how to write a name in an essay

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How to Write a Book Name in an Essay

Last Updated: February 14, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Noah Taxis and by wikiHow staff writer, Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA . Noah Taxis is an English Teacher based in San Francisco, California. He has taught as a credentialed teacher for over four years: first at Mountain View High School as a 9th- and 11th-grade English Teacher, then at UISA (Ukiah Independent Study Academy) as a Middle School Independent Study Teacher. He is now a high school English teacher at St. Ignatius College Preparatory School in San Francisco. He received an MA in Secondary Education and Teaching from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education. He also received an MA in Comparative and World Literature from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a BA in International Literary & Visual Studies and English from Tufts University. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 62,911 times.

When you’re writing an essay that includes a book title, it can be confusing to write the title correctly. However, it’s really easy once you know the rules. How you write the title will vary a little bit depending on the style your instructor assigns and if you are typing or handwriting the essay. Luckily, it's easy to follow the rules for writing a book name in an essay.

Writing Help

Typing an Essay in MLA or Chicago Style Format

• For example, you would write To Kill a Mockingbird , The Lord of the Rings , or Wuthering Heights .

• If you have the book name in front of you, you can just copy it down as it is printed.
• Articles include a, an, and the.
• Prepositions include at, in, on, of, about, since, from, for, until, during, over, above, under, underneath, below, beneath, near, by, next to, between, among, and opposite.
• Coordinating conjunctions include the FANBOYS, which are for, and, not, but, or, yet, and

• For example, you would write the name of William Faulkner’s novel Absalom, Absalom! with both the comma and the exclamation point in italics.

• If the highlight bar goes away, try again, making sure that you don’t click anywhere on the page after you highlight the book name.

• Alternatively, you can press the italicize icon before you type the title.
• If you’re using Microsoft Word to type your essay, the italicize key may appear if you hover over the highlighted book name.

• If the next word after your title appears italicized when you resume typing, simply highlight it and click the italicize icon to remove the formatting.

• For example, The Lord of the Rings trilogy is sometimes published in one volume. In this case, you could write the name of the first novel as "The Fellowship of the Ring" when citing it in an essay.

Typing an Essay in APA Format

• Capitalize the first letter of the words, not the entire word.
• If the word is a two-part hyphenated word in the title, you should capitalize both words. For example, you would write Blue River: The Trial of a Mayor-Elect .
• If there is a dash or colon in the title, you should capitalize the word after the punctuation, regardless of how long the word is. As above, you would write Blue River: The Trial of a Mayor-Elect .

• For example, you would write Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? with the question mark italicized.

• If the book name is not highlighted, left click and drag your cursor again, making sure that you don’t click again anywhere on the page.

• If you are using Microsoft Word, the italics icon may appear when you hover over the highlighted book title. It’s okay to click this key.

Handwriting an Essay

• For MLA and Chicago style essays, capitalize the first word of the book name and every word other than articles, prepositions, or coordinating conjunctions. For example, write The Lord of the Rings .
• If you’re using APA style, capitalize the first word and all words longer than 4 letters. [9] X Research source This means you would write Public Policy in Local Government .

• If you’re writing on lined paper, it may help to follow along the line of the paper. However, make sure your line is dark enough so that your instructor will see that you properly underlined the book name.

• For example, you would write Judy Blume’s Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by underlining the punctuation marks as well as the words.

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about academic writing, check out our in-depth interview with Noah Taxis .

• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_general_format.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/writing_in_literature/writing_about_literature/formatting.html
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/underline-or-italicize-book-titles/
• ↑ https://askus.library.wwu.edu/faq/116757
• ↑ https://libguides.up.edu/apa/books_ebooks
• ↑ https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/italics-quotations/italics

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Where Does Your Name Go on an Essay?

Essay writing formats define standards for document formatting and in-text citation of research. These writing formats also allow authors to reference their sources in papers and Works Cited pages using parenthetical citations.

However, before you get to the citation and referencing parts, there are crucial formatting aspects to be aware of. For example, where does your name go on an essay? Which side of the paper do you write your name?

As a student or professional writer, this article answers these two questions. It further guides you on writing your name on an essay using the MLA, APA, Chicago, Harvard, and ASA styles. Therefore, please read comprehensively.

You should write your name on the first page of your essay. The specific location of your name on an essay ultimately depends on the type of essay you are writing. In addition, it also depends on the writing style you are applying. For example, the position and formatting of your name in an MLA style essay differ from APA, Chicago, Harvard, or ASA styles.

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Normally, the first page’s contents should have a 1-inch space between the top and left edges, the top left edge, or at the center, and be double-spaced. These contents include your name as the composer, your instructor’s name, the name of your class, and the date.

Also see: When to start a new paragraph in an essay

In other essays, every page of your essay, starting with the first page, should have your last name and the page number in the upper right-hand corner. Your name should appear in the header along with the page number. However, remember not to write this information in the space designated for your essay’s contents.

Remember, when writing your name, use the format, the first name first and then your family name. For people with more than two names, write your first name, your other names, and your surname or family name last.

Where Does Your Name Go on an Essay MLA?

The Modern Language Association (MLA) provides flexible formatting directions for your name, MLA headers, and headings. When using the MLA style to write your essay, you ought to write your name along with your professor’s name, course, and date in the upper left-hand corner of the first page. Remember, all these contents should be double-spaced with a one-inch margin from the top and left margins.

Moreover, you need to make a header in the upper right-hand corner that includes your last name and spacing with the page number. All pages should be sequentially numbered in Arabic numerals, one-half inch from the upper end, and flush with the right edge. Note: Your professor may request that you exclude the first page’s last name/page number heading.

Where Does Your Name Go on an Essay APA?

In an APA-style essay, you should include your name on the title page of the essay. First, you write the title of your essay centered in the upper part of the title page in upper and lowercase letters. Beneath the title, you can include your name as the essay’s author. The formatting of your name should be as follows; your first name, your other names, and your surname last. Avoid using titles.

It is advised to use the full name and surname for individuals with rare surnames. On the other hand, writers with common names should write the first name and two surnames connected by a hyphen. The hyphen keeps the second surname from being dropped to make it easier to tell among writers with similar surnames.

Where Does Your Name Go on an Essay Chicago?

Like in APA, you include your name on the title page of your essay in Chicago style. First, you write the title of your essay by centering it in the middle of the title page, halfway down. Then, center your name as the essay’s author directly below the title.

Below your name, you can include the course title, your professor’s name, and the date. Note that these contents should be centered too and written below each other. Always use the Times New Roman 12 pt. font.

Where Does Your Name Go on an Essay Harvard?

On a Harvard-style essay, your name should appear on the cover page. Here, you first write the title of the essay in caps (the main words), centered, and about one-third down the page. You then write your name directly below the title, centered, and about halfway down that cover page. Remember that all contents should be double-spaced and written in Times New Roman or Arial 12 pt.

A page number is also included in the header of your work, which is located in the top right corner of each page, according to Harvard style. Your surname should be in the header just before the page number.

Where Does Your Name Go on an Essay ASA?

Your name on an ASA-style essay should be located on the title page. You include your name just below the title of the essay. Here, you also include the name of your institution, total word count, references, and footnotes, as well as the title footnote (including author names, addresses, credits, grants, and acknowledgments).

What is the Correct Formula to Write Your Name on an Essay?

First, it is worth noting that your name as the author should appear on the title page directly below the essay’s title. When typing your name, start with your first name and then your family name. In a case where the author has more than one name, write the first name first, your middle name, and the surname as the last.

Ensure that you follow the basic guidelines of the style you are using. For example, you might have to write using Times New Roman font, double-space the contents, and center the name.

Which Side of Paper Do You Write Your Name on an Essay?

The side of the paper you write your name on an essay depends on the writing style you are using. For example, if you are using the MLA style, you write your name, your professor’s name, the course you are undertaking, and the date in the upper left-hand corner of the first page.

With other styles such as APA, Chicago, ASA, and Harvard, you write your name at the center of the title page. The name may be on the upper half of the cover page or halfway down the page, depending on the specific style.

When writing an essay in whichever style, there are pertinent questions you should ask yourself first. For example, where does your name go on an essay? After reading this essay, you are better positioned to answer this question among many more. Therefore, utilize this information next time you write an essay to help you get it right with the location and the format of writing your name.