English·Grammar & Punctuation·procedural
Punctuating Titles of Works
Use underlining, quotation marks, or italics to indicate titles of works, applying conventions for different types of works such as books, stories, poems, songs, and articles
Suggested ages 10–11
Learning journey
Your child is learning advanced grammar and punctuation skills — mastering complex sentence structures, sophisticated punctuation like colons and semi-colons, and formal writing techniques that will prepare them for secondary school and beyond.
Evidence of understanding
- Use italics or underlining for titles of books, films, and albums
- Use quotation marks for titles of short works such as poems, songs, and articles
- Apply title formatting conventions consistently in a piece of writing
Assessment prompt
When Punctuating Titles of Works refers to a book title or a film name in their writing, do they know to put it in inverted commas or italics — like writing *Charlotte's Web* or "Charlotte's Web" — rather than just leaving it as plain text?
Standards alignment
L.5.2dUS · ccss-ela
L.5.2d
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects · 5