In the modern world of casual communication of email and text messages, the written rules of grammar and style fall by the wayside. When more formal business communications are required; however, our memory of high school grammar rules tends to fail us. Not sure if italics are necessary? Check the following four uses for italics.

1. Titles
Titles are italicized. This includes books, periodicals, movies, music, dramatic titles, artworks, scientific names, legal cases, ships and airplanes.

Examples:
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The New York Times
Porgy and Bess
Roe v. Wade
The U.S.S. Alabama

2. Entities
When referring to letters, numbers or words as stand alone entities within the sentence, use italics.

Examples:
Her handwriting is so poorly done; I can’t tell the difference between her c’s and her e’s.
That 2 looks like a Z.
Too many sentences are begun with I or you.

3. Emphasis
Italics signify emphasis in written text that would be evident by inflection if spoken aloud.

Example:
What she saw and what she thinks she saw are two different things.

4. Foreign Terms
Certain foreign terms are well known and familiar and do non require italics such as sauerkraut or avant garde. Italicize foreign words that would not typically be used by an English speaker.

Example: Germans prefer beer vom vass or from the tap rather than from a bottle.