There are many ways to prepare for a MLA format essay, but the one question that I have always been bothered about is: How do I choose an article title? Here are some tips on how to select an article title that will help you get into good college writing.
As with any article, it is very important to begin your title with an author’s name. This is particularly important if you want your students to remember the name of the author in the course of the class. The last thing you want to do is make your students run and grab a pen or paper when they get to the first paragraph.
You can also include a date, although many people will be tempted to leave it out. If your name is David, though, you may be tempted to use the word “dave,” but you don’t have to. “David” is a great title for a David-centric essay, since it suggests a specific year. You may also want to include a location or event, since this will help students associate your topic with a particular location or time. The more unique your essay title is, the better your chances are of getting into good college writing.
Another tip is to include at least two parts to the writer’s name in the title. First, you need to use a hyphen between the writer’s name and the middle of his or her name (if applicable), or else the student has to go back and change her or his name in order to complete the article. Second, a space should be used between the first name and the last name.
In addition to using hyphens in the titles, you should also use commas between each writer’s name and his or her last name, in order to give readers a sense of order. Sometimes it helps to use hyphens between the names, especially if you have more than two writer’s names. Just be sure not to overdo it; you can also use commas in between the last name and the first, but use them more sparingly.
Another tip is to avoid the temptation to use “I” for the title of your article. Students don’t read articles, so they won’t know the difference between an article title and an author’s name, even though it is possible to give them the title of the piece of writing.
One of the best ways to make your title easy for your students is to use a hyphen between the name and the first, middle, and last. In other words, instead of writing, “I wrote,” write, “John Smith wrote.” You could also include other details, such as, “John Smith is the author of this article”John Smith wrote the essay.”
These tips should help you make your title more effective, but keep in mind that the title is only a small part of the composition. The body of your essay is going to be the meat of the document, so make sure that your title doesn’t overshadow the rest.
Also remember that MLA format is not just about how your title looks. To be sure that your text is properly formatted, you should also check for spaces and commas in all the paragraphs and ensure that you use the appropriate punctuation.
Even though your title is the most important part of your article, it is important to note that the rest of the essay will also help determine your success in the class. If your title looks like too much, it may lead readers to believe that your article is not very interesting. As such, you should keep the rest of your writing interesting and informative, but not cluttered with extraneous details.
Don’t use too many filler words or phrases in your essay titles, since these may distract from the main points of your writing. Instead of writing, “It’s important to remember,” write, “It’s important to learn,” or “If you want your business to succeed, you need to hire a good marketing consultant.”
Finally, don’t forget that MLA format essay titles should be written as quickly as possible. Once you have found a good title, get to work on your content.