When you're crafting the perfect title, every detail counts, including the capitalization of small but mighty words like 'were'. If you've ever found yourself puzzled over whether this common verb deserves a capital letter, you're not alone. Rules can vary, depending on the style guide you follow, be it Chicago, MLA, APA, or AP. Understand the nuanced guidelines that govern title capitalization, and learn how to polish your headlines with the same skill that expert publishers wield. Let's unlock the secrets and clarify the rules behind making your titles not only correct but also captivating.
Quick Answer
Yes. In Chicago, MLA, APA, and AP styles, capitalize "Were" in a title. As a verb, "Were" is treated as a principal word and gets capitalized in title case regardless of where it sits in the title.
You can also paste any title into the free title case converter at the top of the page to apply these rules automatically.
When you're writing a title, you want every word to stand out. But, not all words should start with a capital letter. Smaller words like 'and', 'but', or 'the' usually stay lowercase. So, where does that leave 'were'? Let's dig in and find out.
Capitalize 'Were' or Not?
In titles, the small word 'were' can be tricky. If 'were' is part of the verb in your title, like 'We Were Young', you should capitalize it. But, if it's not featured as an important word, it usually stays in lowercase.
Capitalization Rules for 'Were' in Various Styles
Style guides come to the rescue to clear up confusion. Whether you're using Chicago, MLA, APA, or AP styles, they all have a say on how to treat 'were' in a title.
In Chicago Manual of Style, it's all about the length. They suggest capitalizing all words that are longer than four letters. Since 'were' has just four characters, it would get a lower case.
MLA style focuses on the part of speech. It says to capitalize verbs, which means 'were' would get capitalized because it's a past tense verb.
APA style agrees with MLA here. If 'were' is used as a verb in your title, give it a capital letter.
The AP style is a bit different. It says to lowercase conjunctions, prepositions, and articles, but 'were' doesn't fit those categories. Since it's neither, 'were' should be capitalized here too.
Examples in Titles
Let's see some examples to make it crystal clear:
- In the title 'Songs We Were Singing', 'were' is a key verb, so you'd capitalize it.
- For 'The Places We Were Born', even though it's important, according to the Chicago style, 'were' sits on the fence with its length but still gets capitalized in keeping with MLA and APA.
Every time you write a title, take a quick moment to see if 'were' is acting as a verb. If it is, go on and give it a capital letter. Stick to these rules, and your titles will always look professional.
Understand that in titles, not all words are treated the same. Whether 'were' gets a capital letter depends on the style guide you're following. In APA, MLA, and Chicago styles, short verbs, including 'were', are usually capitalized. The AP style is different , here, 'were' is not normally capitalized because it is only four letters long. Remember, consistency is key, so pick a rule and stick with it through your whole title. Thank you for taking the time to learn about title capitalization!
For a deeper breakdown of how each guide handles capitalization, see the title case styles guide.
