What is Subtitling?
Subtitling means giving suitable headings to smaller sections of a long passage. These short headings are known as subtitles or sub-headings. Each subtitle tells the reader what the section is about. It is like adding a title to every paragraph that follows a new idea or point. This helps the reader to follow the content easily, especially when the passage is long or has many details.
Subtitling also improves the appearance of the writing. It makes the passage look clear and well-structured. It breaks the monotony of reading a long piece of text without any breaks. In newspapers, reports, and even essays, subtitling is a common and useful skill. In your CBSE Class XI English exam, you may be asked to provide subtitles to given paragraphs. So, learning this skill is important.
Three Examples Solved
Here are three simple examples of how to subtitle a paragraph. The subtitle is written after understanding the main idea of each section.
Example 1: Passage on Water Conservation
Passage:
In many Indian cities, people face water shortages. As a solution, rainwater
harvesting has become popular. This method collects rainwater and stores it
for later use. It is also helpful in recharging the underground water.
Subtitle: Rainwater Harvesting: A Smart Water Solution
Example 2: Passage on Social Media and Youth
Passage:
Social media has changed how young people communicate today. It helps them
stay in touch with friends but can also distract them from studies. Many
students spend hours on social media and become less focused on academics.
Subtitle: Social Media and Its Effect on Students
Example 3: Passage on Pollution in Cities
Passage:
Pollution is increasing in most urban areas. Vehicles, factories, and waste
disposal problems are the main causes. People throw garbage in open drains,
which leads to water pollution and foul smells.
Subtitle: Urban Pollution: A Growing Threat
These examples show how a short and meaningful subtitle can capture the main idea of a paragraph.
Solved Activities from the NCERT Hornbill Book (Class XI)
In the NCERT Class XI English Core textbook (Hornbill), the subtitling activity is based on a newspaper article titled “A New Deal for Old Cities”. The article was written by G. Ananthakrishnan and published in The Hindu. It talks about the poor condition of Indian cities and compares it with a city in Brazil—Curitiba—that successfully improved its urban life using simple and low-cost ideas.
Let us now solve the activities one by one as given in the book.
Activity 1: Identifying the Subtitle at the Top
The line at the top of the article is italicised and reads:
“The example of Curitiba in Brazil… shows that inclusive development models for urban renewal are workable.”
✅ This is the subtitle of the article and gives the central idea in just one line. It prepares the reader for what to expect in the full article.
Activity 2: Dividing the Article and Giving Subtitles
The article can be divided into four parts based on the change in sub-topic or focus. Here are the subtitles for each section:
🔹
Section 1 – Urban Decay and Policy Failures
This part talks about poor civic conditions in Indian cities like Surat,
especially during the plague in 1994. It explains how policies have ignored
basic needs like waste disposal and sanitation.
🔹
Section 2 – Lack of Basic Services in Urban Areas
Here, the article discusses how millions of Indian homes lack toilets and
proper drainage. It highlights the failure to provide clean water and a
healthy environment to the urban poor.
🔹
Section 3 – Transport Issues and Unsafe Roads
This section shows how bad planning in transport systems has increased traffic
problems. Pedestrians and cyclists are the most affected, and cities have
ignored their safety in favour of motor vehicles.
🔹
Section 4 – Learning from Curitiba’s Urban Planning
The final part explains how Curitiba in Brazil made big changes with simple,
low-cost ideas. These include creating parks, banning cars in busy areas,
building good bus systems, and using empty land wisely. It shows that urban
renewal is possible if planned well.
Why Subtitling Matters
Subtitling not only helps the reader understand long texts better but also improves your writing in essays, reports, and summaries. In your exams, questions on subtitling may come as part of unseen passages or as part of note-making. Learning this skill now will help you both in school and later in college writing tasks.
