Headings are important in nonfiction writing. They create structure so information can be easily found. They help organize the ideas you’re presenting.
If I’m looking through a book to find specific information, I’ll read the headings before reading the text.
Just like the body of your text, headings should also be clear, concise, and consistent.
It’s a good idea to choose a heading style based on your intended audience and the subject of your writing. For instance, if you’re writing a textbook, you may want to be direct by using a noun phrase for a heading: Your Five Senses. Or you may want to encourage thought by using a question: How Do I Use My Sense of Sight? If you’re writing informational materials, you might want to use a heading that gives instruction to your readers: What Can You Do with Your Sense of Sight?
After you choose a style, make sure that headings at the same level are parallel in structure. This blog post reminds us that parallel structure is when words in a series use similar grammatical form. It creates the balance and consistency that your readers want.
Imagine you’re writing a book about the five senses. Here’s an example of headings that are not parallel:
Your Sense of Sight
Taste
The Sense of Smell
Sense of Hearing
My Sense of Touch
Do you see how the above headings are disorganized? Do you see how inconsistency in headings might create confusion for readers? Here’s an example of headings that are consistent:
Our Sense of Sight
Our Sense of Taste
Our Sense of Smell
Our Sense of Hearing
Our Sense of Touch
These headings are worded in the same way. They use the same grammatical structure. They’re balanced. Of course, there are other ways to word the above headings, but the important idea to remember is to structure them in the same way.
Before you choose headings for your document:
- Think about the style and structure you think would be most effective in terms of helping your readers locate information.
- Make your headings as short and informative as you can.
- Be sure that each heading at the same level is consistent.
Don’t let your readers get stuck trying to make sense of your headings. Provide organization by making headings consistent.
