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Congrats, you just finished writing your essay!
How to title an essay? Now, all you’ve got to do is add the perfect cherry on top.
These 3 effective tips will get you closer to the A+ mark you deserve!
Why is a Title So Important?
Grab the attention of the readers
Give a clear, accurate description of the essay
Be concise and easy to read
Reflect the topic and tone of the essay appropriately
The general structure of an essay title is composed of a hook, topic keywords, and focus keywords.
1. Create a Catchy Hook
✔️ Quotes
✔️ Pop culture references
✔️ Play on words
✔️ Questions
✔️ Imagery
Take a look at this scenario:
Jerry needs to write a title for his essay about the philosophical themes found in The Beatles’ songs.
He's considering different options for his hook:
A. List the names of The Beatles to grab the attention of their fans
B. Include the title of one of The Beatles’ top songs, “Let It Be”
C. Use adjectives to vividly describe The Beatles
D. Omit creative hooks altogether to get straight to the point
Quiz
Which is the best way for him to write a strong hook?
By using a well-known Beatles song, Jerry can catch the attention of the reader. The hook choice is also appropriate to the topic of the essay because he knows that “Let It Be” contains philosophical themes of Stoicism. Jerry’s final title, combined with the hook (Let It Be) can look like, “Let It Be: Philosophical Themes in The Beatles’ Top Hits.” Using vivid adjectives to describe The Beatles or listing their names won't reflect the essay's topic, and getting straight to the point will give away the essay's argument.
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2. Include Topic Keywords
Topic keywords are 1-2 crucial words or phrases that contain important concepts of the essay.
They usually answer the question:
Topic keywords are:
Specific to the content and angle of the essay
Not general or generic (like "An Essay About The Beatles")
Example
Let It Be: Philosophical Themes in The Beatles’ Top Hits
In this title,the phrase “philosophical themes” serve as topic keywords for this title.Â
3. Add Focus Keywords
Focus keywords provide information about the origin or setting of the essay topic.
This usually answers the questions: What? and When?
Focus keywords can be in the form of:
The title of a literature text or piece of media
Name of a person, animal, or place
Example
Let It Be: Philosophical Themes in The Beatles’ Top Hits
In this title, the phrase "The Beatles’ Top Hits” informs the readers of the focus keywords (the band's catalogue of hit songs).
More Tips on How to Title an Essay!
Write your title after writing your essay
As you write and review your essay, you will get a better understanding of your key message and naturally come up with a few possible titles.
Consider the tone and audience of your essayÂ
Make sure to match your title to the tone of your essay and the knowledge level of your audience.
Avoid jargon or abbreviations
Jargon and abbreviations can make the title more difficult to understand.Â
Follow Style Guides
Some classes may require you to follow a style guide (ex. APA, MLA, CMS, etc.) for your titles.Â
Check Your Knowledge
Jerry has finished writing his essay on the reasons behind the popularity of Christmas movies by Netflix. All he needs is to find a catchy hook for his half-finished title: "Common Themes in Netflix Holiday Movies That Make Them So Popular."
Which of the following would be the best hook for this title?
A. Christmas Movies and Streaming
B. Ho, Ho, Ho!
C. Netflix and Chill
D. How Netflix Stole Christmas
Quiz
Choose an answer below.
The hook, "How Streaming Services Stole Christmas," is a reference to the popular Christmas movie, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." It is attention-grabbing, but also matches the topic (reasons behind the popularity of Netflix holiday movies) and type of the essay (opinion).
Take Action
Finding the perfect cherry on top of your essay doesn’t always have to be so hard. Follow these steps to be an essay title master in no time!
This Byte has been authored by
Eunso Im
College Student