How to Title an Essay - A Short Guide & Examples

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 can be the most difficult and sometimes a 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 topics for your help.

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 are 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.

What are the Characteristics of a Good Essay Title?

Before you begin to craft your essay title, it is always better to understand what elements every essay title should have. When you are completely aware of all the characteristics of a good essay title, it will be easier for you to complete this part of an essay effectively.

The following are the most important characteristics of a good essay title.

• It Must be Attention-Grabbing

  Well, it is quite obvious. If the title of your essay is not attention-grabbing, readers will not start reading your essay. To grab the reader’s attention, your essay title must be interesting and engaging.

• It Should be Easy to Read

  Completed and difficult-to-understand essay titles will not be going to help you. So, it is best to stay away from complicated words and ideas. Choose something that a reader of any level can easily read and comprehend.

• It Should be in Active Voice

  If your essay title contains verbs, make sure they are in the active voice sentence.

• It Must be Brief

  Your essay title should not be too long. Instead, it should be brief and to the point. Remember, long essay titles will confuse your readers and will not showcase your concise writing skills.

• It Must be Accurate

  Whatever topic you choose or the niche it belongs to, the essay title should not be inaccurate.

• Use Right Words

  Use appropriate words when creating the title of your essay. For example, if you are writing a technical academic paper, use words and terms similar to that field of study.

What are the Basic Components of an Essay Title?

There are different types of academic essays, and each essay has a specific formula 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 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.

What Are the Rules of a Good Essay Title?

Here are the basic roles of an essay title that you should keep in mind.

• Choose a title that should summarize the whole essay.
• Do not underline the title.
• Always do a quick review of the final title.

How to Title an Essay - Capitalization Rules

Refer to the following capitalization rules when composing the title of your essay.

• Capitalize all words of the title
• Do not capitalize the pronouns, prepositions, articles, and conjunctions.
• Capitalize all proper nouns

How to Create a Good Essay Title?

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

• Write Essay First, Title in the Last

  A good approach is to write the whole text of your essay first and create the title in the last. Writing the essay before and then creating the title will help you understand what would make sense to the readers.

• Utilize Your Thesis

  Another reason for writing the title in the last is the thesis statement that you have already written in the introductory paragraph. Work on your thesis statement to create the title of your essay.

• Take into Account the Tone of Your Paper

  The tone of your essay also plays an important role in creating the title of an essay. If you are writing about a serious topic, the headline should be serious, too.

• Use Relevant Keywords

  Two to three relevant keywords are more than enough to create the title of an essay.

• Get Help from Online Tools

  You can also use online title generator tools to get a better idea of how an effective essay title can be created.

How to Title an Essay in Different Formats?

Below you can find the basic guidelines to title an essay for different formats.

How to Title an Essay in APA Format

• Apa recommends the title should be no more than 12 words
• The title should be in upper and lowercase letters
• The title should be centered in the upper half of the page

How to Title an Essay MLA Format

• The title should be in the center of the page
• Do not italicize, underline, or place title in quotation marks
• Write the title in title case, not in all capital letters

How to Title an Essay for a Scholarship

• Think of a title early on before writing your scholarship essay and go back to the title once you are done with the writing
• Use a specific title for your essay
• The title should not be too long

How to Title an Essay About a Book

• Capitalize the first letter of all words
• Words after dash or colon should be capitalized
• Do not capitalize articles

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 - Example

• 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 - Example

• Poop, animals, and the environment
• From homeschool to the football field
• The civil rights movement and the 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?

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 eating disorders can 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 writer 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.