Students write various assignments; some might involve mentioning or analyzing works such as plays, movies, and documentaries. Mentioning the name of a movie in an essay requires you to adhere to specific rules dictated by the MLA, APA, or Chicago styles, depending on what your institution uses.
It might be easier to buy essay online and spend your time on something more productive, but it's also important to comprehend the rules for future assignments. So, we've explained the various rules for incorporating a name of a movie in an essay and provided essential tips.
Writing the Name of a Movie in an Essay: Steps to Follow
Incorporating the name of a movie in an essay is a delicate process because there's no room for mistakes. Here's how to cover all your bases and guarantee a superb paper.
Confirm It's the Right Film
A crucial step to incorporating the name of a movie in an essay is to ensure you have the right titles. Many movies share titles, and it's easy to mistake some for others. For example, Twilight (2008) is a famous movie, but another Twilight, released in 1983, has a completely different plot. So, you should be careful and double-check before using the name of a movie in an essay.
Some movies have titles that are easy to confuse; for example, The Thin Blue Line, released in 1988, and The Thin Red Line, released in 1998. They are different movie titles, but you might pick the wrong one if you're not careful. So always double-check when using movie titles in essays.
Confirm the Wording of the Name
It is imperative to confirm the wording before using the name of a movie in an essay. Different names in other countries know some films. Foreign titles might be translated into English to appeal to particular audiences. Some movies are even retitled for specific audiences. So, when choosing the name of a movie in an essay, make sure it's the original release.
Watch Out for Articles
Some movie titles have articles in front of them. When writing a movie title in an essay, always confirm you have the full title, including articles. Leaving out some words might confuse readers into thinking about a completely different film.
Rules on Writing a Name of a Movie in an Essay
It's now time to learn how to quote the name of a movie in an essay. The capitalization rules for using the name of a movie in an essay may vary and rely on the formatting style your institution and instructor required. So you should know the formatting style your institution prefers to stay on the safe side of grading. Fortunately, the major formatting styles have similar rules regarding writing a movie title.
Whether you use MLA or APA referencing, you should apply capitalization for all movie titles. Capitalize major words, like nouns and verbs, excluding minor words like conjunctions and prepositions, unless they are at the beginning of the movie title in paper.
There are instances where the APA style gets more specific such as requiring students to capitalize any words made up of five words and more. APA also urges the application of capitalization when listing movies in the bibliography list.
Write a Movie Title in the Title Case
The title of a movie in an essay has to follow capitalization rules. Apply Capitalization on the first and final words. Also, capitalize pronouns and major words in the name of a movie in an essay. Major words include:
- Nouns
- Verbs
- Adjectives
- Proper nouns
Capitalization can sometimes be challenging, especially because movies prefer to use italics or stylized capitalization to make their advertisements more appealing. Are you wondering, "Should I emulate them while I write my paper?" No. Just because a movie poster uses all caps when advertising doesn't mean you should do the same when using the name of a movie in an essay. Stick to the official formatting instructions on how to write movie names in an essay.
Why Is Proper Formatting Important?
So, why bother learning how to write movie names in an essay? Assignment writing is one of the ways higher-level institutions teach communication to students. While students are encouraged to be expressive and embrace their creativity in essays, they also have to learn to communicate with their audience properly. Properly formatting the name of a movie in an essay promotes clear communication between the writer and the readers.
Using the proper format also makes it easy for the reader to identify special mentions in your essay. Without capitalization and quotations, it would be difficult for readers to know when you're mentioning a movie title in paper.
Furthermore, sticking to the correct format shows that you respect your readers and is a display of professionalism. It shows your instructor that you understand the rules associated with using the name of a movie in an essay and are willing to abide by them. The same applies when you properly cite your sources during paper writing.
Finally, knowing how to write the name of a movie in an essay properly is a skill you can benefit from in the future, especially if you want to pursue a writing career. The skills you learn could be useful someday in your life or further studies.
Conclusion
Quoting the title of a movie in an essay isn't a challenge once you understand the rules of capitalization. However, it's understandable that sometimes one might be unsure about the methods to use. The guide above should be useful, but should you experience any trouble writing the name of a movie in an essay, feel free to seek further assistance.
