Italics (indicated on the typewriter by underlining) is a style of type. This sentence is printed in italics.
FOR EMPHASIS
Words that are defined or that require special emphasis in a sentence are sometimes italicized. In formal writing word choice and sentence structure are preferable to italics for achieving emphasis.
By texts we mean not only books but also newspaper and magazine articles, government documents, advertisements, and letters, [italics for a term being defined]
What are the arguments against the idea arid what are the arguments in favor of it? [Italics are used for emphasis; the meaning would be just as clear without italics, however.]
TITLES OF WORKS
In text, titles of works that are published or produced as separate entities are italicized (or underlined). Shorter works-such as book chapters, magazine articles, and songs-are enclosed in quotation marks. (The treatment of titles is somewhat different in various styles of documentation. See the Research Paper.)
Books and Literary Works
A Tale of Two Cities, The University of Chicago Spanish Dictionary
Titles of holy books and legislative documents are not italicized.
the Bible, the Koran, the Magna Carta
Titles of chapters in books, essays, and short stories are enclosed in quotation marks.
"Rip Van Winkle," "A Modest Proposal," "Male and Female in. Hopi Thought and Action"
Titles of poetry collections and long poems are italicized; titles of short poems are enclosed in quotation marks.
The Iliad, The Waste Land , "The Road Not Taken"
Titles of plays are italicized.
King Lear, Raisin in the Sun
Magazines and Newspapers
National Geographic, the Los Angeles Times Titles of articles are enclosed in quotation marks.
"Sex, Race, and Box Office" in Image, the Sunday magazine of the San Francisco Examiner
Titles of comic strips are italicized.
Doonesbury, The Far Side
Films and Television and Radio Programs
Sense and Sensibility, Malcolm X, Aladdin
The X-Files, jeopardy, A Prairie Home Companion
Titles of individual episodes are enclosed in quotation marks.
Albums and Long Musical Works
Thriller, The Joshua Tree, Mahler's Symphony No. 9
Titles of songs and other short musical compositions are enclosed in quotation marks.
"Amazing Grace," "Jingle Bells," "Billy jean"
Painting and Sculpture
Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Michelangelo's David
Software
Excel, WordPerfect
NAMES OF VEHICLES AND VESSELS
The names of ships, trains, spacecraft, and aircraft (but not the companies that own them) are italicized.
They sailed to Africa on the Onassis Clipper but flew back on the TWA New Yorker.
Model and serial designations are not italicized.
DC-7, Boeing 747
WORDS, LETTERS, AND FIGURES
Words, letters, and figures mentioned as such are italicized.
The word inflammable is often misinterpreted.
I should replace the s and the 6 keys on my old typewriter.
FOREIGN WORDS
Foreign words and phrases that have not been assimilated into the English language are italicized; foreign words that have been fully assimilated need not be italicized. Refer to an up-to-date dictionary if you are in doubt about a particular word.
Flavio ordered chilaquiles and I ordered breakfast tacos.
— Sandra Gsneros, "Bien Pretty"
Three types of orchids are easy and reliable to grow: Cattleya, Paphiopedilum, and Phalaenopsis.
—"Elegant and Easy," Sunsef (Jan. 1993)
As the example shows, genus and species names, which are in Latin, are italicized.
