How to Title an Essay
How would life be if nothing had a name? How would people refer to each other? Everything would be complicated because you would want to talk to a particular person and not know how to do it without signaling another. Additionally, when you want to buy something or go somewhere, you will neither know how to explain it to the shopkeeper or storekeeper let alone explain where you are heading to. Moreover, people like being referred to by their titles such as engineer, professor, and doctor among others. This makes them feel proud of themselves and their accomplishments. Correspondingly, how would you feel when you read an article which does not have a heading? Will you even be interested one bit in it? Few people will roughly skim through the introductory part just to pass time or to know what it is about. Others will not even tempt to read it but rather see if the images it incorporates interest them thus try to read through it.
For an article to influence the interest of the audience, it needs to have a title. The title of an essay is essential as it enables one to have a rough idea what the paper is about. Even though the essay writing rules necessitate that you begin your paper with a strong hook in your introduction to capture the attention of the audience, the title of an essay also plays a major role in grabbing the attention of the reader(s). Who will not be interested in reading a paper which has an intriguing title such as ‘An Escape from the Jaws of Demise?’ You will definitely want to know what happened to the writer in the story and how he or she luckily got saved. Therefore, it is fundamental to have an essay topic for your paper. Also, students should not rely on their professors for an essay title. They should learn to develop one themselves. To create a title for your essay, below are some tips discussed in detail which will help you.
Sum up your essay in several words
Every essay has a flowing story. However, you cannot base the title of your article on the entire essay. Try to summarize it in the simplest manner possible. Use the keywords which will enable the reader to try and understand where the story is heading. Furthermore, remember not to use common essay titles such as ‘The Day I will Never Forget,’ ‘A Day to Remember’ or ‘The Best or Worst Day of My Life.’ Such titles will not influence the reader’s interest in your paper. Additionally, you will not be able to develop an intriguing story with them. Moreover, everyone has a day they will never forget in their lives. So, writing an essay based on such a topic will not be of much interest.
Use central idea
You can develop the title of your essay based on the central idea of your paper. You need to find a statement which will enable the audience to understand or have a rough idea of what your article is about. The central idea of your paper can be your thesis statement. However, you should know that the thesis statement supports the argument on the topic of your essay. Therefore, create a title which corresponds to the thesis statement of your essay. Do not write a title which will be something totally different from your essay.
Use popular catchphrases
Slogans or catchwords used by eminent people such as celebrities or those in high places can help you develop an epic title for your essay. Some people may be looking up to these persons as role models hence embracing the slogans they use in the title of your essay will definitely invite them to read your paper. Additionally, such phrases fascinate many people as some would want to know or relate to why they are commonly used. You can also apply commonly used sayings or proverbs in the title of your paper. These will not only help you develop an interesting and captivating story but also write a good essay. Essay titles which have proverbs in them ought to have a lesson in the end in most cases. Therefore, the audience might be able to relate to your situation by reading the title of your essay.
Do not forget about what, who, when, why, how, or where questions
The who, what, when, why, where or how questions, commonly referred to as the 5Ws and 1H questions are very helpful when it comes to essay writing. These questions help you develop the content of your essay in a well-structured manner. You will be able to state the identity of the involved person, either you or somebody else, what happened to you or them, where it happened, when it happened, why it happened and how it happened. Having written your essay based on this questions, it will be easy for you to come up with a title. You may have either learnt a lesson at the end or something new. Use it to create a title for your paper.
Keep it simple and clear
The title of your essay should not be complicated. This is because it will not only be hard for you to comprehend it but also the audience. When the readers cannot understand the topic itself, it will not be easy for them to figure out what your essay is about. Additionally, using a complicated topic for your paper can make it irrelevant. This is because you may use complex words to develop a topic which you think might captivate the audience into reading your paper but no. Try and keep your title as simple and clear as possible. Do not use complex vocabulary as you yourself may not understand what they mean.
In conclusion, the title of an essay is vital in essay writing just as much as the title of a person. The audience might develop an interest in reading your paper by merely reading the title. Therefore, you need to ensure that the title of your essay is not something which will not interest them but what can drive them to want to know more about your essay. Secondly, do not apply commonly used essay titles in your article such as ‘The Day I will Never Forget.’ Not many people will be interested in reading your paper as they all have a particular day they will forever live to remember. Thirdly, do not always rely on your professors or lecturers for a title. Learn to develop one on your own. Finally, if you have challenges in titling your essay consider putting the tips discussed above into use. They will surely guarantee you a good essay.
