Why do you need a title?
- To tell your audience what your essay or project is about
- To stimulate the audience’s interest
Title Fail: What to Avoid
A common problem that people have when they give their work a title is that they forget what a title is actually for: to inform and create interest. Instead, they slap a generic, boring title at the top of the page that doesn’t tell the reader anything about what the project is about.
To avoid the same problem avoid boring, undescriptive titles like these:
To avoid the same problem avoid boring, undescriptive titles like these:
Homework
My Socials Project
World War II Essay
Page 3 Questions
My Socials Project
World War II Essay
Page 3 Questions
Build a Better Title
If you want to start your essay with an interesting title, make sure you follow these guidelines:
There are many ways that you can create a title that is both informative and interesting. Try one of these ideas:
The following are sample titles that use some of these tricks to generate interest while still making the topic of the paper clear:
- Your essay always needs a title, but you don't have to write the title first. It is sometimes easier to decide on the title after you know exactly what you are going to say.
- Your title needs to fit the tone of your essay. A funny title is a bad fit with a serious essay, but it would work for a light-hearted film review.
- Being creative is important for getting your readers' attention, but being clear about what your essay is about is more important. A good strategy is to have a short, creative title followed by a more descriptive subtitle.
- If you can’t come up with a title, ask someone else to read your paper and suggest one.
There are many ways that you can create a title that is both informative and interesting. Try one of these ideas:
- Find a phrase from within your paper
- Use alliteration
- Paraphrase a familiar phrase, quote or proverb
- Ask a provocative question
- Use a rhyme
- Incorporate a pun
- Use something humorous or witty
- Make a provocative statement
- Sum up your paper in 3 words
The following are sample titles that use some of these tricks to generate interest while still making the topic of the paper clear:
The Real Lady Macbeth
(phrase from within the paper)
Terror in the Trenches
(alliteration)
Get Rich or Die Trying: The Cariboo Gold Rush
(reference to a familiar phrase)
Was the Great Depression Preventable?
(provocative question)
Lightning War Settles the Score: How Hitler Used Blitzkrieg to Avenge the German Nation
(rhyme)
The Meme-ing of Life
(pun)
The Group Project Survival Guide (Now with 20% More Panic)
(humour)
Injustice: The Trial of Louis Riel
(provocative statement)
Perspective, Proportion and Shadow: Realism in Renaissance Art
(3 word summary)
(phrase from within the paper)
Terror in the Trenches
(alliteration)
Get Rich or Die Trying: The Cariboo Gold Rush
(reference to a familiar phrase)
Was the Great Depression Preventable?
(provocative question)
Lightning War Settles the Score: How Hitler Used Blitzkrieg to Avenge the German Nation
(rhyme)
The Meme-ing of Life
(pun)
The Group Project Survival Guide (Now with 20% More Panic)
(humour)
Injustice: The Trial of Louis Riel
(provocative statement)
Perspective, Proportion and Shadow: Realism in Renaissance Art
(3 word summary)
Don’t forget the rules for using titles and for formatting your essay.
