User blog:NerdWithAKeyboard/NerdWithAKeyboard's Grammar Lessons 1 - Italics

Forward
Hey everyone! I'm gonna be rebooting the Grammar Lesson series based on issues I see in the wiki.

Before we continue, please note that English grammar, especially for non-naive speakers/writers, can be tough. Don't feel bad if your grammar isn't great; that's what these lessons are for!

Right. Now, Lesson 1: Italics.

What are italics?
Italic type typography that makes font slant slightly to the right. It is used to emphasize key points in a printed text, to identify many types of creative works, or, on rare occasions, show how words are stressed.

Example: This is not italic This is italic

When to use italics
As stated above, italics are used to emphasize key points in a printed text, to identify many types of creative works, or, on rare occasions, show how words are stressed.

Creative Works
Let's look at creative works. Italics are used for the titles of "long" works, such as:
 * Film titles
 * Television/internet series titles
 * Book titles
 * Musical albums
 * Paintings and works of art
 * Plays and musicals
 * Periodicals
 * Newspaper/magazine titles

Examples: Kubo and the Two Strings (movie title) Family Guy (television series title) RWBY (webseries title) Charlotte's Web (book title) Fallen (album title) The Mona Lisa (work of art) The Phantom of the Opera (play/musical) The Scarlett Letter (periodical) The Gazette (newspaper title) Boy's Life (magazine title)

What else uses italics?
Other things that are italicized in English grammar are:


 * The names of boats, ships, airplanes, and transports: (Ex: Queen Anne's Revenge)
 * Foreign words, including the Latin binomial nomenclature in the taxonomy of living organisms: (Ex: Homo sapiens, Tyrannosaurus rex)
 * Algebraic symbols: (Ex: x = 2)
 * Gene names: (Ex: lacZ)

And, occasionally,
 * Emphasis and stress: (Ex: "He was not the only victim," he said.)

When NOT to use italics
Shorter works or works that appear within larger works are NOT italicized, unless they are in a series. For creative works, the following do NOT use italics, and instead use quotation marks:


 * Newspaper articles
 * Short stories
 * Songs
 * Poems
 * Episode names
 * Chapter names

Examples: Incorrect: Titanic sinks! Correct: "Titanic sinks!" (newspaper article)

Incorrect: Through the Trees Correct: "Through the Trees" (short story)

Incorrect: Bring Me To Life Correct: "Bring Me To Life" (song title)

Incorrect: The Road Less Traveled Correct: "The Road Less Traveled" (poem title)

Incorrect: The Shining Beacon Correct: "The Shining Beacon" (episode name)

Incorrect: A Warm Wind Correct: "A Warm Wind" (chapter name)

Other things do not use italics,such as:


 * Companies/publishers (Marvel, Dark Horse)
 * Attractions/locations (The Haunted Mansion, Star Tours)
 * Franchises NOT named after a portion of their franchise (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Who says?
Now, some of you may be thinking: "These aren't rules! I can write it however I want; No one made the rules on how to write!"

Well, let me introduce you to, an Italian scholar and educator who not only invented italics and when to use them, but is also responsible for many fonts/typefaces we still use to day and the invention of the semicolon punctuation.

Conclusion
So now you know how to use italics. If you need help, consult this blog or, if you need to, message me! More lessons will be coming soon!