title examples essay

Best Tips on How to Title an Essay

title examples essay

How to Make a Good Title for an Essay

The success of an essay heavily depends on its title. This may not come as a surprise given that the essay title is the first aspect to provide the reader with a sneak peek into the text. It piques our interest to read the paper in the first place and gives us a preview of what to expect from the author.

Our research paper writing help prepared a thorough guide on how to title an essay. Here you may find tips and tricks for developing an effective APA or MLA essay title. So, let's dive straight into the article for more exciting details!

Essay Title Format

During your essay writing process, ensure you know the stylistic requirements before beginning an essay. Knowing the format you need to employ is crucial because different style manuals may have varying requirements. Mostly, you could have used an APA or MLA essay title format. Our service, where you can buy essay online , explains these two in more detail below.

Essay Title MLA

If you're required to create an essay title MLA format, check whether your instructor wants you to make a separate cover page. If not, put a heading at the beginning of your work that includes your name, the name of your professor, the course ID, and, lastly, the date.

On the other hand, if you must present a cover page for your essay title MLA, then you need to include the following:

  • The name of the college
  • The title of your paper
  • The subtitle of your paper, if applicable
  • Your first and last name
  • Your teacher or professor's name
  • The class name or course number
  • The date the paper is due

The formatting instructions are as follows:

  • Double-spaced
  • Times New Roman font
  • Size 12 font
  • Apart from very short terms, each word's initial letter should be capitalized. The initial word, however, must always be uppercase.
  • The title page shouldn't include a header with the page numbers.

Essay Title APA

Having discussed the MLA format essay title, let's explore what the APA student title page includes:

  • The paper title
  • Author names
  • Institutional affiliation where the author carried out the study
  • Name and number of the course
  • Professor name
  • Page number

The title of an essay format instructions:

  • double-spaced
  • 1" margins
  • 12-point Times New Roman
  • According to APA, your title should be targeted and brief, without unnecessary words or abbreviations

How to Choose a Good Title for an Essay: Important Qualities

Nobody will read a dull headline. Your title should grab your audience's attention and encourage them to read the rest of the work. As it is one of the initial things readers see, having a strong attention grabber is essential when writing an essay from scratch. To fully understand how to come up with a title for essay that is strong and exciting, let's consider a few following factors:

Employ a Catchy Hook - Usually, the title of essay format follows a similar basic structure, especially if they are used for an academic article. The hook serves as a unique component that attracts the reader. It's a captivating statement informing others about the topic of the essay. You can also explore several types of sentences with examples that can help you develop the ideal hook structure.

Consider Topic Keywords - These are essential terms or expressions pertinent to your subject and help your reader understand the focus and body of your article. These focus keywords should serve as a brief, one- to two-word article summary. You can choose some terms from the research topic your instructor gave you, but after your thesis statement is formed, this is where you should hunt for ideas.

Use a Colon - A colon is frequently used in academic titles to separate concepts and sentences. The standard procedure is to place a clever remark or brief quotation before the colon. Although these beginning words offer flavor, they can be overdone. Because of this, some individuals find using the colon to be repugnant. Therefore be careful not to misuse this method.

Ask a Question - To write essay title that is strong, consider asking a question. But, use it with caution because posing a question will make your tone less formal. As long as the question is suitably phrased to meet the subject of your essay, feel free to employ it. Always check to see if the title question still applies to your points in the essay's body. The thesis statement should be appropriately reflected as well.

Find Inspirational Quotes - There is no formula for selecting essay titles from the textual content. You may get playful and choose any quotation, proverb, or catchphrase that applies to your particular publication and works as a title. You may also create a great essay title using well-known expressions or idioms. Doing so will help your readers relate to and feel more comfortable discussing your subject.

How to Title an Essay headline

Here are other rules for how to create a good title:

  • Title every section of writing: In the process of writing, create interesting subheadings to give your paragraphs an identity. Also, they make your text look ordered and clear. 
  • The title must bear the theme of the text: choose a title that summarizes the essay. 
  • Capitalize all words with certain exceptions: Capitalize the first letter of every word in the title, but do not capitalize pronouns, articles, prepositions, and conjunctions.
  • Avoid underlining the title: Since topics come in boldface, underlining it will amount to overemphasis. Some authorities say that if you must underline it, do not bolden it.
  • Review the final version of the title: Do not forget to do a quick review of the final version of the title—check for grammar, structure, spelling and so on. Re-read it to determine if the title has given justice to the essay. Confirm if the topic is catchy enough to attract your reader’s attention. 
  • When using a colon in your title, follow the rules: Since we are dealing with punctuation rules here, let us talk about the colon – when you have two eye-catching topics, separate them with a colon.

Student’s Guide on How to Come Up with a Title for an Essay

Titling an essay can be easy, but there are a few core principles to be taken into account. The following tips will help you stay on track and avoid any common pitfalls.

Essay Goes First

Never start with a title! If you write it before the rest of the text, it will be based on it, and it should be vice versa. Writing an essay before choosing a heading will give you a clear understanding of what should make sense to the reader. Re-read the finished paper several times to decide on the title. The last thing to create is a title - such strategy will give more time to spend on crafting an essay outline, conducting research, or writing the paper itself.

How to Title an Essay, Complete Guide 2

What are you writing about? What is the style of your paper, and is it an academic essay or a free-form essay like a narrative essay? If the topic of your essay is “Do people who commit heinous crimes deserve the death penalty?” your title should not be humorous; it should be strict and to the point.

If your topic is “Why do people like watching funny cat videos?”, feel free to craft a funny title. Determine the tone of your essay and base your title on it—in consideration with the essay’s topic.

The tone can be:

  • Serious - “The implications of global warming”
  • Funny - “How cats and dogs love their masters”
  • Amiable - “Ways to fight depression”
  • Persuasive - “Why positive thinking is a must have skill for every person”
  • Informative - “Ten rules for creating a chemical at home”

The main goal of a title is to name its paper. There is no need to tell an entire story in the title, or provide any useless details. Sum up your paper in a few words! Another way to do this is to sum up your thesis statement, as it represents the main idea of your essay. Take your thesis and squeeze it into 3-4 words. Imagine that you are creating a title for your favourite newspaper or a slogan for Coca-Cola.

Don’t use fancy words! Take 2-3 main words (keywords), put them together, and stop wasting your time. Avoid jargon and abbreviations.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is something that can help any student and young writer reap benefits. While working on a title, detect the words related to the central idea of the paper. Type the words into the search field of Google and add the word “quote.” A search engine will show numerous web pages with in-text quotations that could be useful. Select the fragment you like. It is possible to learn how to make a creative title for an essay in this way.

Discover several more tips from experts:

  • Never forget the “What,” “Who,” “When,” “How,” “Why,” and “Where” questions (if you start with one of these questions, your title has a chance of getting noticed);
  • Come up with an unexpected image not related to the selected topic;
  • Sometimes, starting with a lie increases the chances of a title being able to catch an eye;
  • Review our catchy essay title examples.

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Feel free to contact EssayPro and we will provide you with a writing help at a moment’s notice. With the years of essay writing experience, titling becomes second nature, so you no longer need to worry about having a catchy headline on your paper.

Essay Title Examples: Bad vs Good

The strongest essay titles condense lengthy essays into concise statements. When wondering how to make an essay title, think carefully about your stylistic choices and essay format to produce an excellent one. Our dissertation help has provided essay title examples to let you understand the difference between good and bad ones more vividly.

bad good essay titles

Bad Essay Title Examples

As we discussed how to create an essay title and the specific elements that go into it, you should have a clear idea of how important it is to craft a strong title. In contrast, first, look at weak essay title ideas that can break your paper. This should serve as an example of why your heading should not be like this:

Ex 1: ' How Television Has Changed Our World ' - too vast and not informative

Ex 2: 'The Ara Pacis Augustae' - unclear for those who don't know Latin

Ex 3: 'The Most Poisonous Frog' - does not provide any insight

Ex 4: 'A Brief History of Subcultures and How They Manifest Themselves in a Constantly Changing Socio-Economic Environment' - too long and complicated

Ex 5: 'The Little Mermaid 29 Years Later: Selling a Harmful Sexist Message Through a Naughty Image' - inappropriate language

Good Essay Title Examples

Now that you know what a bad essay title looks like, let's explore good essay title examples as their substitutes. Examine the following essay title format styles that will give you a clear understanding.

Ex 1: ' The Electronic Babysitter: A Social History of Uses of the Television' - gives an exact description of what the essay will be about

Ex 2: ' The Modern Historical Significance of the Ara Pacis Augustae to the City of Rome' - here, the reader can understand what they will be reading about

Ex 3: ' A Deadly Beauty: The Evolution of Skin Coloration and Toxicity of the Poisonous Dart Frog' - clear, informative, and on-point.

Ex 4: 'Reconsidering Counterculture in Contemporary Society' - informative enough and brief

Ex 5: 'The Projection of Gender Stereotypes in The Little Mermaid' - employs appropriate language

Catchy Essay Title Ideas

You now understand that long, complicated headlines do not accurately convey the paper's main idea. Take ample time to consider the word choice before tilting your work. How do you create good essay titles? Think creatively and with common sense. But meanwhile, for your convenience, we compiled title ideas for essays you may use as inspiration.

Persuasive Essay Titles

  • Why Receiving College Education is Important: Examining Long-term Benefits
  • Face-to-Face Courses Cannot Be Replaced by Online Learning
  • An MBA Does Not Ensure Corporate Success.
  • Every Company Should Adopt a Green Strategy.
  • Energy Drinks Represent a Lucrative Market Segment.
  • Aircraft, Excess Weight Charges, Need to be Prohibited.
  • Patients' Life Shouldn't be Put to Death by Nurses.
  • Google Glasses May Increase the Number of Auto Accidents.
  • All of the Conventional Malls Will Soon be Replaced By Online Shopping
  • How Do Team-building Exercises Contribute to the Development of Inventions?
  • Illegal immigrants are entitled to remain in the US.

Academic Essay Titles

  • Several English Dialects: The Link Between Various Cultures
  • Instagram: A social media innovation
  • Is it possible to reverse drug-induced brain damage, and if so, how?
  • What the Future Holds for Humans in the Light of Artificial Intelligence
  • The Story of Two Nations after Decades of Conflict: North and South Korea
  • Video Games and Their Learning Context in Schools
  • Free Wi-Fi: Strategies for Enhancing the City's Economy

Strong Research Paper Titles

  • Digital World Cybersecurity
  • E-business to Provide New Paths for Booksellers
  • Outsourcing for Large Businesses
  • Preparing for College Costs for High School Students
  • What News Reporters Should Do in the Digital Age and How to Do It: Examples
  • The Transformative Power of Music: How Heavy Metal Impacted My Life

Best Essay Titles for College Students

  • The Possible Benefits and Risks of Artificial Intelligence for Humans
  • The Potential for Time Travel in Virtual Reality
  • What Role Has Mathematics Played in Human History?
  • How to Succeed in the Real Estate Industry
  • E-Commerce: An Empire of Virtual Businesses Worth Millions of Dollars
  • How to Achieve Financial Independence in the Digital Age Without Opening a Real Business

More Creative Titles for Essays

  • When getting rewarded for their grades, would kids do better left alone?
  • How Does Fake News Impact the Mainstream press?
  • Homelessness in Contemporary Society: A Dilemma
  • What News Reporters' Best Job Is in the Digital Age and How to Uphold It
  • Elon Musk: Brilliant Mind or Insane Person?
  • Positives and Negatives of Employing a Smoker
  • Do We Employ the Appropriate Student Success Metrics?

Professional Academic Help

Now that you know how to make a good title for an essay, you should also understand that you should approach the task as a process. While composing your essay title, you must condense your whole thesis and point of discussion into a single, concise, yet powerful sentence. If you have time before your deadline, give it some thought and don't hurry.

Don't forget that you can always rely on our professional academic assistance, whether you need a reflection paper , ideas for a strong essay title, or any other academic papers. Consider the following words - write my essay for me - magic keywords for delegating your most complex tasks to our skilled writers!

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A title is the first thing that your readers will interact with. So, it should be something interesting and worth paying attention to.  

Coming up with an interesting title while writing an essay can be the most difficult and sometimes frustrating task. The best essay titles are those that are both creative and informative.

If you have no idea what are the most eye-catching ideas for an essay, this article will help you. Here, we will discuss the key elements for titling your essay and some example essay titles for your help.  

So, let’s start with the blog!

Arrow Down

  • 1. Why is it Important to Have a Good Essay Title?
  • 2. What are the Basic Components of an Essay Title?
  • 3. How To Make A Good Title For An Essay?
  • 4. Essay Titles in Different Formats
  • 5. What are the Characteristics of a Good Essay Title?
  • 6. Additional Rules To Create a Good Essay Title
  • 7. Some Interesting Example Essay Titles

Why is it Important to Have a Good Essay Title?

A great essay title is very important, and it can make or break the overall quality of your essay. 

The reason is pretty simple: the title you choose for your essay is the first thing that will decide if your readers will continue reading your paper or not. 

That’s why the choice of words and how you create a title is very important. If you are thinking the content of your essay is what matters, then you are wrong. To get a good grade and impress your teacher, every part of the paper plays an important role. 

Creating a title that convinces people to read your essay also allows you to showcase your knowledge and writing skills. 

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What are the Basic Components of an Essay Title?

There are different types of essays , and each essay has a specific structure that can be followed for writing a well-written paper. Creating an essay title has it is own method, too. 

Below, you can find the main components of an essay title. 

  • The Catchy Hook: It introduces the topic in the most interesting and creative way. 
  • Topic Keywords: It is the ‘what’ question of your essay. This component of an essay title identifies the concept that you will discuss in your essay. 
  • Focus Keywords: It is the ‘when’ and ‘where’ question of your essay. It provides more information about the headline and makes it more professional. 

How To Make A Good Title For An Essay?

There are a few principles that you should keep in mind when titling an essay.  

Write Essay First, Title in the Last

One effective approach is to complete your entire essay first and then tackle the title last. This method allows you to gain a comprehensive understanding of what would resonate with your readers.

Utilize Your Thesis

Your thesis statement , typically found in your essay's introductory paragraph, can be a goldmine for title inspiration. Reworking it can lead to a compelling and relevant essay title.

Take into Account the Tone of Your Paper

Consider the tone of your essay, as it significantly influences the title's choice. For serious topics, maintain a serious and appropriate tone in your title.

Use Relevant Keywords

Incorporate two to three relevant keywords within your title. These keywords should reflect the core themes of your essay and help potential readers find your work.

Get Help from Online Tools

Exploring online title generator tools can provide valuable insights into crafting an effective essay title. These tools can spark creativity and suggest suitable phrases that resonate with your essay's content.

Essay Titles in Different Formats

When titling an essay in different formats, it's important to follow the specific guidelines and formatting requirements of the style guide you are using. Below, you can find the basic guidelines for titling an essay for different formats:

Essay Title APA Format

Let's see what an APA title should include: 

  • The title should be centered but not in bold or italics.
  • Use title case for the title.
  • Capitalize the first word of the title and any subtitles, as well as any major words within the title (e.g., The Psychology of Motivation: Understanding Human Behavior).
  • Use a 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font.

The Impact of Climate Change on Global Biodiversity

Essay Title MLA Format

Here is what an MLA paper title should include: 

  • Title should be centered.
  • Use title case, which means capitalizing the first and last words of the title and all major words in between (e.g., The Art of Writing: Crafting Engaging Essays).
  • Do not underline, italicize, or use quotation marks for the title.
  • It's common to use a 12-point Times New Roman font.

Exploring the Themes in Shakespeare's Sonnets: Love, Time, and Beauty

Essay Title Chicago Format

Chicago style offers two options for formatting titles: headline-style and sentence-style.

  • Headline style: The title is in the title case and is centered. Major words are capitalized.

Example: The Decline of the Roman Empire: A Historical Analysis

  • Sentence style: The title is in sentence case (only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized). It is also centered. Use a 12-point Times New Roman or similar font.

Example: The decline of the Roman Empire: a historical analysis

MLA Format for a Book or Film Title Within the Essay

So, how to write a book title in an essay? If your essay discusses a book or film title, you would follow MLA formatting for titles within the essay. Enclose the title in double quotation marks.

Example: "The Catcher in the Rye": A Study of Adolescent Alienation

AMA Format (American Medical Association)

  • The title should be centered.
  • Use title case, with the first letter of major words capitalized (e.g., The Role of Genetics in Disease Prevention).
  • Do not use bold, italics, or quotation marks.
  • Use a 12-point Times New Roman font.

Example: The Impact of Nutrition on Cardiovascular Health

What are the Characteristics of a Good Essay Title?

A good essay title serves as a preview of the essay's content and should be engaging and informative. Here are the characteristics of a good essay title:

  • Clarity: The title should clearly convey the topic or subject matter of the essay. It should give the reader a sense of what to expect when they read the essay.
  • Relevance: The title should be directly relevant to the content of the essay. It should not mislead the reader by promising something that the essay does not deliver.
  • Conciseness: A good title is concise and to the point. It should be relatively short and avoid unnecessary words or phrases. Brevity is key.
  • Engagement: An effective title should be attention-grabbing and stimulate readers' interest. It should make them want to read the essay. This can be achieved through the use of intriguing language, a question, or a thought-provoking statement.
  • Originality: Aim for a title that is unique and original. Avoid clichés or overly generic titles that don't distinguish your essay from others on the same topic.
  • Balance: A good title strikes a balance between being descriptive and not giving away the entire essay. It should provide a sense of the topic without revealing all the details.
  • Appropriateness: Consider the context in which the essay will be read. The title should be appropriate for the intended audience and purpose of the essay.
  • Grammar and Style: The title should adhere to the rules of grammar and style for the chosen writing format (e.g., title case, sentence case) and should not contain errors.
  • Keywords: If relevant, include keywords or terms that are important to the subject matter. This can help with searchability and SEO if the essay is published online.
  • Readability: Ensure that the title is easy to read and understand. Avoid overly complex or jargon-filled titles unless the audience is well-versed in the subject matter.
  • Tone: The tone of the title should match the tone of the essay. For example, if the essay is serious and academic, the title should reflect that tone.
  • Memorability: A memorable title is more likely to stick in the reader's mind. If it's clever, thought-provoking, or evocative, it can make a lasting impression.

Additional Rules To Create a Good Essay Title

Here are additional rules and tips for creating a good title, summarized and rewritten in simpler language:

  • Title Each Section: Give every part of your writing a clear title. This helps organize your text and make it more understandable.
  • Reflect the Theme: Make sure your title reflects the main idea of your essay. It should give readers a good idea of what your essay is about.
  • Use Title Case: Capitalize the first letter of every word in your title, except for small words like pronouns (e.g., "it," "they"), articles (e.g., "a," "an," "the"), prepositions (e.g., "in," "on," "at"), and conjunctions (e.g., "and," "but"). These small words are not capitalized unless they are the first word in the title.
  • Avoid Underlining: Don't underline your title. Bold text is usually sufficient to emphasize the title. Some experts suggest that if you really want to underline it, don't bold it at the same time to avoid overemphasis.
  • Review and Edit: Always review the final version of your title. Check for grammar, structure, spelling, and overall quality. Re-read it to make sure it effectively represents your essay's topic and captures your reader's attention.
  • Using a Colon: If you decide to use a colon in your title, remember to follow the rules. A colon is used to separate two interesting parts of the title.
  • Simplify and Keep It Short: Rewrite your title in simple words and try to keep it short. Concise titles are often more effective.

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Some Interesting Example Essay Titles

If you are struggling to come up with a good essay title, refer to the following section. Here, you will find some interesting title examples for different kinds of essays. 

How to Title an Essay About Yourself - Examples

  • Things that make you happy
  • The significance of personal growth 
  • Your definition of feminism 
  • Why is volunteering important?
  • The importance of a healthy lifestyle 
  • Your favorite memory 
  • Your proudest moment 
  • Your secret talent 
  • A place you’d want to go
  • Your most unfortunate day 

How to Title an Essay for College - Examples

  • Poop, animals, and the environment
  • From homeschooling to the football field
  • The civil rights movement and its effects
  • Internet Influence on Kids
  • The popularity of Sports in the United States
  • A book that sparks your love for literature 
  • The steps you took to fix an error in coding a program 
  • A serious illness you battled
  • A talent you have had since you were young 
  • A documentary that made you aware of a particular issue

Example Argumentative Essay Titles

  • Should animal testing be banned? 
  • Is healthcare a basic human right?
  • Why does homework not improve learning?
  • Should video games be considered a sport?
  • Should teachers be paid more?
  • Is standardized testing effective? 
  • Is space travel a waste of money?
  • Effects of video games on children
  • Is cloning ethical?
  • Is globalization good or bad?

How to title an essay examples - MyPerfectWords.com

Example Research Paper Titles

  • How does a search engine work?
  • Attention deficit disorder
  • Limitations of the media
  • What are the gender issues in education?
  • What are the pros and cons of school uniforms?
  • Discrimination in education
  • Education and funding 
  • Disadvantages of homeschooling 
  • How can eating disorders be treated? 
  • Interracial marriage

Example Descriptive Essay Titles

  • The most beautiful place on earth
  • The beauty of the starry sky
  • A perfect companion for me
  • The best concert I attended Why I like my smartphone
  • An unusual room
  • Your favorite food
  • A favorite photograph 
  • An accident scene 
  • Your favorite car

Hopefully, now you understand how to title an essay in the best way possible. Refer to the above guidelines before you begin the writing process.

However, you can also get help from our essay writing service if you don’t know how to title an essay. Professional essay writers at MyPerfectWords.com can help you write a creative title or even the whole essay from scratch for you.

Feel free to contact our paper writer online anytime and get the best essay writing help.

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Nova Allison is a Digital Content Strategist with over eight years of experience. Nova has also worked as a technical and scientific writer. She is majorly involved in developing and reviewing online content plans that engage and resonate with audiences. Nova has a passion for writing that engages and informs her readers.

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How to Title an Essay: Guide with Creative Examples [2024]

It’s not a secret that the reader notices an essay title first. No catchy hook or colorful examples attract more attention from a quick glance. Composing a creative title for your essay is essential if you strive to succeed, as it:

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  • causes the first impression;
  • reflects the tone, topic, and the purpose of the writing;
  • indicates the author’s credibility.

Thus, how you name your paper is of the same importance as the paper itself.

Good titles for essays should be concise and eye-catching. Nobody likes long and cumbersome headings that do not reflect the point of the paper. While tilting your work, pay enough attention to the word choice. How do you come up with a good title? Use your common sense and imagination. For more details, our experts prepared the sections below.

  • 💭 What Are Good Titles?

✔️ Finish Your Essay

🤲 sum it up, 🏷️ define the keywords, 🖊️ follow the format, ⚖️ change words, ✨ 23 creative title examples, 💭 what are good titles for essays.

A title is a critical part of any academic paper, so you must understand what to include and how to choose it. Here are some features that your heading has to show.

👩‍🏫 How to Title an Essay?

Are you struggling with formulating a heading? Yes, this task is quite challenging. But let’s figure out the basic rules.

The title of any paper should reveal:

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  • What the paper is about. Cover the general idea of your work in the title.
  • Why the reader might be interested in it. Prove the relevance of your paper to the audience.
  • The context of the issue. A good title previews the full picture of the topic regarding its “when” and “where.”

To nail your essay heading, follow the guide below. Check our title examples if you are not sure about your abilities. You can also try and use a creative title page generator for a faster result.

Before writing a title to your essay, you should finish your paper. This way, you’ll be able to reread and get the whole idea to incorporate it into your title.

Moreover, you’ll see how long a title should be for an essay after finishing the entire piece. But remember: not too lengthy and not too wordy.

The essay title depends on the type of essay:

  • Narrative essay . For this kind of essay, the title should not provide any detailed info or reflect your position. It should only present the general idea of your piece of writing. For example, the narrative essay topic may look like this: My Thorny Pass to Success.
  • Argumentative essay . The title for an argumentative essay should clearly state the point you are going to support. For instance, you can choose the following heading: Social Media Has a Negative Effect on Teenagers.
  • Cause and effect essay . For this kind of essay writing, the title should be clear and provide a background of the issue. The reader should immediately understand what the problem is, what its cause is, what an effect is. Usually, writers use the words “due to” or “because” to highlight the cause-effect correlation. Look at the example: Because Coronavirus Attacks, People Start to Explore New Ways of Remote Working.
  • Persuasive essay . A persuasive essay should have a dynamic title that immediately calls to action. Moreover, the topic has to be relevant to the audience. For example, for students, the following title would be compelling: Sleep 7-8 Hours a Day: the Lack of Sleep Affects Academic Performance.

The most straightforward way of creating an essay title is summarizing. Sum up the whole paper in one sentence, focus on the central idea, cut the details, and use it as the title.

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For this purpose, you can take your thesis statement and restate it, adding creativity. Or use the best summary generator you can find to simplify the task. But don’t forget to make sure that it sounds catchy and explains why the potential reader should check your essay.

For example:

Let’s imagine, you are writing about Artificial Intelligence, and your thesis statement sounds like this:

The purpose of this paper is to explore the advantages of Artificial intelligence’s influence on society and to discover possible outcomes.

Then, the title may be the following:

Artificial Intelligence – the Next Step into the Bright Future.

Every essay includes the key concepts that you explored and the terms that you used for this. You should find essential words and phrases and incorporate them into the essay titles. The keywords will focus the reader’s attention on the central topic of your paper.

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You are writing about the negative impact of deforestation on the environment. These are your keywords, as they are the most vital ones. Thus, the title would sound like this:

Protecting the Environment: Deforestation Should be Stopped.

Every educational institution requires to format the academic papers for a particular writing style. Among a wide diversity of citation styles , the most popular ones are APA and MLA formats.

There are a lot of specific requirements regarding the essay title formats. So, let’s investigate these styles.

The APA style requires a title page at the beginning of your research paper. Here, where the readers first meet the heading. The title page should include the following:

  • The paper’s title. Centered, bold, capitalized, 3-4 lines below the top margin.
  • The author’s name (first name, middle initial, last name). Centered, not bold, two lines below the title.
  • The author’s affiliations. Centered, not bold, immediately after the name.
  • Number and name of the course.
  • The instructor’s name and title.
  • Page number in the top right corner.

See the example of an APA title page below:

The title page in APA format.

The MLA style does not require a separate title page. Still, some formatting rules are to be strictly followed.

  • The MLA paper should start one inch from the top of the document, flush left.
  • Write the author’s name, then the instructor’s name, the course number, and the date. Each item should be on a separate double-spaced line.
  • Add the title of your paper. It should be centered and capitalized.
  • Do not put quotation marks, underline, italicize, or boldface your MLA title. Just make it centered and capitalized.

Here is an example of an MLA title formatting.

The essay title in MLA format.

Before choosing a title, figure out is the tone of your essay. Is it more formal or friendly? Do you write it for a college or a personal blog?

Change the wording to make your title sound more catchy and positive. Or serious and official. You can try something new and come up with a creative title for your essay.

You need to write an article about the benefits of healthy eating for university and your online blog. For an academic essay, your title would probably look like this:

A Well-Balanced Diet Is a Key to a Healthy Organism.

In contrast, for a blog article, it would be better to write something like this:

An Apple a Day Keeps a Doctor Away: How Healthy Eating Helps us Be Fit.

Do you see the magic? One topic, different wording, and completely diverse tones as a result. So, try until you reach the most appropriate version of the title for your piece of writing.

Are you still struggling with the selection of a heading for your paper? Take a look at our creative essay title examples! Inspire, then turn on your imagination, and create a personal title.

Argumentative Essay Titles.

  • Intercultural Community at University: Prosperity or Constant Encounters.
  • Leadership Nature: a Congenital or an Acquired Feature?
  • Do Energetic Drinks Help or Harm the Organisms?
  • Why Should Sex Education Be Taught at Schools?
  • Should the Law Punish Bullying?
  • Guns Legalization is an Unsafe Way of Self-Protection.

Narrative Essay Titles.

  • Lady Macbeth – One of the Most Frightening Female Characters of Shakespeare.
  • The Art of Overcoming Failures: How to Deal with the Downfalls Easily.
  • Steve Jobs: from a Poor Student to a Multi-billionaire.
  • The Most Influential Person in my Life.
  • Three Biggest Events of my Life that Shaped me as a Person.
  • What Does it Mean to be a Loving Kid for your Parents?
  • What Does “Family” Mean to You?

Persuasive Essay Titles.

  • Never Judge the Person by their Appearance.
  • Music Should be Implemented as a Medical Treatment.
  • In the Battle Between E-Books and Paper Books, the Last Ones Should Win.
  • Remote Learning Cannot Replace Face-to-Face Classes.
  • Technology Addiction is a Threat to the Future Generation.
  • Murderers Should be Sentenced to Death Penalty.

Cause and Effect Essay Titles.

  • Because of Traveling Around the World, People Expand their Horizons.
  • Due to Massive Immigration, Countries Lose their Cultural Identity.
  • Home Abuse as a Cause of Depression and Suicide as its Effect.
  • Drug Addiction: a Cause for Psychological Disorder or an Effect?

Thank you for reading our article. Now you get how to come up with a good title for an essay. Don’t forget to share our page with your friends.

  • Writing an Effective Title: Quick Tips, Student Support Writing Center, University of Minnesota
  • Choosing a Title, Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: Research Guides at University of Southern California
  • How Do I Write a Great Title: U-M LSA Sweetland Center for Writing, College of Literature, Science, and Arts, University of Michigan
  • General Format: Purdue Online Writing Lab, College of Liberal Arts, Purdue University
  • Formatting a Research Paper, Heading and Title: The MLA Style Center
  • Title Page Setup: APA Style, American Psychological Association
  • APA Title Page (Cover Page) Format, Example, Template: Saul McLeod, Simply Psychology
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Essay Writing Guide

How To Title An Essay

Last updated on: Dec 19, 2023

How to Title an Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide for Effective Titles

By: Nova A.

Reviewed By: Chris H.

Published on: Feb 5, 2019

How to Title an Essay

Are you tired of struggling to create captivating titles for your essays? It can be frustrating to spend hours only to end up with a lackluster title that fails to engage your readers.

But here's the thing: a weak title can significantly impact the success of your essay. It's the first thing your readers see, and it sets the tone for their expectations. A dull or generic title may cause your audience to lose interest before they even start reading.

Luckily, there is a simple yet effective solution to this problem. By following a few key strategies, you can learn how to title an essay that captures attention and piques curiosity.

In this blog, we will guide you through creating engaging essay titles step by step. 

Whether you're a student or a writer, these tips will help you to craft titles that make your essays shine.

How to Title an Essay

On this Page

What Is The Purpose Of An Essay Title?

An essay title serves a crucial purpose in the world of writing. It goes beyond being a formality and plays a strategic role in captivating readers and enhancing the impact of your work.

The purpose of an essay title can be summarized into four key objectives.

  •  Attention Grabbing:

A creative title instantly grabs the reader's attention, acting as a hook that sparks curiosity. It entices them to explore your essay further.

  • Setting Expectations:

An essay title communicates the main theme, subject matter, or argument of your writing. It sets the tone and prepares readers for what lies ahead.

  • Creating Interest and Relevance:

A carefully chosen title makes your essay relatable and interesting to your target audience. It also establishes a connection between their interests and your topic.

  • Reflecting the Essence:

The title of your essay should reflect its core essence and purpose, acting as a concise representation of the ideas.

What Are The Rules For Essay Titles?

When it comes to creating essay titles, different formatting styles have specific rules and guidelines to follow. In this section, we will explore the rules for essay titles in three commonly used formats: MLA, APA, and the Chicago Manual of Style.

Guidelines for Essay Titles in MLA Format

In MLA format, essay titles have the following rules:

Capitalization

  • Capitalize the first and last words of the title.
  • Capitalize all principal words, including nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
  • Do not capitalize articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or), or prepositions, unless they are the first or last word of the title.

Italics or Quotation Marks

  • Italicize the titles of complete works (books, journals, movies, etc.). Place titles of shorter works (articles, essays, poems) in quotation marks.

Example: 

Guidelines for Essay Titles in APA Format

In APA format, essay titles have the following rules:

  • Capitalize the first word of the title and any subtitles.
  • Capitalize all proper nouns.
  • Only capitalize the first word after a colon if it begins a subtitle. 
  • Italicize the titles of longer works (books, journals, movies, etc.).
  • Do not use quotation marks for titles.

Guidelines for Essay Titles in Chicago Manual of Style Format

In the Chicago Manual of Style format, essay titles have the following rules:

  • Capitalize all nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and subordinating conjunctions.

Italics or Quotation Marks:

  • Italicize the titles of larger works (books, journals, movies, etc.).
  • Use quotation marks for titles of shorter works (articles, essays, poems).

How To Make Your Essay Title Eye Catching

Finding the perfect essay title can be a creative challenge. In this section, we will explore effective strategies for brainstorming your essay title to ensure it captures the essence of your work and engages your readers.

Here's What Your Essay Title Should Include

When brainstorming your essay title, consider including the following elements:

Identify key terms or concepts related to your essay's topic or main argument. These keywords should be relevant, descriptive, and reflective of the content.

  • Tone and Style:

Determine the appropriate tone and style for your essay. Consider whether your title should be formal, academic, creative, or catchy, depending on the purpose and audience of your essay.

  • Focus and Scope:

Reflect on the main focus and scope of your essay. Consider the specific angle, perspective, or aspect you are exploring in your writing.

  • Engaging Language:

Use language that captivates and intrigues readers. Employ strong verbs, vivid adjectives, or thought-provoking phrases to make your title stand out.

Example of an Effective Essay Title: "Unveiling the Hidden Wonders: Exploring the Biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest"

What Not to Include in Your Essay Title

While brainstorming your essay title, it's important to avoid certain elements that may weaken or confuse your title. Consider the following:

  • Vague or General Terms:

Avoid using generic terms or phrases that lack specificity. Instead, opt for precise and descriptive language that accurately represents your essay's content.

  • Abbreviations or Acronyms:

Unless widely recognized, avoid using abbreviations or acronyms that may confuse readers. Aim for clarity and ensure that your title can be easily understood by a broad audience.

  • Excessive Length:

Keep your title concise and avoid unnecessary wordiness. A long, convoluted title may overwhelm readers and fail to capture their attention.

  • Clichés or Overused Phrases:

Steer clear of clichés or overused phrases that may make your title appear unoriginal or uninspiring. Strive for creativity and uniqueness to make your title memorable.

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Essay title examples

Here are three examples of essay titles for each of the given topics:

How to Title an Essay for College

"From Dreams to Reality: Navigating the Path to College Success" "Unveiling the Future: Crafting an Essay Title that Defines Your College Journey" "Beyond the Application: The Power of a Compelling College Essay Title"

How to Title an Essay about a Book

"Unveiling the Literary Tapestry: Analyzing [Book Title] through an Engaging Essay Title" "Pages of Wisdom: Crafting an Essay Title that Unveils the Depths of [Book Title]" "Beyond the Cover: Exploring the Themes of [Book Title] through an Evocative Essay Title"

How to Title an Essay for a Scholarship

"Dreams Rewarded: Crafting an Essay Title that Shines for Scholarship Success" "Unveiling Potential: Illuminating Your Journey to Scholarship with an Impactful Title" "Beyond the Application: The Art of Composing a Compelling Scholarship Essay Title"

 How to Title an Essay about Yourself

"Unveiling the Layers: Crafting a Reflective Essay Title that Defines Me" "The Journey Within Exploring Identity through an Introspective Essay Title" "Beyond the Mirror: Unraveling My Story through a Captivating Essay Title" 

Essay Title Examples: Bad vs Good

Here are examples of bad and good essay titles to illustrate the difference:

Bad Essay Title:

 "Essay about Cats"

This title is too vague and lacks creativity. It does not give any indication of the specific focus or purpose of the essay.

Good Essay Title: 

"Paws and Purrs: Exploring the Mysterious Charms of Domestic Cats"

This title is more engaging and intriguing. It captures the attention of the reader by using playful language.

 "Climate Change"

This title is overly broad and does not provide any insight into the specific aspect of climate change that the essay will address.

"Melting Point: Understanding the Devastating Impacts of Arctic Ice Loss on Global Climate"

This title is specific and highlights the focus of the essay: the connection between Arctic ice loss and the broader issue of global climate change. It indicates a deeper exploration of the subject matter.

 "My Trip to Europe"

This title is generic and lacks creativity. It fails to convey any unique perspective or aspect of the trip.

Good Essay Title:

 "Wanderlust Unleashed: A Journey through Europe's Enchanting Landscapes and Timeless Culture"

This title is more engaging and captures the essence of the essay. It suggests a personal narrative infused with the exploration of Europe's diverse landscapes.

4 Tips While Choosing an Essay Title

Choosing the right essay title is essential for capturing the interest of your readers and accurately representing your work. 

In this section, we will provide four valuable tips to consider when creating a title for your essay. 

Reflect the Content:

Ensure that your essay title accurately reflects the main theme and tone of your essay. It should provide a clear indication of what readers can expect to find in your writing. 

Avoid misleading or ambiguous titles that may confuse or disappoint your audience.

Example: If your essay explores the impact of social media on society, a suitable title could be

 "The Digital Revolution: Unraveling the Influence of Social Media on Modern Society."

Engage and Intrigue:

Craft a title that captivates your readers and piques their curiosity. Use strong verbs, and catchy hooks, to make your title stand out from the crowd. Aim to evoke an emotional response or generate interest in your topic.

Example: Instead of a generic title like "The Importance of Exercise," opt for a more engaging title such as

 "Unleashing the Power Within How Exercise Transforms Mind, Body, and Soul."

Keep it Concise:

Keep your title concise and avoid excessive wordiness. A long and convoluted title may confuse or overwhelm readers. 

Aim for clarity and brevity, while still capturing the essence of your essay. Shorter titles are often more memorable and impactful.

Consider Your Audience:

Take into account the target audience for your essay. Consider their interests, knowledge level, and expectations. Tailor your title to resonate with your specific readership. 

A title that speaks directly to your audience's needs and desires will be more effective in capturing their attention.

Example: If your essay targets parents seeking parenting advice, a relevant title could be 

"Raising Resilient Kids: Nurturing Strength and Confidence in Today's Challenging World."

Choosing the perfect essay title is a critical step in creating a captivating and impactful piece of writing. 

It serves as a gateway to your essay, capturing the attention of your readers and setting the tone for what lies ahead. 

By following the four tips outlined in this blog, you can craft a title that reflects your essay's content, engages your audience, and leaves a lasting impression. Start your essay off on the right foot with a title that shines boldly and confidently.

Ready to take your essay writing to the next level? Visit 5StarEssays.com today and experience top-notch academic assistance. 

Our team of expert writers is here to help you with all your essay needs. Whether you're looking for essay writing, editing, or proofreading services, we've got you covered. 

Let expert writers at  5StarEssays.com  assist you with “ write my essay for me ” worries! 

Nova A.

As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova Allison has eight years of experience in writing both technical and scientific content. With a focus on developing online content plans that engage audiences, Nova strives to write pieces that are not only informative but captivating as well.

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How to Title an Essay: Step by Step Guide 🤓| Studyfy

How to Title an Essay

title examples essay

Well, neither does your teacher, professor, or boss. The difference is that they don’t have a choice and have to. A good title helps you stand out, and that’s part of the reason why a title is so important. Just knowing the right way to title an essay can boost your grades! 

A good title has to grab the reader’s attention. It’s the first thing someone sees, so think of it as your first opportunity to impress. The title needs to be catchy but focused on the content of your essay. A good title is simple yet informative. Sounds tough? Don’t worry, this article will cover all you need to know about how to title an essay perfectly. 

How to Choose a Good Title for an Essay

A good title makes a reader think “Yes! I want to read the rest of this!” but a title also has to accurately reflect the content of the paper. It’s not just students, one of the differences between an average writer and an expert is how well they can write a title. If you want to work in social media, advertising, or any kind of content writing, learning how to write a title for an essay is an essential skill to have. 

There are two main components of a good essay title.

Catchy Hook

Anyone that’s ever written anything knows that having a catchy hook in your introduction is a requirement, but most people forget that you can include a hook in the title itself. Remember, you want to stand out and differentiate yourself from the competition. 

There are a few places to hunt for keywords to fit into your title. The essay prompt or research question is a good place to start but using words in your thesis statement ensures that your topic accurately reflects the main point of your essay. The use of keywords like this ensures that your title reflects what the essay is about. You’ll know you’ve found the right keywords if they seem like two or three word summaries of the main point of your essay. 

How to Come up With a Title for an Essay

How to create a title for an essay in a way that makes it stand out from the crowd requires creativity, hard work, and time. That may seem like a lot just for a title, but it’s worth it. Follow these bits of advice and craft the perfect title!

Write your title at the end

Just because the title is the first thing someone reads doesn’t make it the first thing you should write! Coming up with a good title is tough and requires a deep understanding of the content of the paper. That means it’s usually better to write the title at the end after you’re done with a couple of drafts of your paper. 

Though it’s good to write according to a plan, often, new thoughts can take your essay in an unexpected direction, this is another reason why its good to start with a working title as a placeholder and go back to write the final title at the end. 

Use your thesis 

A good title hints at what the thesis statement will be. A thesis statement is a summary of the main argument and purpose of the paper, so use your thesis statement as a source of inspiration for your title. This makes sure that your title has predictive power since it’s drawn from the thesis statement itself. 

Simple but not too simple

There is no rule about how long a good title should be - there are benefits to short titles and benefits to long titles. Short titles are direct and clear and better suited for simpler, straightforward essays. Longer titles may be more appropriate for complex or very specific essays. No matter what though, make sure that your titles are easy to understand. 

Make sure your title is specific

A title that’s too general may seem like it’s describing your essay, but it isn’t. Is your essay just about “Mobile Gaming in 2020” or is it about “The Impact of Coronavirus Lockdowns on the FTP Mobile Game Industry”? The first title may be short and to the point, but it doesn’t give enough specific information about the content of the essay. Remember, a good title hints at what the essay is going to be about, but also intrigues the reader. Generic and broad titles don’t do that. 

Your title needs to be believable 

Just because a lot of titles you see on the internet are clickbait, doesn’t mean that you need to write an over the top title as well. Especially if you’re writing a paper for academia, make sure your title doesn’t over-promise what you’re going to cover in the essay. 

Write your title in the active voice

Write your title in the active voice, that is, the subject acts upon the verb rather than the subject receives a verb's action. Writing in the active voice uses fewer words and is more concise and engaging - perfect for writing a catchy title. 

Rewrite famous movies, books, quotes, phrases, quotations, etc. 

Creativity is an important element of coming up with a catchy title. If you can find a famous phrase that you can rework into the perfect title for your essay, go for it! For example, a paper about mitosis and meiosis (cell division) can be titled “Live Long and Prosper”.

Match the style and tone of your essay

It wouldn’t make sense to have an amusing title for an essay about a refugee crisis. Make sure that your title reflects the tone of your essay. Some titles work better depending on the essay style. For example, the title of a persuasive essay would be different than the title of a reflective essay. 

Who’s the audience?

Of course, how you title an essay depends on who you’re writing it for. A blog post targeted towards your friends or prospective followers is going to have a different title than an essay for your stuffy old history teacher. Your young science teacher who loves memes and blows up things in class might appreciate a different type of title. A university application essay usually needs to be more formal. Try and find out as much as you can about who is going to read your essay and cater both your essay and title to them. 

To use or not to use: Colons in essay titles

Using a colon to separate an essay title into two sections used to be the norm. It became so common in fact, that now they are considered cliche. There may be a few occasions when using a colon is just perfect, but avoid overusing it. The best way to use a colon is by inserting a creative phrase or clever quote behind the colon. For example, the title of this section. 

Use evocative imagery

An easy way to make your title catchy is by using imagery. If you can make the reader imagine something in their mind based on your title, you’re starting off with a win. “Stepping into the void: The first spacewalk” is a much better title than simply “The first spacewalk. 

These tips should help you answer how to come up with an essay title!

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Common Titling Mistakes

The deadline is racing towards you and you still don’t have a title! After panicking and writing whatever pops into your head, check to make sure you don’t do any of the following.

  • Either bold your title or underline it  -  Doing both is overkill and rather than stressing the title, makes it look cluttered and messy.
  • Don’t make your title too short - A good title should let the reader predict what the essay is going to be about.
  • Don’t make your title too long.- A long title might give more information about the essay, but it can be cluttered and overloaded with dense information.
  • Don’t use slang, jargon, or abbreviations - You want to make sure that the title is clear. If the teacher has to look up a word in your title, you’re starting off badly. 
  • Don’t get too personal - Your title should entice the reader. Whatever strong arguments you want to make should be made in the body of the essay.  ‍

Make sure your title reflects the content of the essay - This often happens when the title is written first and then the essay. Start with a placeholder title and after the essay is done, work on creating a title that accurately reflects the main purpose of the essay. 

Improved Essay Titles

You might have an idea about what the title should be as you’re working on your essay, but there are still things to watch out for. Sometimes the perfect title pops into your head fully formed, but more often than not, a good title takes thought, effort, time, and several rewrites. Make sure to set aside some time just to work on the title. 

An Exploration of the Best Way to Spend Time During Lockdown Based on Personal Experience

This title might do a good job of explaining what the essay is about but it’s too long and wordy.

Better title: My Lockdown Chronicles: What to do With Unexpected Free Time

An Analysis of Avengers: Endgame

This title is too broad. The topic is interesting but there’s no hook to engage the reader.

Better title: Why Avengers: Endgame is Modern Storytelling at its Best 

Badly Breaking the myths about drug overdose 

This title seems forced. The topic is very serious, so trying to use a pun in the title can come across as incongruent. It also depends on the reader knowing the show Breaking Bad and making the connection. Depending on the audience, this might be the perfect title though, so make sure to consider your audience when writing and titling an essay. 

Better Title: An Analysis of Drug Overdose Deaths in the 2010s

The Best Colorful Birds

This title doesn’t give any specific information or talk about what the reader can expect to learn from the essay.

Better Title: Why Birds of Paradise Evolved to Become the Brightest Birds

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Essay Title Ideas

Catchy essay title examples

A catchy title can start your reader off intrigued, entertained, and overall, just in a positive state of mind. That’s a good way to get noticed and boost your grade on the essay! Here are some examples of attention-grabbing essay titles.

Underage Romance: An Analysis of the Ages of William Shakespeare’s Characters 
An Alien Among Us: What if Superman Was Real?
The Day the Planet Caught a Virus
The Rise and Fall of the Alpha Male
Memes Before the Internet

College Essay Title examples

When answering a college essay, make sure you read and follow the instruction carefully. Not following the often very strict requirements is. Generally speaking the tone of the essay, and therefore the title should be more serious but don’t be afraid to let your personality come through. Have a look at these examples.

Why Building Houses in a Third World Country was Unsatisfying
The Daily Struggles of an International Student
Energy Equals MC Hammer: My First Day of Dance Class
A Showdown Between William Shakespeare and Hamilton
Mahatma Gandhi’s Disobedience Without Violence

Argumentative Essay Title Examples

An argumentative essay is an opportunity to convince the reader about your view on a topic. Since the goal of an argumentative essay is to make an argument using facts, research, and logic, your title should state your position on the issue. These examples should steer you in the right direction. 

Artificial Intelligence Will Not Matrix Humanity
The Best Soup Is Your Grandmother’s
Oh, the Humanity: Why the Death Penalty Should Be Abolished
Scientific Backing for the Benefits of Video Games
Trial and Error: Better Than the Scientific Method?

Persuasive Essay Title Examples

A persuasive essay appeals to emotions to influence the reader. The main difference between an argumentative essay and a persuasive essay is that an argumentative essay uses facts and research while a persuasive essay relies on emotional appeals. How do these title examples make you feel?

A Glamorous Path to Self Hatred: Modern Beauty Standards
Surreptitious Racism and Why It’s More Difficult to Erase
Saving the Planet, One Tree at a Time
The Natural Way to Heal: Ayurvedic Medicine
Testing the Uneducated: Medical Testing in Third World Countries

Narrative Essay Title Examples

Narrative essays can be thought of as short stories. They ask a writer to share an experience clearly and concisely while making a clear point. The titles of these essays can be more playful and ambiguous. Take a look at some examples.

The Pleasure of Discovering an Amazing New Anime
A Missed Opportunity: Why I Didn’t Attend My Uncle’s Funeral
When my Teacher Became a Father Figure
How Being Bullied Made Me a Kinder Adult
Bloody Victory: My First Mixed Martial Arts Win

Research Paper Title Examples

Research papers test your ability to find credible sources and synthesize complex information into a well-structured format. These are almost exclusively academic, and as such, have formal titles. The first versions of these titles often end up being very long, so spend some time whittling away any extra information. Take a look at the examples below. 

The Effects of Caffeine on Attention and Sleep
Experimental Evidence for the Use of Music in Boosting Agricultural Yields
Not Stinky: Bathing Culture in Ancient China
The Impact of Western Media on 13 to 30-Year-Olds in Asia 
The Marvel Cinematic Universe: A Guide on How to Plan Ahead

English Essay Titles Examples

Writing a title for an English essay doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, if you’re studying literature, you should take the opportunity to flex your creative writing skills. Don’t overdo it though! Titles still need to be predictive, comprehensible, and engaging. Examples down below. 

Akala: A Modern Day Shakespeare
Why We’re Already Living in the Brave New World
The Impact of Foreign Writers on Modern English Literature
The Terrifying Origins of Folk Tales
The Times They Are a-Changing: Analyzing Mark Twain’s Writings in 2019

Quick Recap

A great title piques the interest of the reader and starts their journey at a high point. Whether it’s online or for school, you have to find a way to stand out from the very beginning. A good title takes time and effort, but coming up with the perfect title can also be fun, and it absolutely makes a difference to your grade. 

Ask these questions to make sure that your title is good. 

  • Does the title predict what the paper is about?
  • Does the title use keywords effectively?
  • Does the title accurately reflect the tone of the essay?
  • Is the title appropriate for the audience?
  • Is the title interesting?

Remember these tips when brainstorming an essay title. 

  • Think of an interesting hook
  • Use keywords (Your thesis is a good place to look)
  • Write your title after you’ve written the essay, not before
  • Simple but not too simple, it should be predictive
  • Use as few words as possible while being informative and interesting
  • Keep it believable
  • Match the tone and style of your essay
  • Think about the audience
  • Use imagery
  • Rework a popular phrase
  • Use active voice
  • Avoid unnecessary words and jargon
  • Avoid abbreviations ‍

The title of your essay can make or break your grade, so it's important to choose one that is attention-grabbing and relevant to your topic. If you're struggling to come up with a good title, don't worry! Studyfy has compiled a list of over 300 essay topics to inspire you. And if you still need help with your essay, including proofreading and editing, or if you need to " pay someone to do my essay ", Studyfy's team of experts is always available to help. They offer dissertation writing services , research paper service , and even have an admission essay writer to help you get into your dream school. Just reach out to them for all your academic needs!

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How to Title an Essay and Grab the Reader’s Attention Right From the Word Go

Take a moment to think about an essay title like a billboard. Isn't it an advertisement, too?! A good title catches the reader's attention and makes them eager to read more and discover what your essay offers. That's why it's important to know how to title an essay and how to make it informative and creative.

Your heading is the first thing the reader sees. Your job is to make them think, 'This is going to be interesting' rather than, 'Oh, it seems very boring.' In this article, we will teach you how to get the reactions you want the readers to have – ‘Amazing!’, ‘What an interesting essay title!’, ‘I’ll definitely read this one till the end.’ If that is the kind of sentiment you want your audience to have, then let’s get down to reading!

Basic Elements of an Essay Title

A misleading essay headline can make or break your paper's quality. That's why your words can be vital for the success of the entire work. But who wants to spoil their essay quality by choosing the wrong title?! To avoid this from happening, let's learn the basic elements of essay headings:

Intriguing hook. A hook creatively introduces an essay to readers. Do you prefer reading content with boring headlines, or are you more inclined to opt for something more eye-catching? Best essay titles are crafted from a catchy hook that acts like bait to draw the reader's attention.

Topic keywords. The first step to creating a great essay title is to find a few words that describe your paper's topic. A thesis statement is the best place where you can find them. For example, if your topic is electro-mobiles, your keywords can be – engine, electric car, charging, eco-friendly, etc. Topic keywords are the core of your essay; they identify the concepts you'll be exploring and answer the question 'What?'

Focus keywords. Once you figure out the topic, the next step is to make a title as specific as possible. This component answers the questions 'where' and 'when' to tell the place and time. This way, you can make the heading more professional.

For now, you are a step closer to knowing the ins and outs of an essay title creation that truly grabs the reader's attention.

What Makes a Great Essay Title?

The essay title is a critical element in writing that college students should master to produce excellent academic papers. It would help if you considered its characteristics to construct a creative title that stokes the reader's curiosity. Some may think it's a simple task, but it takes more effort than anticipated. To make it easier for you, let's go through each character that makes good essay titles:

great essay title

Grabs Attention and Engages Readers

When chosen carefully, a catchy headline can draw in the readers. It should capture the attention of those who wouldn't typically read the topic. You can use different methods to develop an eye-catchy hook:

Metaphors. Coming up with a good analogy to make your essay's heading more memorable isn't difficult. The important thing is to explain that metaphor, which is a transfer of meaning, in your paper. Your essay title is a hook; if you deceive the reader's expectations, they won't go through the rest of your well-written essay.

Unexpected expressions. This type of heading can catch a reader's curiosity. Seeing something in the title that wasn't expected to be there typically pushes them forward to understand more about it.

Contradictions. With contradiction, you can create a title with the opposite meaning of your main idea. This hook can grab the reader's attention in an argumentative essay to determine how you will state your central idea.

If it's still confusing for you to grasp the essay title writing basics, making you wonder, 'Is there anyone who can write paper for me ?' You can always use our MBA essay writing service or economics paper writing service to do that job for you.

Clearly Stated and Concise

There is no need to tell the whole essay story in your title; you should just summarize your paper in a few creative words. The best practice is to divide the thesis statement into 4-5 words. Try to be as specific as possible; a good essay title should be short and simple.

Avoid using fancy words; start writing with a couple of keywords and put them together. No one likes complicated and tricky essay titles. So, try to stay away from strange phrases and complex structures.

Most students make mistakes by trying to make essay headings catchy and end up straying away from the truth. It's an inaccurate practice that can destroy your entire story. To construct good titles, they should mostly come from your essay's topic, thesis statement, and keywords.

Written in Active Voice

IIf your title contains a verb, always make sure it's in an active voice. Passive voice often confuses readers; giving them a clear idea of what they will read in your academic work would be better. For example, instead of writing, 'Is pollution of nature caused by cars' exhaust?' you can say, 'How does car exhaust contribute to the pollution of nature?'

Titles speak volumes about your academic essay. That's because it's worthwhile to make it perfect. If you want to bring your essay title prowess to the next level, you should be aware of every characteristic it has. This way, it gets easier for you to complete this part of the story, paper, blog article, or any type of assignment you're up to.

Promises Advantages to the Readers

Your aim in creating good essay title examples is to grab the reader's attention. But with that intention, it should also promise them some advantages. For Instance, when you are reading a title that catches your interest, sometimes it isn't enough to make you go through the whole writing. Maybe because you don't have time for it, but if that title also gives the feeling that it will be informative, you will save it to read for later. That's why the title needs to be creative and informative at the same time.

If you can't make good essay titles yet, don't feel bad about yourself. Sometimes, even professional writers experience writer's block while thinking of an ideal heading. What matters is to overcome it, use your writing skills and create a title for an essay that everyone should be willing to read.

Feel free to contact us for help, and we will satisfy your ‘ write my thesis for me ’ request or any other!

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Let the experts at our professional essay writing service do it for you.

Avoids Acronyms and Jargons

For now, we already know that an essay focuses on attracting attention. But it should be done accurately. More often than not, the specific essay title ideas sound more creative for you while using some kind of jargon, but it's not common in academic writing. An inaccurate essay title can break the overall quality of your paper.

You should also avoid writing about any unethical or immoral subjects. It may be an interesting topic for you to discuss, but it can't be done in narrative and descriptive essays or any kind of academic writing.

Using acronyms in your creative titles isn't the best practice, either. Even if it's a known acronym for everyone, you shouldn't write it anyway. For example, if you want to use the word 'NASA' in your title, which is an acronym, the right way to do it is to write the full name – 'National Aeronautics and Space Administration.'

How to Come up with a Title for an Essay in 5 Easy Steps?

good essay titles

Different types of essays have the same pattern for writing titles. So, for example, if you are writing a descriptive essay now and tomorrow, you need to write a narrative essay. You don't have to use different rules to create their titles. But for the research paper, you need more other details.

I guess you already know the main characteristics of great essay titles. Now, we can guide you on how to create one yourself. Let's define the steps how to come up with a good title for an essay:

Think About Your Audience

Of course, while writing any essay or paper, you always think about who reads it. It's crucial because you should match their interests to impress them. The same works for the title, too. Think about who will read your writing while choosing a headline. What is most likely to appeal to them? Is this paper going to the professor who loves humor? Then use one. Analyze the writing style your readers like, match it and use it to create a title for an essay.

You are crafting your writing for a specific audience; think from their perspective and write a title that can grab enough attention.

Go Through Your Essay Assignment Guidelines Again

While writing students often dive into creative thinking that can deviate from the main guidelines. To avoid that happening, always go through your essay instructions several times. Check if there are any special requirements for appropriate titles and follow them. In such a way, you can always be sure to stay in the right direction with your essay title.

Read through Your Essay Again

It's typically rare for a good title to come to your mind suddenly; it often needs to be worked on. Great titles are usually crafted from the keywords, thesis statement, and essay topic. Write them down and think of how you can connect them all creatively. These words reflect the central idea and main concept of your essay. Then, re-read your writing, join the main words into sentences and convert them into shorter phrases. Doing this way, you can create a title for an essay that will be both creative and informative.

Restate Your Title

While working on headlines, many essay title ideas can pop up in your mind. Some of them can be fully formed, but whichever you choose, write it down, expand and edit several times. Make the title as simple and informative as possible. Be direct and never mislead the readers, or you can lose their trust; plus, it can only harm your paper's quality. Edit your title until you find it catchy, too. Be enthusiastic and use all your writing skills to create the best headline for your work.

Write Your Title Last

The best advice on how to make a creative title for an essay is exactly like this. Then, when you finish the work, you already have the main concept and all the keywords from which you can craft a great essay headline. This way, you can be more precise, too, as you already know your whole paper.

Now, you have all the essay titling to make the whole writing process easier for you. But, of course, if it still doesn't help, you can always use a professional writer to help you.

You have nothing to worry about!

Use our cheap paper writing service , and our experts will do that job for you.

Essay Title Formats

We already discussed the characteristics of an essay and guided you on how to create one, but did you know there are different headline formats? Do you know which one you were assigned with? The most commonly used formats are APA and MLA. So let's define both of them to clear all the confusion:

Essay Title Page in APA

You’ve already learned the how-to essay title essentials, so it’s time to proceed to the formatting rules. Now let's see in which format you prefer to write.

In APA format, your title should be in the title case. That means every word that isn't prepositions, articles, coordinating conjunctions, or the word 'to' paired with the infinitive must be capitalized.

A separate cover page in APA format is a must. The following should be listed: The title of your writing, your full name, the institution and department you are in, the course the paper is for, your instructor's name, and the due date. All must be double-spaced and centered. Your cover page in APA should look like this, for example:

The Effects of Car Pollution on Nature

Nadia. K Smith

Department of Nature Sciences, University of California

Nat135: Environmental Problems

Dr. Sarah Williams

September 17, 2021

This example can give you an overview of how to title a page in this format. Also, remember that the APA format is usually used for technical and scientific works.

Essay Title Page in MLA

Similar to the APA format, MLA requires essay titles to be in the title case, too. But it has different rules for the title page. In this format, no title page is required. Instead of it, you must add a 4-line header on the first page.

The header lists your full name, the instructor's name, the course number or title, and the submission date. The header is double-spaced and left-aligned, and the paper's title is centered under the header. For example:

Professor Garcia

Humanities 201

October 10, 2019

The Importance of Following an Essay Structure Guidelines

This is what your essay title in MLA format should look like. MLA is typically used in humanities subjects, such as literary studies, media studies, and languages. We also recommend that you read our article on MLA in-text citation – this information may be useful to you.

Good Essay Title Examples

Knowing theory isn’t sufficient without putting it to practical use, don’t you agree? Let’s check out ten APA and MLA essay title examples to bring your newly obtained knowledge into play.

APA Essay Title Examples

  • The Impact of Digital Technology on Academic Performance: A Comprehensive Analysis.
  • Exploring the Role of Gender Stereotypes in Workplace Dynamics.
  • The Relationship Between Social Media Usage and Mental Health Among Adolescents.
  • An Examination of Environmental Policies and Their Effectiveness in Addressing Climate Change.
  • The Influence of Parenting Styles on the Development of Emotional Intelligence in Children.

MLA Essay Title Examples

  • Rethinking Shakespearean Tragedy: A Comparative Analysis of Hamlet and Macbeth.
  • Narrative Identity in Modern Literature: Unraveling the Threads of Selfhood.
  • The Symbolism of Nature in the Poetry of Emily Dickinson: A Close Reading.
  • Globalization and Cultural Identity: Interconnected Narratives in Contemporary Fiction.
  • Reexamining Historical Perspectives: The Complex Legacy of the American Revolution.

Final Thought

If you went through the whole article, you now know the importance of a great title. Unfortunately, good essays are often ignored because of a weak headline. Don't let any of your papers be one of them. If you want your paper to be excellent, it should intrigue your readers and make them eager to go through the whole work.

A compelling subject can be the hardest part of your paper, and it takes a great effort to create a perfect name. But it's worthwhile when you see how many readers' attention it grabs. So be enthusiastic, turn your imaginative thinking on and come up with creative headings for your papers. Now, you have all the resources to know how to make a good title for a composition.

But if there are times when you don't feel like writing anything, you are just sitting in front of the desk and wondering: 'Can anyone write my term paper ?' You have the answer to that question, too. You can always use the help of professional writers to do any of your papers for you.

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How To Write An Essay

How To Title An Essay

Barbara P

Learn How to Title an Essay Like a Professional Writer

15 min read

Published on: Mar 1, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 29, 2024

how to title an essay

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A title is the one thing that makes your essay and all academic papers impressive. This is because it is the first thing that a reader looks at and decides whether to give your essay a shot or not. 

Naturally, things with amusing and interesting titles tend to be more read-worthy.  A right and accurate title can either make your essay a success or a complete disaster. 

It might sound easy to give a title to your essay, but it can be daunting in reality. Creating a title is an art, and not everybody knows how to do it. 

This writing guide is provided to know how important it is to give a correct title to your writing and polish your writing skills. 

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What is an Essay Title

An essay title is the name or label given to an essay, which provides a brief summary of the main topic or theme of the essay.

It should be catchy, informative, and relevant to the content of the essay, while also giving readers an idea of what to expect from the writing. 

A good essay title should capture the reader's attention and make them interested in reading the essay.

Purpose and Importance of Essay Title

A title holds great importance in essay writing. It can easily make or break the quality of your work. 

Choosing a title that interests the audience and motivates them to read your essay. This is because they are intrigued, it serves as fertile land to present your knowledge, ideas, writing skills, and critical thinking.   

Qualities of an Essay Title

When coming up with the topic or title for your essays, keep in mind that it should contain the following qualities: 

  • Eye-catching and unique: The title should be eye-catching and unique to grab the reader’s attention.
  • Based on facts: A good title is always believable and based on facts. Especially for writing essay types and papers that stand on facts and logic should have believable titles. 
  • Audience-appropriate: Readability is key. Using fancy and bombastic vocabulary that is not common for the audience will affect the readership. 
  • Tone: A great essay title is always written in an active voice. 
  • Brief and Short: The title should be brief and to the point. Avoid dragging titles into long sentences. 
  • To-the-Point: An essay title should be accurate and clearly present the main theme of the essay. This will allow the reader to know what to expect from the document. 

Components of an Essay Title

Just as all formal writings have an outline to follow, a good essay title is constructed using a formula as well. Keep in mind that the shorter, the better. A title must not exceed 10 to 12 words.

The components of an essay title include

  • An attention-grabbing and catchy hook
  • Tone sets the overall mood or attitude conveyed by the title.
  • The focus keyword - the “where” and “when” in your essay. 

Once you know the importance and elements of an essay title, you are more likely to create a better title.

How to Title an Essay?

Almost all essay writers find it tricky to make an appropriate title for their essays. However, writing a title is not only based on good writing skills. You need to know the basics of creating it. 

A good and effective essay title can be created by taking the following steps:

1. First Write an Essay 

It will be extremely beneficial and easy to create a title once you have written an entire essay.

After writing your essay, you will be clear about what title suits your content the most. Complete your essay and then start reading it.

This will give you a clearer picture of how to address the essay properly.

Deciding on a topic or a title can be time taking. Another advantage of writing a title at the end is that it saves a lot of your time. 

Also, the wrong topic makes it difficult for you to choose the best essay title.  

Struggling with getting started with your essay? Check out this helpful guide on how to write an essay !

2. Use your Thesis Statement

There is another reason you should leave your title for an end.  An effective title provides a reason for the readers to read your essay. The best part to find a reason is in the thesis statement in the introduction of your essay. 

You can always get a title from a thesis statement or by using a part of that argument in the title. 

3. Popular Phrases

Catchphrases and cliches that go with the theme of your essay can be used as the titles as well. When popular phrases are appropriate and interesting, they make effective puns. 

Play with the cliches and twist them to create something of your own. Be creative and innovative for your titles as much as you can. 

4. Consider the Tone

Another trick to creating an effective title for your essay is to consider the essay’s tone and come up with something related to it. 

If the tone and subject of your essay are serious and sad, never make the mistake of addressing your title in an informal and fun way.  

Do not try to go off the wall in such cases. The tone of your essay and the title have a strong connection to a good essay. 

5. Use a Central Idea or a Quote 

It is not mandatory but an easy way to create a title that uses a central idea. You can use a quote as the title of your essay topic. 

If the purpose is served correctly, even song lyrics work the best sometimes. 

6. Summary in Three Words

The most common and basic technique is to get a title from the summary of your essay. 

A writer can summarize the entire essay or the central idea and thesis statement in three words and write a title. 

This can be a title by putting it in a headline, inserting a colon, and stating the purpose of your essay. 

7. Movie Titles in an Essay 

A movie title can also be used as a title in an essay.

There are some basic ways to do that. A writer can highlight the title, use a capital letter for the first letter of the movie title, and italicize its font. 

Another technique is by creating a sentence structure and using a movie title in it. You can use quotation marks as well as the underlining tool. However, title the essay according to the field of study and don’t make it irrelevant. 

Mistakes to Avoid While Giving a Title to Your Essay

Here are some tips to keep in mind when crafting effective essay titles to avoid common mistakes:

  • Positive themes

Avoid writing about sensitive, unethical, or immoral topics, such as drugs, prostitution, or murder.

  • Personal information

Your personal negative experiences should not be included in your essay. However, you can still include lessons learned from those experiences in a professional manner.

  • Relevant Questions

Make sure to ask questions that are relevant to your field of study to ensure you choose an appropriate topic.

  • Professional tone

Keep your essay professional and avoid including personal information or experiences that are not relevant. Your readers are not interested in your personal life.

  • Understanding requirements

It's important to understand your professor's requirements to avoid choosing the wrong topic and wasting time and effort.

  • Neutral perspective

Avoid taking an offensive approach in your essay and steer clear of controversial topics such as religion, abortion, and politics.

How to Title an Essay in Different Formats?

All academic essays require a format through which the writer shapes his document. This format varies from academic level to level and institution as well. The format styles include MLA, APA, Chicago, and Harvard. 

MLA, APA, and Chicago are the most common formats that are usually used. If you are writing an essay choosing a specific format, all of the parts should be drafted accordingly. 

From titling an essay to drawing a conclusion, the writer must follow the format properly to create a strong essay. 

How to Title an Essay in MLA Format?

No matter which essay format you are using to shape your argumentative essay, descriptive essay, etc. The qualities of the title and components remain the same.

Although the formatting of the title may differ. For an MLA style , format your essay title in the following pattern:

  • On the cover page of your essay, using double spacing, write your name in the upper left corner
  • Along with your name, present your instructor’s name, the course title, and the date. 
  • Double-space a line and using centered alignment, provide the essay title in font size 12 pt. 
  • Do not bold or italicize the title.
  • Capitalize important words only and not the articles in the title. 

How to Format an Essay in APA Format?

If you are writing an essay in APA style, you might be wondering how to title an essay in apa format. 

Simply use the following guidelines to format your title and make your writing process easy: 

  • Type the title in upper and lowercase letters
  • Use centered alignment on the upper half of the page and write the title
  • The title in APA style should not exceed more than 12 words
  • Avoid using abbreviations and irrelevant words 
  • The title should be presented in a line or two and not more than that
  • Use double spacing between the lines 
  • Beneath the title, write your name and the institutional affiliation.

How to Title an Essay Chicago Style 

To create an appropriate final version of the title for your essay in Chicago style, you should follow certain guidelines.

  • Use a heading level 2 (H2) for your title
  • Center the title on the page and use title case capitalization
  • Keep the title informative and concise, aiming for no more than 12-15 words
  • Consider including relevant keywords to make your essay easier to find
  • Avoid using slang or informal language in your title
  • Use proper grammar and punctuation

How to Choose a Good Title for an Essay 

Choosing a good title for an essay is crucial as it sets the tone and theme for the reader. 

Here are some important qualities to consider when selecting a title:

  • Informative: A good title should give the reader an idea of what the essay is about. It should be concise and clearly convey the main topic or argument of the essay.
  • Catchy and Memorable: A title that is catchy and memorable can grab the reader's attention and make them more likely to read the essay. Consider using wordplay, puns, or alliteration to make your title stand out.
  • Unique: A title that is unique and original can make your essay stand out from others. Avoid using generic or cliché titles that have been overused.
  • Accurate: A title should accurately reflect the content of the essay. Avoid using sensational or misleading titles that do not accurately convey the main point or argument of the essay.
  • Relevant: A title should be relevant to the current times or issues. Especially in subjects like current events, social or political issues, and scientific research.
  • Reflective of Tone: The title should also reflect the tone of the essay. If the essay is humorous, the title should be as well. If the essay is serious or academic, the title should reflect that.

Essay Title Examples

Just like the tone of every essay differs, the title also differs from each type of essay. For example, movie titles can only be used for informal writing and narrative essays. 

Some examples of essay titles are provided below.

Here are some more examples of essay titles.

Tips to Draft an Essay Title

Titles for Different Types of Essay

How To Title An Essay About A Book

Bad vs Good Essay Title Examples - H3

Tips for Crafting an Outstanding Title 

Here are some tips for crafting an outstanding title:

  • Brainstorm: Begin by brainstorming a list of potential titles for your essay or paper. Write down as many ideas as you can think of, even if they seem silly or irrelevant at first.
  • Be Specific: A good title should be specific and accurate. It should give the reader an idea of what the essay is about. Avoid vague or general titles that don't provide any useful information.
  • Use Keywords: Including keywords in your title can make it easier for readers to find your work in searches. Consider what words or phrases a person might use to search for your topic and incorporate them into your title.
  • Be Creative: A creative and unique title can make your work stand out from others. Consider using wordplay, puns, alliteration, or metaphors to create a memorable and attention-grabbing title.
  • Keep It Short and Sweet: While a title should be specific and informative, it should also be concise. Try to keep your title under 10-12 words, as longer titles can be difficult to read and remember.

For more tips, you can check out this video:

The success of your overall essay is not just based on how well you presented the argument and conducted research to gather the information. A title plays a vital role as well. 

Creative titles are like the icing on the cake. Nobody will want to read it when it will not appeal to them. 

Make your college essay and paper flawless, as they are the only thing that will get you scores in academics. So, you have to know what mistakes to avoid and what to do when title the essay.   

However, you can ask professionals at our best essay service to write your essays perfectly and with the best quality.

Place your " write my college essay for me " request today to get your essays and research papers written by professionals and get writing services at exciting prices. 

Also, try our AI writing tool to make your academic journey easier!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it better to use a question or a statement as my essay title.

Whether to use a question or a statement as your essay title depends on the content and purpose of your essay.

Using a question can be effective if your essay is exploratory and seeks to answer a specific question. On the other hand, using a statement can be more appropriate if your essay has a clear argument or thesis statement.

Barbara P (Literature, Marketing)

Barbara is a highly educated and qualified author with a Ph.D. in public health from an Ivy League university. She has spent a significant amount of time working in the medical field, conducting a thorough study on a variety of health issues. Her work has been published in several major publications.

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title examples essay

How to Title an Essay: Basic Guidelines With Examples

9 December 2023

last updated

When writing an essay, a student should take the time to consider the best title. Basically, such a title should reflect the content of a paper with the idea expressed in a thesis statement, being a critical component. For example, there are several rules and strategies that students should consider when titling their works. Moreover, these rules include using an academic tone by avoiding jargon and abbreviations, keeping a title simple and straight-to-the-point, writing a title in bold, and avoiding capitalizing or italicizing a title. In turn, other strategies include brainstorming and discussing ideas about an essay title with a friend, colleague, or mentor. Hence, students need to learn how to title an essay to make it interesting for readers.

General Guidelines of Titling an Essay

Titling is a critical step in essay writing that students must master if they are to produce an excellent document. By definition, a title is a word or phrase that a writer provides at the beginning of their texts, such as an essay, article, report, chapter, or other work. In this case, the purpose of titling an essay is to provide the audience with an idea about the content of a document. Moreover, an essay title is important because it identifies the subject matter, captures the readers’ attention, and determines the tone and substance of the entire writing activity. Sometimes, a title has a subtitle, whose function is to amplify a message expressed in a specific title. Based on this definition, a writer must use a title when writing any document targeted at a specific or even general audience, such as essays, theses, dissertations, books, and journal articles that must have a topic.

How to title an essay

Constructing an Essay’s Title: Step-by-Step Guide

When writing any academic text, students observe specific writing conventions to make their work impressive and credible. Basically, some of these rules include formatting and following a detailed essay outline . Although there is no particular rule that guides on the titling of academic texts, students must learn how to construct a topic for their essays. When titling an essay, authors must consider the audience and the content of their papers. In other words, writers need to create a title or rethink it after completing an essay. During the process of perfecting an essay, writers should confirm that a topic is relevant to the content and specific or general audience.

Step 1: Skeleton of an Essay Title

As mentioned in the previous section, a title can be a word or a phrase, which can stand alone or have a subtitle. Like the content that follows an outline, a title should have a structure that is not necessarily visible like the introduction-body-conclusion outline. Moreover, the structure of an essay title denotes the impact that it has on the audience and involves a catchy hook, topic keywords, and focus keywords. Then, the goal of the catchy hook is to get the readers’ attention. For example, a title is an element that introduces an essay to the audience, and a good paper should have a hook that grabs the readers’ attention immediately. In turn, topic keywords help an essay to answer the “What?” question that the audience may have when reading written works. On the other hand, focus keywords answer “When?” or “Where?” questions too.

Step 2: Altering an Essay Title for Different Purposes

When titling an essay, students must consider the structure described above to make the topic impactful on the audience. In essence, three components described above — a catchy hook, topic keywords, and focus keywords — indicate a general outline of an essay title. Basically, students should learn how to tailor the title of their work to the content and needs of the target audience. Moreover, such needs include having a paper that lacks jargon and is straight-to-the-point. Then, writers can alter the title to meet these requirements. Ideally, it is the discipline area that determines the approach that a person should take when titling an essay. For example, when writing about “climate change,” a student uses a different catchy hook, topic keywords, and focus keywords. However, in all contexts, the goal is the same: to grab the readers’ attention immediately to make them interested in reading the entire paper.

Template of an Essay Outline

Standard papers have a template or essay structure that writers should follow every time they have an essay writing assignment. Basically, template components enable writers to emphasize three main features of an essay topic described above. In essence, the body part is longer compared to introduction and conclusion sections because students have to elaborate on the topic or idea expressed in the title. Hence, a simple template structure of an essay looks like:

I. Introduction II. Body Paragraphs III. Conclusion

Content in Each Section

As indicated, three sections of an essay enable writers to emphasize three features of a title — a catchy hook, topic keywords, and focus keywords. In this case, the introduction part is where authors introduce their topics and provide background information. Also, the highlight of this section is a thesis, a statement that defines the purpose of the text. Then, the body is the section where students elaborate on the idea expressed in the topic and exemplified by the thesis statement. Here, scholars should use several paragraphs to emphasize the themes expressed in the introduction. In turn, the conclusion section allows writers to summarize their texts. Here, students restate the thesis, summarize the main points, and make a concluding remark.

1. Tips for Writing an Introduction Part

  • Provide background information.
  • Create a thesis.

2. Tips for Writing a Body Text

  • Use several paragraphs.
  • Use the topic and concluding sentences in each paragraph.
  • Use supporting facts.
  • Observe the Sandwich Rule.

3. Tips for Writing a Conclusion Section

  • Restate the thesis.
  • Summarize the main points as captured in the main text.
  • Do not introduce new information.
  • Provide a concluding remark.

Rules for Titling an Essay

  • Title the entire document. Before writing or after writing an essay, a student should title their work by using a word or phrase.
  • Title every section of the text. When writing an essay, a student should create interesting headings and subheadings to give the main text (body) an identity. 
  • A title must express the text’s central theme. Authors must choose a title that summarizes an essay. 
  • Use capitalization as necessary . Scholars must use a title case when titling an essay. In this case, it means capitalizing the first letter of every word in the title. Also, students must not capitalize pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions.
  • Write the title in bold. Writers should write the title in bold for purposes of emphasis.
  • Do not underline or italicize the title . Authors should avoid underlining or italicizing the title because this aspect might lead to overemphasis.
  • Review the title after completing the first draft . After completing the first draft, students should read and reread their work to ensure any mistakes are noted and corrected. These mistakes include formatting errors, spelling mistakes, and grammatical errors, such as missing or wrong punctuation. It is during this stage that they should review the title to ensure it aligns with the message (the main text) of the text. They should confirm the title is catchy enough to grab the readers’ attention immediately and arouse their interest to read the entire paper.
  • Include a subtitle for a long title. Authors should shorten the title of their essays by including a subtitle. Here, they should use a colon after the title and then indicate the subtitle.
  • Avoid jargon or slang when titling an essay. A writer should maintain formal language when titling their work. In turn, the use of jargon or slang is a turn-off for many readers, especially those conversant with academic writing conventions.
  • Put the title in a title page. When writing an essay, a student should indicate the title in the title page – the page that precedes the paper’s introduction. Also, headings and subheadings should appear from the introduction to the conclusion.

Strategies for Creating an Essay Title

  • Title an essay after finishing writing the text. Writers should consider the title of their work after completing the first draft. At this time, students know the structure of their papers and the content in each section. Moreover, they understand how the entire paper emphasizes the central theme captured in the thesis statement. With this understanding, it becomes easy to create a topic that reflects the message of the text.
  • Emphasize on an academic tone. When titling an essay, writers should maintain the academic tone that permeates the entire document. In this case, language or words they use must be strict, informative, and persuasive. However, it must also be catchy and warm to arouse the readers’ interest.
  • Highlight several keywords. Using keywords or phrases in an essay title optimizes the writer’s work. Basically, this strategy that bloggers use to make their works attract higher online traffic. Moreover, writers should use the same technique to attract the attention of their audience, whether it is an instructor or a college admissions board. In turn, students must ensure that keywords are strict to the point.
  • Follow the expert’s opinion. When writing an essay, students should consider the formula expressed by academic experts. For example, when titling their essays, writers should start with creative introductory words followed by a line that directly states the purpose of a paper.
  • Identify a quote that corresponds to the essay’s central idea or one of its themes. When titling an essay, a writer can identify a quote that emphasizes the thesis or one of the central themes of a paper and use it to create a title.
  • Rewrite the title of a famous book, movie, or album. When titling an essay, students can take the title of a well-known work, such as a book or movie, and rewrite it to make it reflect their works. Moreover, the message of the text must align with themes expressed in such a work, whether it is a book, movie, or album. As a result, this approach makes the title catchy, which is right in the eyes and minds of the audience.
  • Answer What, Who, When, or Where questions. One way of making the title of an essay is to take the inquiry approach. In this case, writers must create a title that answers “What?,” “Who?,” “When?,” or “Where?” questions. Also, it is another strategy for making the title catchy and straight to the point.
  • Talk it out . When creating a title for an essay, a student can discuss ideas with a friend or mentor. Basically, this approach is effective when it comes to titling an essay that is informative or argumentative.
  • Brainstorm . When reviewing the first draft, authors can write down some of the ideas they get about the topic of their works. From the list, students can judge the best title for their works based on the content and the central message.
  • Free write . Scholars can write down topics and start writing their essays. Basically, this approach means that authors begin with the topic and let ideas come into their heads about what to write. Moreover, this approach is suitable for personal narratives but not essays that require research, such as informative essays.

Examples of Essay Titles

1. child or spouse abuse.

When writing an essay about domestic violence, a writer can use “Child Abuse” or “Spousal Abuse” as a topic. In this case, authors would spend their time narrating how children or spouses are the primary victims of domestic violence in society. To make a title catchy, they can include a subtitle that describes the kind of abuse, such as sexual violence or emotional abuse.

Suffering is a broad topic. When writing a sociology essay, a writer can use the title “Poverty” to show how a lack of the means to afford basic life amenities creates suffering for a majority of people in developing countries. Here, students can choose a community, country, or region as their target and capture it in the title. Moreover, writers arouse the readers’ interest, seeking to understand more about that environment and how poverty leads to suffering.

3. Plastic Surgery

When writing on themes of beauty, a writer can use the title “Plastic Surgery” to denote the extent to which individuals are willing to go to look “beautiful.” Here, students can select a demographic population, such as celebrities, and show how many people have undergone surgical procedures to alter their physical appearances. Also, writers can elaborate on how this tradition is the basis of the celebrity culture where fans see their idols as role models in the body of their essays.

When writing on themes of emotional health, students can use the title “Stress” to emphasize the adversity of emotional strain. Here, authors can link stressful circumstances to adverse health outcomes, such as anxiety and depression.

5. Procrastination

When writing on subjects of personal discipline, authors can use the title “Procrastination” to denote counterproductive habits. In this case, students can provide a personal anecdote of an instance when procrastination affected an area of their life and use that story as the basis for discouraging the habit.

6. Illegal Immigration

When writing about politics, a writer can use the title “Illegal Immigration” to exemplify issues that have become politically sensitive in recent years. Moreover, students can highlight the complications of applying for refugee or asylum status as the reason for the growing numbers of illegal immigrants in America and European countries.

When writing an essay on mental health, students can use the word “Racism” when titling their essays. For example, the term “Racism” becomes a significant theme of a paper expressed in a title, and the writer’s mission is to link it with mental health. In this case, authors can show how experiences of racism have affected the mental health of African Americans and other minority groups residing in the United States.

When writing an essay about culture, a writer can use the topic “Tattoos” to indicate the recent trend of people getting tattoos on their bodies. In this case, students can try to link the pop culture to this trend.

9. Teen Pregnancy

When writing an essay about the abortion debate, a writer can use the title “Teen Pregnancy” to support or oppose calls for the legalization of abortion. Moreover, if authors support the legalization of abortion, they can show how teen pregnancy jeopardizes the lives of millions of young girls who become pregnant unintentionally. As such, abortion would grant them an opportunity to complete their education. On the other hand, if writers oppose the legalization of abortion, they can argue that young girls can give birth and still go back to school. Also, students can mention the foster care program and its benefits to those who are not ready to become responsible parents.

10. Homelessness

When writing about public policy, students can use the title “Homelessness” to write about how governments have failed in their solemn duty of providing housing to citizens. In this case, authors can pick a city with high numbers of homeless people and use it as an example of a failure by legislators to pass essential laws and policies.

Summing Up on How to Title an Essay

Essay writing is an essential academic exercise for students, as it provides opportunities for perfecting critical thinking skills. More importantly, it helps students to put into use what they have learned in a semester or calendar year. Then, one of the most vital aspects of essay writing is titling an essay. Ideally, it is a title that provides readers with an idea of what a paper is all about. As such, writers of essays need to learn basic rules and strategies of titling an essay. Hence, the following tips are vital:

  • pick a theme from the draft and use it to create the title;
  • let the title answer What, Who, When, or Where questions;
  • use an academic tone by avoiding jargon and abbreviations;
  • keep the title simple and straight to the point;
  • write the title in bold;
  • avoid capitalizing or italicizing the title;
  • use a title in every section of a paper.

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

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Title

Maximize search-ability and engage your readers from the very beginning

Your title is the first thing anyone who reads your article is going to see, and for many it will be where they stop reading. Learn how to write a title that helps readers find your article, draws your audience in and sets the stage for your research!

How your title impacts the success of your article

Researchers are busy and there will always be more articles to read than time to read them.  Good titles help readers find your research, and decide whether to keep reading. Search engines use titles to retrieve relevant articles based on users’ keyword searches. Once readers find your article, they’ll use the title as the first filter to decide whether your research is what they’re looking for. A strong and specific title is the first step toward citations, inclusion in meta-analyses, and influencing your field. 

title examples essay

What to include in a title

Include the most important information that will signal to your target audience that they should keep reading.

Key information about the study design

Important keywords

What you discovered

Writing tips

Getting the title right can be more difficult than it seems, and researchers refine their writing skills throughout their career. Some journals even help editors to re-write their titles during the publication process! 

title examples essay

  • Keep it concise and informative What’s appropriate for titles varies greatly across disciplines. Take a look at some articles published in your field, and check the journal guidelines for character limits. Aim for fewer than 12 words, and check for journal specific word limits.
  • Write for your audience Consider who your primary audience is: are they specialists in your specific field, are they cross-disciplinary, are they non-specialists?
  • Entice the reader Find a way to pique your readers’ interest, give them enough information to keep them reading.
  • Incorporate important keywords Consider what about your article will be most interesting to your audience: Most readers come to an article from a search engine, so take some time and include the important ones in your title!
  • Write in sentence case In scientific writing, titles are given in sentence case. Capitalize only the first word of the text, proper nouns, and genus names. See our examples below.

title examples essay

Don’t

  • Write your title as a question In most cases, you shouldn’t need to frame your title as a question. You have the answers, you know what you found. Writing your title as a question might draw your readers in, but it’s more likely to put them off.
  • Sensationalize your research Be honest with yourself about what you truly discovered. A sensationalized or dramatic title might make a few extra people read a bit further into your article, but you don’t want them disappointed when they get to the results.

Examples…

Format: Prevalence of [disease] in [population] in [location]

Example: Prevalence of tuberculosis in homeless women in San Francisco

Format: Risk factors for [condition] among [population] in [location]

Example: Risk factors for preterm births among low-income women in Mexico City

Format (systematic review/meta-analysis): Effectiveness of [treatment] for [disease] in [population] for [outcome] : A systematic review and meta-analysis

Example: Effectiveness of Hepatitis B treatment in HIV-infected adolescents in the prevention of liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Format (clinical trial): [Intervention] improved [symptoms] of [disease] in [population] : A randomized controlled clinical trial

Example: Using a sleep app lessened insomnia in post-menopausal women in southwest United States: A randomized controlled clinical trial

Format  (general molecular studies): Characterization/identification/evaluation of [molecule name] in/from [organism/tissue] (b y [specific biological methods] ) 

Example: Identification of putative Type-I sex pheromone biosynthesis-related genes expressed in the female pheromone gland of Streltzoviella insularis

Format  (general molecular studies): [specific methods/analysis] of organism/tissue reveal insights into [function/role] of [molecule name] in [biological process]  

Example: Transcriptome landscape of Rafflesia cantleyi floral buds reveals insights into the roles of transcription factors and phytohormones in flower development

Format  (software/method papers): [tool/method/software] for [what purpose] in [what research area]

Example: CRISPR-based tools for targeted transcriptional and epigenetic regulation in plants

Tip: How to edit your work

Editing is challenging, especially if you are acting as both a writer and an editor. Read our guidelines for advice on how to refine your work, including useful tips for setting your intentions, re-review, and consultation with colleagues.

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How to Write a Great College Application Essay Title

Learn why you should craft an effective title and how to make it work

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Your application essay' s title is the first thing admissions officials will read. Although there are many ways to approach the title, it's important that the words at the top of the page make the proper impression.

Key Takeaways: Application Essay Titles

  • Don't skip the title. It's the first thing the admissions folks will read, and it is your chance to grab their interest.
  • Avoid vague titles and cliché phrases. Make sure the title gives a sense of your essay's content.
  • A little humor can be fine in a title, but it isn't necessary and cleverness should never be forced.

Importance of the Title

Ask yourself which work you'd be more excited to read: " Give Goth a Chance " or "Carrie's Essay." If you don't provide a title, you don't give your reader—in this case, busy admissions officials sorting through thousands of applications—any reason to be interested in reading your essay other than a sense of duty. Ensure that college admissions officers are motivated to read your essay due to curiosity rather than necessity.

Alternatively, imagine a newspaper in which every article lacks a title: You would be unlikely to pick up the paper and read anything. Clearly, a newspaper without titles would be confusing for readers. Application essays are similar in that way: Your readers want to know what it is that they are going to read.

The Purpose of an Application Essay Title

A well-crafted title should:

  • Grab your reader's attention
  • Make your reader want to read your essay
  • Provide a sense of what your essay is about

When it comes to the third item, realize that you don't need to be too detailed. Academic essays often have titles that look like: "Julia Cameron's Photography: A Study of the Use of Long Shutter Speeds to Create Spiritual Effects." For an application essay, such a title would come across as cumbersome and even pompous.

Consider how a reader would react to an essay with the title, "The Author's Trip to Costa Rica and How It Changed His Attitude Toward Biodiversity and Sustainability." After reading such a long and belabored title, admissions officials would have little motivation to read the essay.

Essay Title Examples

A good title can be clever or play with words, such as "Porkopolis"  by Felicity or "Buck Up"  by Jill. "Porkopolis" is a nonsense word, but it works well for an essay on becoming a vegetarian in a meat-centric world, and "Buck Up" employs both a literal and figurative meaning of the phrase. However, don't try to be too clever. Such efforts can backfire.

A title can be provocative. As an example, a student who wrote about encountering new foods while abroad titled her essay "Eating Eyeballs." If your essay focuses on a humorous, shocking or embarrassing moment in your life, it's often easy to write an attention-grabbing title. Titles such as "Puking on the President," "Romeo's Ripped Tights," and "The Wrong Goal" are sure to pique your reader's interest.

Simple and direct language can also be quite effective. Consider, for example, "The Job I Should Have Quit"  by Drew,  "Wallflower"  by Eileen, and "Striking Out"  by Richard. These titles don't play with words or reveal great wit, but they accomplish their purpose perfectly well.

In all of these examples, the title provides at least a sense of the essay's subject matter, and each motivates the reader to continue reading. After viewing such titles, even harried admissions officials are sure to ask: What the heck does "Porkopolis" mean? Why did you eat eyeballs? Why should you have quit your job?

Avoid These Title Mistakes

There are some common missteps that applicants make when it comes to titles. Be aware of these pitfalls.

Vague language . You'll be off to a remarkably bland start if your essay is titled "Three Things That Matter to Me" or "A Bad Experience." "Bad" (or "good" or "evil or "nice") is a painfully subjective and meaningless word, and the word "things" might have worked well in Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," but it rarely adds anything of value to your essay. Be precise, not vague .

Broad, overly general language . This is a continuation of the vague language problem. Some titles try to cover far too much. Don't call your essay "My Life Story" or "My Personal Growth" or "An Eventful Upbringing." Such titles suggest that you are going to attempt to narrate years of your life in a few hundred words. Any such effort is doomed to failure, and your reader will doubt your essay before beginning the first paragraph.

Overblown vocabulary . The best essays use clear and accessible language. When a writer attempts to sound intelligent by adding unnecessary syllables to every word, the reading experience is often torturous. For example, if an essay's title is "My Utilization of Erroneous Rationalizations During My Pupilage," the reader's immediate response is going to be pure dread. No one wants to read 600 words on such a subject.

Strained cleverness . Be careful if you're relying on wordplay in your title. Not all readers are fans of puns, and a title may sound ridiculous if the reader doesn't understand a supposedly clever allusion. Cleverness is a good thing, but test out your title on your acquaintances to ensure that it works.

Clichés . If your title relies on a cliché, you're suggesting that the experience that you are narrating is unremarkable and commonplace. You don't want the first impression of your essay to be that you have nothing original to say. If you find yourself writing "When the Cat Got My Tongue" or "Burning the Midnight Oil," stop and reevaluate your title.

Misspellings . Nothing is more embarrassing than a misspelled title. There, at the top of the page in bold letters, you've used the word "it's" instead of "its ," or you wrote about "patients" instead of "patience." Take extra care to check the spelling of your essay title—and, indeed, your essay in general. An error in the title is sure to eliminate any confidence your reader has in your writing ability.

A Few Title Tips

Many writers—both novices and experts—have a difficult time coming up with a title that works well. Write your essay first and then, once your ideas have truly taken shape, go back and craft the title. Also, seek help with your title. A brainstorming session with friends can often generate far better titles than a solitary session of pounding your head on your keyboard. You want to get the title right so that the admissions officials read your essay in a curious and eager state of mind.

If you're writing your essay for the Common Application , keep in mind that your title will go in the text box with the rest of the essay, and the title will count toward your essay's overall word count.

  • Sample Common Application Essay for Option #5
  • "My Dads" - Sample Common Application Essay for Option #1
  • Tips for the Pre-2013 Personal Essay Options on the Common Application
  • Sample Application Essay - Porkopolis
  • "Handiwork" - Sample Common Application Essay for Option #1
  • How to Write an Outstanding College Application Essay
  • "Grandpa's Rubik's Cube"—Sample Common Application Essay, Option #4
  • Tips for Writing a Winning College Application Essay
  • Examples of Great Introductory Paragraphs
  • The Title in Composition
  • The Five Steps of Writing an Essay
  • How to Write and Format an MBA Essay
  • Should an Application Essay Be Single-Spaced or Double-Spaced?
  • The 2021-22 Common Application Essay Prompts
  • Tips for an Application Essay on a Significant Experience
  • 2020-21 Common Application Essay Option 4—Solving a Problem

The Classroom | Empowering Students in Their College Journey

‌How to Title an Essay with Literary Analysis Examples

Kori Morgan

How to Write a Controlling Idea Essay

You may have spent hours brainstorming your thesis, searching for quotations and polishing your final draft, but a good title can make the difference between someone reading your literary essay and tossing it aside. Good literary essay titles not only capture your reader's interest, but they also preview the argument you'll be making in the paper itself. They capture the central idea that is presented in your work, and entice the viewer to read. Creativity, humor and innovative plays on the work you're writing about can transform a dull title into one that piques your audience's curiosity.

Include the Subject and Focus

Your title should not just name the literary work that is the ​ subject ​ of your essay but also describe its ​ focus ​, the target idea, literary device or theme that the piece explores. This is sometimes referred to as a "working title" as well, since it focuses heavily on the main part of your essay, and can remind you of your focus as you read. In an essay about morality in "To Kill a Mockingbird," for example, Harper Lee's novel would be the subject of the paper, while morality would be the essay's focus. Including the phrase "Morality in 'To Kill a Mockingbird' " somewhere in your title would clearly indicate to audiences what themes your essay will deal with. This is a more basic example of an essay title, but effective in most all cases.

Link Two Ideas With a Colon

While including the subject and focus in the title gives a good summary of your essay topic, it's not enough to pull readers in. Using a colon to punctuate the subject with a catchy explanation of the focus can not only add an air of professionalism to your paper but also give a more in-depth, eye-catching preview of your topic for readers. An essay about Holden Caulfield's painful transition to adulthood, for example, might be titled "The Precarious Edge of the Cliff: Loss of Innocence in J.D. Salinger's 'The Catcher in the Rye.' "

This title choice also allows you to present two ideas that are key parts of your essay, if you choose to. Maybe you can't decide on just one, because both are equally important. This choice would be a good tool for featuring both ideas and connecting them to each other. Displaying a longer, more developed essay title, can also give you the freedom to discuss these ideas in your essay with more detail since they are featured in the title.

Include a Quotation from the Work

Sometimes, a quotation from the book can provide inspiration for your essay's title. Try adding a brief, snappy portion of this quote to your title's focus statement. For example, the title for an essay about mother-daughter relationships in Flannery O'Connor's short stories might borrow from a quote in the story "Good Country People," in which the central character, Hulga, tells her overbearing, critical mother, "If you want me, here I am -- like I am." The title of this essay might read, "Like I Am: Mother-Daughter Dysfunction in Flannery O'Connor's Short Stories."

Use Wordplay

While the tone of your literary essay should ultimately be professional and credible, using puns or humor to play off an aspect of the title can be a friendly way to entice your audience to read further. For example, an essay about the symbolic villages of East and West Egg in "The Great Gatsby" might be titled "The Eggs Came First: Settings as Symbols in F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby.' "

You can be assured your teacher, or whoever is viewing your paper, is going to sift through many boring and unoriginal essay titles, so making sure that yours will pop is important.

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Kori Morgan holds a Bachelor of Arts in professional writing and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing and has been crafting online and print educational materials since 2006. She taught creative writing and composition at West Virginia University and the University of Akron and her fiction, poetry and essays have appeared in numerous literary journals.

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How to Write a Title for a Compare and Contrast Essay

Last Updated: August 10, 2021 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Emily Listmann, MA . Emily Listmann is a private tutor in San Carlos, California. She has worked as a Social Studies Teacher, Curriculum Coordinator, and an SAT Prep Teacher. She received her MA in Education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education in 2014. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 111,825 times.

The title is an important part of any essay. After all, it’s the first thing people read. When you write a title for your compare and contrast essay, it needs to let your reader know what subjects you want to compare and how you plan to compare them. Some essays need more formal, informative titles while others benefit from creative titles. No matter what, just remember to keep your title short, readable, and relevant to your writing.

Creating an Informative Title

Step 1 Establish your audience.

  • Informative titles like “The Benefit of Owning a Cat vs. a Dog”, for example, would be better for a classroom setting, while a creative title like “My Dog is Better than a Cat” would be better for a blog. [2] X Research source

Step 2 List what you want to compare.

  • You only need to include the broad topics or themes you want to compare, such as dogs and cats. Don’t worry about putting individual points in your title. Those points will be addressed in the body of your essay.
  • You may be comparing something to itself over time or space, like rock music in the 20th and 21st centuries, or Renaissance art in Italy and the Netherlands. If that’s the case, list the subject you want to compare, and places or timeframes that you are using for your comparison.

Step 3 Decide if your essay is meant to be persuasive or not.

  • Persuasive essay titles might use words like “benefit,” “better,” “advantages,” “should,” “will,” and other words that convey a sense that one subject has an advantage over the other.
  • Informative titles might use words like “versus,” “compared,” or “difference”. These words don’t suggest that one subject is better or worse, they simply point out they are not the same.

Step 4 Write your informative title.

  • The end result should be a title that lets readers know what you want to compare and contrast, and how you plan on doing so in just a few words. If for example, you're comparing rock music across time, your title might be The Difference in Chord Progressions of 20th and 21st-century Rock Music .

[4] X Research source

Generating a Creative Title

Step 1 Establish your purpose.

  • If, for example, you just want to compare white and milk chocolate, you are providing facts. Your goal will not be to make your audience think one particular chocolate is better. Your title, then, may be something like "Loco for Cocoa: The Differences Between Types of Chocolate."
  • If, however, you want to tell your audience why milk chocolate is better, you are reinforcing a popular idea. If you want to explain why white chocolate is better, you are going against a popular idea. In that case, a better title might be "Milking it - Why White Chocolate is Totally the Best Chocolate."

Step 2 Avoid direct comparison words.

  • ”Do Hash Browns Stack up Against Fries as a Burger Side” creates a sense of tension between your subjects and challenges a popular opinion. It is a more engaging title for your readers than “Comparing Hash Browns and Fries as Burger Sides.”

Step 3 Use a colon.

  • For example, if you want to write an essay comparing two works of art by Van Gogh, you may use a title like, “Look at Him Gogh: Comparing Floral Composition in Almond Blossoms and Poppy Flowers.”

Keeping Your Title Relevant and Readable

Step 1 Write the paper first.

  • Your essay is where you will make your arguments. Your title just needs to convey your subjects and establish that you plan to compare and contrast them in some way.

Step 3 Ask a friend for their opinion.

Expert Q&A

  • If you're struggling to figure out a title, try writing your thesis at the top of a blank page, then brainstorming all the titles you can think of below. Go through slowly to see which ones fit your paper the best and which you like the most. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 1

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  • ↑ https://www.kibin.com/essay-writing-blog/how-to-write-good-essay-titles/
  • ↑ http://www.schooleydesigns.com/compare-and-contrast-essay-title/
  • ↑ http://www.editage.com/insights/3-basic-tips-on-writing-a-good-research-paper-title
  • ↑ http://canuwrite.com/article_titles.php
  • ↑ http://writing.umn.edu/sws/assets/pdf/quicktips/titles.pdf
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  • How to write an argumentative essay | Examples & tips

How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An argumentative essay expresses an extended argument for a particular thesis statement . The author takes a clearly defined stance on their subject and builds up an evidence-based case for it.

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Table of contents

When do you write an argumentative essay, approaches to argumentative essays, introducing your argument, the body: developing your argument, concluding your argument, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about argumentative essays.

You might be assigned an argumentative essay as a writing exercise in high school or in a composition class. The prompt will often ask you to argue for one of two positions, and may include terms like “argue” or “argument.” It will frequently take the form of a question.

The prompt may also be more open-ended in terms of the possible arguments you could make.

Argumentative writing at college level

At university, the vast majority of essays or papers you write will involve some form of argumentation. For example, both rhetorical analysis and literary analysis essays involve making arguments about texts.

In this context, you won’t necessarily be told to write an argumentative essay—but making an evidence-based argument is an essential goal of most academic writing, and this should be your default approach unless you’re told otherwise.

Examples of argumentative essay prompts

At a university level, all the prompts below imply an argumentative essay as the appropriate response.

Your research should lead you to develop a specific position on the topic. The essay then argues for that position and aims to convince the reader by presenting your evidence, evaluation and analysis.

  • Don’t just list all the effects you can think of.
  • Do develop a focused argument about the overall effect and why it matters, backed up by evidence from sources.
  • Don’t just provide a selection of data on the measures’ effectiveness.
  • Do build up your own argument about which kinds of measures have been most or least effective, and why.
  • Don’t just analyze a random selection of doppelgänger characters.
  • Do form an argument about specific texts, comparing and contrasting how they express their thematic concerns through doppelgänger characters.

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title examples essay

An argumentative essay should be objective in its approach; your arguments should rely on logic and evidence, not on exaggeration or appeals to emotion.

There are many possible approaches to argumentative essays, but there are two common models that can help you start outlining your arguments: The Toulmin model and the Rogerian model.

Toulmin arguments

The Toulmin model consists of four steps, which may be repeated as many times as necessary for the argument:

  • Make a claim
  • Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim
  • Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim)
  • Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives

The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays. You don’t have to use these specific terms (grounds, warrants, rebuttals), but establishing a clear connection between your claims and the evidence supporting them is crucial in an argumentative essay.

Say you’re making an argument about the effectiveness of workplace anti-discrimination measures. You might:

  • Claim that unconscious bias training does not have the desired results, and resources would be better spent on other approaches
  • Cite data to support your claim
  • Explain how the data indicates that the method is ineffective
  • Anticipate objections to your claim based on other data, indicating whether these objections are valid, and if not, why not.

Rogerian arguments

The Rogerian model also consists of four steps you might repeat throughout your essay:

  • Discuss what the opposing position gets right and why people might hold this position
  • Highlight the problems with this position
  • Present your own position , showing how it addresses these problems
  • Suggest a possible compromise —what elements of your position would proponents of the opposing position benefit from adopting?

This model builds up a clear picture of both sides of an argument and seeks a compromise. It is particularly useful when people tend to disagree strongly on the issue discussed, allowing you to approach opposing arguments in good faith.

Say you want to argue that the internet has had a positive impact on education. You might:

  • Acknowledge that students rely too much on websites like Wikipedia
  • Argue that teachers view Wikipedia as more unreliable than it really is
  • Suggest that Wikipedia’s system of citations can actually teach students about referencing
  • Suggest critical engagement with Wikipedia as a possible assignment for teachers who are skeptical of its usefulness.

You don’t necessarily have to pick one of these models—you may even use elements of both in different parts of your essay—but it’s worth considering them if you struggle to structure your arguments.

Regardless of which approach you take, your essay should always be structured using an introduction , a body , and a conclusion .

Like other academic essays, an argumentative essay begins with an introduction . The introduction serves to capture the reader’s interest, provide background information, present your thesis statement , and (in longer essays) to summarize the structure of the body.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

The body of an argumentative essay is where you develop your arguments in detail. Here you’ll present evidence, analysis, and reasoning to convince the reader that your thesis statement is true.

In the standard five-paragraph format for short essays, the body takes up three of your five paragraphs. In longer essays, it will be more paragraphs, and might be divided into sections with headings.

Each paragraph covers its own topic, introduced with a topic sentence . Each of these topics must contribute to your overall argument; don’t include irrelevant information.

This example paragraph takes a Rogerian approach: It first acknowledges the merits of the opposing position and then highlights problems with that position.

Hover over different parts of the example to see how a body paragraph is constructed.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

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An argumentative essay ends with a conclusion that summarizes and reflects on the arguments made in the body.

No new arguments or evidence appear here, but in longer essays you may discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your argument and suggest topics for future research. In all conclusions, you should stress the relevance and importance of your argument.

Hover over the following example to see the typical elements of a conclusion.

The internet has had a major positive impact on the world of education; occasional pitfalls aside, its value is evident in numerous applications. The future of teaching lies in the possibilities the internet opens up for communication, research, and interactivity. As the popularity of distance learning shows, students value the flexibility and accessibility offered by digital education, and educators should fully embrace these advantages. The internet’s dangers, real and imaginary, have been documented exhaustively by skeptics, but the internet is here to stay; it is time to focus seriously on its potential for good.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.

In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.

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Looking for Some Examples of Essay Titles?

Table of Contents

Choosing an essay title is one of the essential parts of writing an essay. A good title can make your essay stand out from the rest. Your title should be eye-catching and relate to your essay’s main idea.

It is also vital that your title is not too long or too short. A compelling title will usually be between five and eight words in length. You may want to brainstorm several possible titles for your essay before settling on one.

Having used a few possible titles, narrow them down to one or two that you think are the best. Afterwards, ask someone else to read your list of possible titles and see if they have any ideas.

That’s why, we decided to dedicate today’s article to examples of essay titles that you can take inspiration from. Without further ado, let’s get cracking, shall we?

Why Do We Need a Good Title for an Essay?

black and white photo of a silver MacBook showing a word processing application

The title of your essay is important for several reasons. First, it tells your reader what your essay is about, giving them a general idea of the focus of your paper. Additionally, a good title captures the reader’s attention and encourages them to keep reading . Your instructor is your primary audience in your class essay, and you should focus on what they are looking for.

If you’re pitching your essay for publication, entering it in a contest, or submitting it as part of an application, do it. The admissions committee will read it before reading the rest of your essay so it needs a catchy, appealing title. And it might determine whether they read your essay, depending on how intriguing the title is and the rest of your submission.

As we mentioned above, a vital essay title provides the reader with a clear preview of what to expect from your writing. Even if you don’t reveal everything, it should give a general overview of what to expect from your work and pique readers’ interest.

How to Write Great Titles for Essays?

Formulating a compelling title for your research paper involves several steps. If your instructor has provided you with a research question to answer, you can select relevant keywords from there. However, looking to your thesis statement for guidance is often best. Your thesis statement should capture the central argument of your paper.

Once you have chosen appropriate keywords, the next step is to make your title as specific as possible. It is essential to ask yourself if your title accurately reflects the content of your paper.

A compelling title not only captures the main idea of your paper but also entices the reader to continue reading .

In accordance with MLA guidelines, you should capitalize the keywords in your title. This is because capitalization signals the importance of words and, by extension, the ideas they represent.

Capitalizing keywords in your title will help your readers better understand the importance of the concepts you are discussing.

Examples of Essay Titles

There are many different types of essays, and each one has its own unique requirements. However, there are some general guidelines that you can follow when choosing a title for your essay. Here are a few examples of essay titles: –

  • Impact of Social Media on our Lives
  • Role of Education in Society
  • Benefits of Exercise
  • Importance of Family
  • Impact of Technology on our Lives
  • Role of Religion in Society
  • Importance of Friendship
  • Benefits of a Healthy Diet
  • Ways to Start a Business
  • Creating Value From The Gig Economy
  • Using The Gig Economy For Wealth Creation

Final Thoughts

We hope this guide has given you some ideas for essay titles . If you liked it, please let us know – we appreciate it! Good luck with your writing.

Looking for Some Examples of Essay Titles?

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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  1. How to Title an Essay, With Tips and Examples

    Guidelines for essay titles in Chicago Manual of Style format. Chicago style also requires that essay titles be in title case. Other than that, Chicago style doesn't have specific guidelines for what a title should or shouldn't include. Here is an example of an essay title in Chicago style: 2021 Returns: What We Projected vs. Actual Returns

  2. How to Title an Essay: Tips and Examples

    Here are other rules for how to create a good title: Title every section of writing: In the process of writing, create interesting subheadings to give your paragraphs an identity. Also, they make your text look ordered and clear. The title must bear the theme of the text: choose a title that summarizes the essay. Capitalize all words with certain exceptions: Capitalize the first letter of ...

  3. How to Title an Essay: Examples and Tips

    The Catchy Hook: It introduces the topic in the most interesting and creative way. Topic Keywords: It is the 'what' question of your essay. This component of an essay title identifies the concept that you will discuss in your essay. Focus Keywords: It is the 'when' and 'where' question of your essay.

  4. How to Title an Essay: Guide with Creative Examples [2024]

    The most straightforward way of creating an essay title is summarizing. Sum up the whole paper in one sentence, focus on the central idea, cut the details, and use it as the title. Receive a plagiarism-free paper. tailored to your instructions. Cut 20% off your first order!

  5. How to Title an Essay: Tips and Examples

    Crafting a good title requires a blend of creativity, precision, and strategic thinking. To create an effective title, consider the following tips: Brainstorm Ideas: Begin by brainstorming keywords, phrases, and concepts related to your essay topic. Explore different angles and perspectives that encapsulate the essence of your argument or analysis.

  6. Forging good titles in academic writing

    Writing effective headings. Although similar, headings are not the same as titles. Headings head paragraphs and help structure a document. Effective headings make your paper easily scannable. Common high level headings in dissertations and research papers are "Methods", "Research results", and "Discussion". Lower level headings are ...

  7. How to Title an Essay to Make It More Engaging

    Essay title examples. Here are three examples of essay titles for each of the given topics: How to Title an Essay for College "From Dreams to Reality: Navigating the Path to College Success" "Unveiling the Future: Crafting an Essay Title that Defines Your College Journey" "Beyond the Application: The Power of a Compelling College Essay Title"

  8. How to Title an Essay

    Argumentative Essay Title Examples. An argumentative essay is an opportunity to convince the reader about your view on a topic. Since the goal of an argumentative essay is to make an argument using facts, research, and logic, your title should state your position on the issue. These examples should steer you in the right direction.

  9. How to Title an Essay: Effective Tips for Catchy Headings

    The best practice is to divide the thesis statement into 4-5 words. Try to be as specific as possible; a good essay title should be short and simple. Avoid using fancy words; start writing with a couple of keywords and put them together. No one likes complicated and tricky essay titles.

  10. Essay Title: Rules, Tips, Mistakes to Avoid

    7 10 Tips to Create an Exceptional Title. 7.1 Questions make Catchy. 7.2 Describe the Paper in 5 Words. 7.3 Use One Direct Word. 7.4 Extract a Sentence from the Paper. 7.5 Take advantage of Pop-Culture. 7.6 Put "On" at the beginning. 7.7 Start with a Verb in "-ing". 7.8 Give a Mental Visualization of Your Topic.

  11. Get Creative: Learn How to Title an Essay That Stands Out

    The most common and basic technique is to get a title from the summary of your essay. A writer can summarize the entire essay or the central idea and thesis statement in three words and write a title. This can be a title by putting it in a headline, inserting a colon, and stating the purpose of your essay. 7.

  12. How to Title an Essay: Basic Guidelines With Examples

    Examples of Essay Titles. 1. Child or Spouse Abuse. When writing an essay about domestic violence, a writer can use "Child Abuse" or "Spousal Abuse" as a topic. In this case, authors would spend their time narrating how children or spouses are the primary victims of domestic violence in society.

  13. How to Write a Great Title

    Entice the reader. Find a way to pique your readers' interest, give them enough information to keep them reading. Incorporate important keywords. Consider what about your article will be most interesting to your audience: Most readers come to an article from a search engine, so take some time and include the important ones in your title ...

  14. How to Write a Strong Title for an Argumentative Essay: 14 Steps

    Try to create a title that is both short and sweet. 5. Make a pun or use a famous saying. One way you can lead into your essay is to play with your words. For instance, make a pun. Another way is to use a famous quote, poem, or song to lead into your title.

  15. Example of a Great Essay

    This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people's social and cultural lives.

  16. How to Write a Great College Application Essay Title

    Essay Title Examples . A good title can be clever or play with words, such as "Porkopolis" by Felicity or "Buck Up" by Jill. "Porkopolis" is a nonsense word, but it works well for an essay on becoming a vegetarian in a meat-centric world, and "Buck Up" employs both a literal and figurative meaning of the phrase. However, don't try to be too clever.

  17. ‌How to Title an Essay with Literary Analysis Examples

    For example, an essay about the symbolic villages of East and West Egg in "The Great Gatsby" might be titled "The Eggs Came First: Settings as Symbols in F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby.'. You can be assured your teacher, or whoever is viewing your paper, is going to sift through many boring and unoriginal essay titles, so making sure ...

  18. The Four Main Types of Essay

    Argumentative essays. An argumentative essay presents an extended, evidence-based argument. It requires a strong thesis statement—a clearly defined stance on your topic. Your aim is to convince the reader of your thesis using evidence (such as quotations) and analysis.. Argumentative essays test your ability to research and present your own position on a topic.

  19. How to Write a Title for a Compare and Contrast Essay

    2. List what you want to compare. An informative title should tell your reader exactly what you are comparing in your essay. List the subjects you want to compare so that you can make sure they are included in your title. You only need to include the broad topics or themes you want to compare, such as dogs and cats.

  20. 14 College Essay Examples From Top-25 Universities (2024-2025)

    College essay example #1. This is a college essay that worked for Harvard University. (Suggested reading: How to Get Into Harvard Undergrad) This past summer, I had the privilege of participating in the University of Notre Dame's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program .

  21. The different types of titles with examples

    Examples: 3. Interrogative sentence that presents the main research question. Interrogative titles are titles that are simply formulated from the research question of your study. If your study has several research questions, pick the main one for your title. Titles in the form of questions can arouse readers' curiosity, increasing clicks and ...

  22. How to Write an Argumentative Essay

    Examples of argumentative essay prompts. At a university level, all the prompts below imply an argumentative essay as the appropriate response. Your research should lead you to develop a specific position on the topic. The essay then argues for that position and aims to convince the reader by presenting your evidence, evaluation and analysis.

  23. Looking for Some Examples of Essay Titles?

    Examples of Essay Titles. There are many different types of essays, and each one has its own unique requirements. However, there are some general guidelines that you can follow when choosing a title for your essay. Here are a few examples of essay titles: - Impact of Social Media on our Lives; Role of Education in Society; Benefits of Exercise

  24. Title VII Of The Civil Rights Act Of 1964

    Essay Example: In the mid-20th century, the United States was a nation on the brink of profound change, grappling with issues of race, gender, and equality. ... This essay about Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 examines its critical role in transforming American workplaces by prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color ...