Everything English

A title might seem like an insignificant detail, but it can set the tone of your writing. It is the first thing your reader will see, so you want to make it catches his/her attention! In general, try to come up with something on your own- don’t just use the name of the subject or the assignment as your title. For example, let’s say you have to write a paper on the Vietnam War. Instead of simply titling your paper “The Vietnam War,” you should be more specific and more descriptive- for instance, “The Long-Term Effects of the Vietnam War” or “What Does the Vietnam War Mean to the Next Generation?” You might have to work hard to come up with the right title, but it’s worth it!

For longer papers, you can often use a two-part title, that is, a title made up of two phrases separated by a colon. This makes the title more descriptive and immediately tells your reader what the paper is about.  Here is an example:

A Lesson in Moderation: The Effects of Drinking on College Students

See how the two-part title is more descriptive? Once you get used to writing more, creating titles will come very naturally!