis »

Yes, I agree with these rules and they are very clear. I use them whenever I am writing reviews and have to write the title of a book.
User avatar
Arina Siaban
Posts: 34
Joined: 19 Oct 2019, 04:46
Currently Reading: The Course of Empire
Bookshelf Size: 19
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-arina-siaban.html
Latest Review: We are Voulhire: A New Arrival under Great Skies by Matthew Tysz
Reading Device: B01KWX0EL4

Post by Arina Siaban »

Crystal clear and thank you, everyone, for clearing up some of the fog. I'm left with one question though, are subtitles (eg: The Edge Chronicles - Twig's Journey, being that Twig's Journey is the subtitle) meant to be italicized as well?
User avatar
CrystalPennymon
Posts: 2
Joined: 24 Dec 2019, 07:12
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by CrystalPennymon »

Unfortunately I am new to the forum and could not figure out how to use the italics on my phone for the first post. My title is neither italicized or placed in exclamations. However, I will work on using the posting options and thanks for the instructions
User avatar
Dayodiola
Posts: 468
Joined: 11 Jan 2020, 16:29
Favorite Book: King of thots
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 45
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-dayodiola.html
Latest Review: Unchecked capitalism is killing us! by Earl Rynerson
Reading Device: Adobe

Post by Dayodiola »

The rules can't and couldn't be clearer than this.
Post Reply

Return to “International Grammar”