Note 27 – When to use italics

For the background to my writing challenge, please read my first blog by clicking the following link – http://wp.me/p1x6Ui-4.  If you would prefer to dive straight into note 27, then please read on…

Italics (or cursive script)

Italics are used for emphasis or to make things distinct from the descriptive text (as in this sentence).  Some writers also choose bold or underlining for emphasis.

Bernard C. Lamb in his book The Queen’s English, lists a few reasons for using italics such as: books, titles of things, foreign words, scentific names and similar items.  Please see my examples below:

• books (as in the above sentence)
• titles of films e.g. The Green Mile
• titles of newspapers e.g. the Daily Mail
• foreign words used in English text e.g. moi (me) or je ne sais quoi (I don’t know what)
• scentific names e.g. Lepomis cyanellus (green sunfish)

Some facts

The typeface is called italic for historic reasons and is also based on the calligraphy form.  A useful fact from www.oxforddictionaries.com: italic handwriting was “modelled on 16th century Italian handwriting, typically cursive and sloping and with elliptical or pointed letters”.

Hope you enjoyed today’s blog.

Until tomorrow…

Sandra

This blog: www.mywritingnotes.wordpress.com

My other blog: www.sandramadeira.wordpress.com

My website: www.tipsandluxuries.com

Twitter: @madeirasandra  and  @tipsandluxuries

Reference list

Bernard C. Lamb The Queen’s English (2010), UK

Online Oxford English Dictionary www.oxforddictionaries.com