Capitalization of Titles: Examples and Common Mistakes in ESL Writing

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 📌 Capitalize the first and last word of the title.
• 🌟 Capitalize all principal words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns).
• 🔗 Lowercase articles (a, an, the), unless they are the first or last word.
• ✍️ Lowercase coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet).
• 📏 Lowercase prepositions (on, at, to, from, with, in, etc.) with fewer than five letters, unless they are the first or last word.
• 💡 Capitalize words after a colon or em dash.
• 🗺️ Follow specific style guides (APA, MLA, Chicago) for particular cases.

Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following titles is correctly capitalized?
   1. A. the Lord of The rings
   2. B. The Lord of the Rings
   3. C. the lord of the rings
   4. D. The lord Of The Rings
2. Which word should NOT be capitalized in the following title: 'The Importance of Being Earnest'?
   1. A. The
   2. B. Importance
   3. C. of
   4. D. Being
3. Which title correctly capitalizes a subtitle?
   1. A. Pride and Prejudice: A Novel
   2. B. Pride and prejudice: a novel
   3. C. Pride and Prejudice: a novel
   4. D. pride and prejudice: A Novel
4. Which of the following prepositions should be capitalized in a title?
   1. A. in
   2. B. on
   3. C. at
   4. D. between
5. Which conjunction is usually lowercase in a title?
   1. A. While
   2. B. But
   3. C. Since
   4. D. Although
6. Which title is correctly capitalized according to common title case rules?
   1. A. To Kill A Mockingbird
   2. B. To Kill a Mockingbird
   3. C. to kill a mockingbird
   4. D. To kill A Mockingbird
7. In the title 'Living with Anxiety: A Guide for Teens', which word is capitalized because it follows a colon?
   1. A. Living
   2. B. With
   3. C. A
   4. D. For