Italics are typographical devices meant to distinguish certain words from others within a sentence. When used for emphasis, writers should only use them occasionally as they lose their impact if overused.
Italics are used for the titles of books, novels, lengthy poems, newspapers, periodicals, pamphlets, movies, plays, television series, operas and other full-length musical compositions.
Examples:
The Secret (book)
Moby Dick (novel)
An Essay on Criticism (long poem)
Los Angeles Times (newspaper)
Star Trek (television series)
Casablanca (movie)
Don Giovanni (opera)
When newspapers and periodicals start with an initial
the, even when part of the official title, the initial
the is not italicized and lowercased
(unless it begins the sentence).
Example: She often reads the
New York Times during her lunch hour. (Newspaper – The New York Times)
Italicize the titles of books, but not the titles of holy works (including books of the Bible).
Example:
Wuthering Heights,
Oliver Twist, the Bible, the Koran, Exodus, Corinthians, and Genesis.
Italicize works of art, other than architecture; italicize proper names of ships, planes, automobiles and trains, but not varieties or brand names.
Examples:
Van Gogh’s
Starry Night (work of art)
Sydney Opera House (architecture)
Titanic (ship)
Orient Express (train)
Ford Explorer (model name of automobile)
Voyager (spaceship)
Boeing 747 (model name of airplane)
Italicize scientific names of plants and animals.
Example:
Cynara scolymus,
Equus caballus.
Certain words and phrases in foreign languages, if likely to be unfamiliar to the reader.
Example: He realized he had unwittingly committed yet another
faux pas.
Legal cases.
Example:
Roe v. Wade
Words as words.
Example: She finds it difficult to explain
italicizing in a simple, straightforward manner.
When reproducing sounds.
Example: The rock hit her windshield with a loud
thunk!
For emphasis.
Example: There are
entirely different rules for newspaper writing.
Hope that helps!
To italicize or not to italicize?
It's amazing how little I seem to know about my native language...
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