Do you underline articles when writing?
You may have heard that underlining is no longer considered a formatting convention and should generally be avoided. This is because it was viewed as an outdated method of emphasis and is not recommended for academic papers or other written work.
In the past, underlining was commonly used to indicate book titles, but this is no longer the case. Many style guides like the Chicago Manual of Style, Harvard referencing guidelines and the Modern Language Association (MLA) now call for italicizing all titled works.
Titles are italicized in order to separate them from the rest of the text and draw attention to them. This includes books, magazines, websites, plays, songs, movies and other titled works.
Large, Complete, Standalone Work
Titles of large, complete works are italicized in order to distinguish them from the rest of the text and draw a reader’s attention to them. This is especially true for the titles of books, journals and other freestanding works as well as epic poems, operas and television shows.
Shorter Works
The title of specific episodes of a TV series, song titles, poems, short stories, magazine articles and newspaper articles are also italicized in order to separate them. This is particularly helpful for shorter works because it makes them easily identifiable.
When you use italics, you should be sure to include any punctuation marks that are part of the title as well. This includes commas, question marks, exclamation points and more.
Underlining and Italics Are Often Misunderstood
The main reason for confusion about this topic is because many writers are unfamiliar with the rules that govern this matter. They might have been taught to underline book titles in school, but they are not always aware of the proper way to italicize them.
This confusion is caused by the fact that different publications, institutions, and schools may have different style guides. Some of these may call for quotation marks around a book’s title while others might italicize them.
It is important to know who you are writing for and what their style guide is because they may have their own unique idiosyncrasies. This is why it’s important to be sure that you are using a consistent writing style across your work, regardless of what the publisher or institution might require.
What Is the Difference Between Italics and Quotation Marks?
The first thing to remember is that italics and quotation marks serve a similar purpose. However, there are differences in how they are used and which one you should use depending on the purpose of your writing.
Usually, the titles of books, magazines and other long-standing works are italicized while the titles of short works are enclose in quotation marks. This is a good rule of thumb to follow in most cases.
This will help readers easily recognize the titles of a book, magazine or other work as a standalone work or as an episode in a show. It will also make it easier to differentiate the title of a chapter in a book from a book.
