How to Title an Essay: A Step-by-step Guide, Examples, and More

If you ask your faculty about the most important thing in an essay that determines its quality and readability, most teachers and instructors will agree that it is the title. Usually, a couple of words are stitched together at the top of an essay. In reality, a title gives an essay its identity and helps writers get to the readers before they even start reading it. That’s why they stress a lot about naming and giving titles to your essays correctly and ideally for better grades.

In this blog, we will take a look at all the things on how to title an essay, from its importance, and formatting, to some of the good and poor examples of essay titles across different genres. So, make sure to read the post till the end!

Why Make a Good Title for an Essay

Building on what we started in the opening lines, why should you bother with making a good title for your essay? It is just a name and the real thing is in the main text of the essay. Right? No! An essay is incomplete without a title but an essay loses a great opportunity to connect with readers right off the bat if it has either a mediocre or a poor title. The majority of potential readers would not even bother going through the opening lines where you supposedly set the hook to entice them.

Apart from adding value to the overall quality, some titles of the essays are enduring and relevant enough that merely mentioning the title makes it easier for the reader to recall its contents.

Essay Title Format

Just like your essay, your essay title should follow the rules and guidelines in the respective style. There are some formatting styles where essays and papers have a dedicated title page. The name of the essay should be mentioned clearly in the designated space and nowhere else on the page. In other instances, some formatting styles ask the writers to use two types of titles. One goes to the title page or at the top of the essay. The other one is an abridged version of that and goes on top of each page with its number. In either case, it is necessary to keep the instructions in mind to make sure you do not lose precious scores on simple things.

How to Brainstorm Your Essay Title?

Since you are already here, it is a good sign because now we will put the thought behind how to write a title in an essay into practice. Brainstorming is a millennia-old technique to organize thoughts and test ideas before starting the real work. In the case of writing a title for your essay, here is what an ideal brainstorming session should look like:

  • Start with the basic question that coincides with the premise of your essay, such as what, when, why, who, or how.
  • The next step is to either present the synthesis of your essay or hint at it.
  • Use qualifiers to make it more specific, like adding a number in terms of date, currency, statistics, and so on.

If you follow this path, you will see that things will start to work and you can tweak and fine-tune the title after finishing the writing.

What Not to Include in Your Essay Title

Since we are going through things that should be in your essay title, it is important to let you know the things that should not be there. This section is dedicated to highlighting such things so that you are bullet-proof against any points deducted from your essay in this regard:

  • There should be no slang or informal term in your essay title.
  • Make sure there are no unnecessary words in there.
  • Instead of saying that something is not there, tell the readers what is.
  • Keep irrelevant phrases and terms out of your essay title, no matter how good they seem.
  • Make sure that your essay title is not entirely or partially similar to the title of someone else’s work.

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

To learn how you can get a good title for your essay, you need to change your perspective. It is time to become a reader and get yourself in the shoes of a person who is looking for an essay, either for academics or pleasure. With that in mind, ask yourself this:

  • Is the title appealing?
  • Can you say the title of the essay out loud without twisting your tongue?
  • Is it relevant enough today?
  • Am I getting everything I need to know from the title?
  • Am I in for pleasant surprises?

When you ask these questions, you will know the answers without missing a beat. This change of perspective will help you fashion your essay title in the best possible way.

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Essay Title Examples: Bad vs Good

Now, let us take a look at some good and bad examples of essay titles. Understanding where writers aced the title and where they fumbled will prepare you to make the best of the opportunity.

Bad Essay Title Examples

Here is a classical example of a bad essay title: “A Comprehensive Study of Slavery in America: from Past to Present.”

Here are some of the reasons why it is outright poor:

  • Simply mentioning “comprehensive” in the title does not make the study comprehensive.
  • Slavery in America is still a vague term. Was it in South America, Central America, or North America?
  • From past to present makes it appealing but academically it is not sound enough. The timeline should be airtight so that your essay is not contested by your peers on its merits.

Good Essay Title Examples

A good essay title example should look something like this: “How to Title an Essay: A Step-by-step Guide, Examples, and More.”

Let us take a look at this and make a case for why it is good:

  • The keyword comes in the beginning allowing readers to know what to find in the essay, especially if they are looking for help in making titles for their essays.
  • Readers know from the outset that he will find examples that will make the learning experience all the more relevant and fun.
  • and More” gives a certain element of surprise for the discerning readers, adding a literary twist to the title.

Catchy Essay Title Ideas

In the previous section, we have covered a good and a poor essay title. Now, let us cover some catchy essay title ideas that you might want to use for your next project. We will cover broad ranges, from persuasive to creative!

Persuasive Essay Titles

  • Why Renewable Energy Should Become Our Primary Energy Source
  • The Case for Universal Basic Income in Modern Economies
  • Mandatory Voting Laws: The Path to True Democracy?
  • Ban Single-Use Plastics: An Environmental Imperative
  • The Need for Stricter Cyberbullying Laws in Schools

Academic Essay Titles

  • The Influence of Quantum Computing on Modern Cryptography
  • Evaluating the Impact of Globalization on Emerging Economies
  • The Role of Genetic Factors in Cardiovascular Diseases
  • Language Acquisition Theories: Chomsky vs. Skinner
  • Climate Change Feedback Loops: An Analysis of Current Studies

Strong Research Paper Titles

  • Assessing the Efficacy of Current Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Nanotechnology in Cancer Therapy: A New Frontier
  • The Socio-Economic Effects of Migration on Urban Development
  • Revolutionizing Agriculture with AI and Machine Learning Technologies
  • The Long-Term Impacts of Deep Sea Mining on Marine Ecosystems

Best Essay Titles for College Students

  • Balancing Academics and Social Life in College: Strategies for Success
  • The Evolution of Feminism in the 21st Century
  • The Role of Social Media in Shaping Public Opinion
  • Overcoming the Challenges of Remote Learning
  • Cultural Appropriation vs. Cultural Exchange: A Fine Line

More Creative Titles for Essays

  • Stargazing through Time: Astronomy and Ancient Cultures
  • Whispers from the Past: What Fossils Tell Us About Extinct Civilizations
  • Painting with Words: The Power of Poetic Imagery
  • Sailing the Digital Sea: Navigating the Challenges of the Internet Age
  • Garden of the Mind: How Ideas Blossom into Innovations

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Essay Title Examples

Has anyone said more essay title examples? We heard it and presented to you a dedicated section with more essay title examples. Our aim is to make sure you have mastered the craft of how to make a title for your essay after completing this blog. Shall we?

Personal Essays

  • The Road Less Traveled: My Journey with Dyslexia
  • The Taste of Memory: How Meals Connect Us to Our Past
  • Taming the Silence: Confronting My Fear of Public Speaking
  • Echoes of Laughter: Growing Up in a Large Family
  • Balancing the Scales: My Struggle for Work-Life Harmony

Analytical Essays

  • Breaking Down the Themes in Orwell’s 1984
  • The Psychology Behind Impulse Purchases
  • Analyzing the Growth of eSports and Its Impact on Youth Culture
  • The Effectiveness of Different Leadership Styles in Technology Startups
  • The Evolution of Consumer Privacy in the Digital Age

Argumentative Essays

  • Why Renewable Energy Is Not Enough to Combat Climate Change
  • The Case Against High Stakes Testing in American Schools
  • Animal Rights vs. Medical Research: Where Should We Draw the Line?
  • The Internet as a Public Utility: Arguments for and Against Regulation
  • Is Telecommuting the Future of Work?

Persuasive Essays

  • The Urgent Need for Infrastructure Upgrades in Urban Centers
  • Promoting Local Libraries as Essential Community Hubs
  • Why Every Student Should Participate in Sports
  • The Benefits of a Four-Day Workweek
  • Why We Should Lower the Voting Age to 16

Compare-and-Contrast Essays

  • Traditional Education vs. Online Learning: Benefits and Drawbacks
  • Socialism vs. Capitalism: Comparing Economic Outcomes
  • Mindfulness vs. Traditional Therapy: Approaches to Mental Health
  • Book vs. Movie: Analyzing “The Great Gatsby”
  • Eastern vs. Western Approaches to Medicine

College Application Essays

  • How My Volunteer Experience Shaped My Career Aspirations
  • What My Cross-Country Road Trip Taught Me About Independence
  • The Challenge of Adaptability: Moving to a New Country
  • Discovering My Passion for Robotics
  • Lessons Learned from My Summer Job at a Law Firm

Bottom Line

That’s it for our step-by-step guide on how to title your essay. We have covered all the bases, from what makes a good essay title to some good and bad examples. We have also shared some creative and unique essay title examples that you can use for the next essay. We urge you to experiment with the craft and try to add new dimensions to your work, including essay titles. If you ever feel overwhelmed with the work at hand, we are always here to help. Just reach out to us and we will do the heavy lifting for you!

FAQs

Can an essay title be a question?

There is no hard and fast rule that an essay title should be a declarative sentence. You can use different types of sentences, including interrogative ones, as the title. Although, keep in mind that the question directly addresses the issues and ideas covered in the essay.

How long should an essay title be?

There are two schools of thought when it comes to the ideal length of the essay title. One believes that it should be short and sweet with enough pull that compels the reader to read through it. The other school believes that there should be no suspense in the title and it should be detailed covering all aspects of the work.

Should an essay title be italicized?

There are no formatting styles and guides that instruct writers to italicize the titles of their essays. If you have seen someone doing that, it was probably because of a special case or doing of their discretion. To make sure you are on the right track, always follow the guidelines provided by the instructor.

What is an essay title?

An essay title is the name of the essay carrying crucial information about it. It tells the reader many things, such as the subject, scope, side of the argument, and even about the writer in the light of this data. That’s why you should pay heed to the title and make it as much appealing and functional as possible.

Why is an essay title important?

From the readers’ perspective, the first thing anyone is going to read is the title of your essay. Instead of winging it, you can make sure that it adds value to the essay and makes it stand out from the rest of the competition. That’s the reason we have dedicated this whole blog to how to write a solid essay title.

What should you consider when creating an essay title?

There are certain things that you must consider when making the title of your essay:

  • Word count of the title
  • Flow and focus
  • Keywords and relevant terms
  • Scope of the essay
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