Getting an A on an English Paper

Jack Lynch,
Rutgers University – Newark

Titles

Your paper should have a title, and that title should hint at what you say in the paper.

For instance, “Macbeth: An Analysis” gives no clue about what you're going to argue. It tells what play you're discussing, but nothing about your particular take. A title like “Murder and Meaning in Macbeth,” though, is a big step forward. It lets your reader know your topic.

Many professionals in the lit-crit biz are fond of two-part titles: a snazzy title followed by a more descriptive subtitle. A favorite game is to find a pithy and relevant quotation from the book, thus: “'Signifying Nothing': Murder and Meaning in Macbeth.”

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For tips on how to refer to the titles of works of literature, see the entry on citation.

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from Jack Lynch's guide,
Getting an A on an English Paper

This guide copyright Jack Lynch, 2000–.