Sub-titling Class 11 Notes: Meaning, Method & Solved Example

Sub-titling is the writing skill of giving short headings to different sections of a longer piece of writing. In the Hornbill textbook, this skill is taught through a single activity built around one newspaper article, not through a prose chapter, so these notes explain the skill itself, the article you will work with, and a step-by-step method you can reuse.

These notes follow the 2026-27 session.

What is Sub-titling and Why It Matters

Sub-titling means dividing a long piece of writing into smaller sections and giving each section a short sub-heading. The sub-heading captures the main idea or theme of that section, so a reader can glance at it and immediately know what the next few paragraphs are about.

The NCERT textbook defines the purpose of sub-titling as conveying the main idea or theme of each section of a long piece of writing.

Sub-titling does three jobs at once:

• It tells the reader at a glance which sub-topics the article or chapter addresses, without reading every line.
• It breaks the monotony of reading a long, unbroken passage — a page broken into headed sections feels easier to read.
• It organises your own thinking — once you can name what each section is about, you understand the whole structure.

In the textbook this skill is practised through activities, not through a long prose answer. The note above on the purpose of sub-titling comes from the textbook itself, which is a useful definition to keep in mind.

The Article You Will Work With: ‘A New Deal for Old Cities’

The article used for the sub-titling activity is written by G. Ananthakrishnan and was published in The Hindu on 13 December 2005. It argues that inclusive development models for urban renewal are workable, and it uses the example of Curitiba in Brazil as its main proof.

The article contrasts the poor condition of Indian cities with the successful low-cost urban planning of Curitiba.

Before the article begins, there is one italicised sentence placed at the top. This sentence tells readers at a glance what the whole article is about — it functions as a built-in summary. In the activity, you are asked to notice this italicised sentence, because it is your first clue about the article’s subject before you start dividing it into sections.

One sub-heading is already provided inside the article as an example: ‘Urban Decay’. Your job is to find three more section breaks and give each a suitable sub-heading, so that the whole article is divided into four sections.

How to Divide the Article into Four Sections

The key to dividing the article is to watch for shifts in the sub-topic. When the writer stops talking about one issue and starts talking about a new but related issue, that is where one section ends and the next begins. Follow this method:

1. Read the article once and mark the paragraph or phrase where the subject clearly changes.
2. Name the section you just left in two or three words.
3. Keep going until you have marked four sections in total.
4. Write a short sub-heading for each section — a noun phrase or a concise title, not a full sentence.

Using this method, the article falls into these four sections:

• Section 1 — Urban decay in India: the Surat plague of 1994, poor sanitation, lack of drainage, water-borne disease, and the failure of post-Independence development policies.
• Section 2 — Policy neglect of urban transport: rising automobile dependence, pedestrian and cyclist fatalities, and the shrinking of footpaths in cities such as Chennai.
• Section 3 — The Curitiba model: how Curitiba banned cars from crowded areas, built an efficient bus-way system, created flood-control lakes, and built housing around planned transport links.
• Section 4 — Lessons for India: the rights-based approach to housing, sanitation, water, mobility and environment, plus the role of the middle class and trade unions in bringing about change.

Notice that the example sub-heading ‘Urban Decay’ already covers Section 1. You only need to create the remaining three sub-headings yourself.

How to Write a Good Sub-Heading: Rules and Examples

A good sub-heading is not a random label — it is a miniature summary of the section. Follow these rules:

• Name the topic specifically. A sub-heading should say exactly what the section discusses, not something vague.
• Keep it brief. Aim for under eight words. A short phrase is easier to scan than a long clause.
• Use a phrase, not a full sentence. Sub-headings are usually noun phrases such as ‘Urban Decay’, not complete sentences with subjects and verbs.
• Match the tone of the article. A serious newspaper article needs a serious, informative sub-heading, not a playful one.

Here is a table of original sub-heading options for the four sections. There is no single correct answer — any sub-heading that captures the section’s main idea is valid.

Worked Example: Sub-Titling the Article Step by Step

Here is the complete sub-titling process worked out on the actual article, one section at a time. This is the ‘do it with me’ part — keep this pattern in mind when you attempt the activity yourself.

Step 1 — Read the italicised standfirst. The article opens with an italicised line about Curitiba’s example showing that inclusive development models for urban renewal are workable. This tells you the article’s central argument.

Step 2 — Identify Section 1 (already done for you). The article mentions Engels’ description of nineteenth-century urban centres, then moves to the plague in Surat and poor sanitation. The textbook provides the sub-heading ‘Urban Decay’ here.

Step 3 — Identify Section 2. The sub-topic shifts when the writer states that urban transport receives scant attention from policymakers. The paragraphs about automobile dependence, pedestrian and bicycle riders forming 30 to 70 per cent of peak hour traffic, and pedestrian fatalities in Mumbai and Delhi belong to this section. Suggested sub-heading: Neglect of Public Transport.

Step 4 — Identify Section 3. The shift happens with the sentence ‘The practice in progressive world cities has been different.’ Everything after this describes what Curitiba did — banning cars, building the bus-way system, creating flood lakes and planned housing. Suggested sub-heading: Lessons from Curitiba.

Step 5 — Identify Section 4. The final section shifts to what India should do differently — adopting a rights-based approach instead of a market-oriented model, with support from the middle class and trade unions. Suggested sub-heading: A Rights-Based Path to Urban Renewal.

Step 6 — Check your four sub-headings. Each one names the topic of its section, is brief, and reads like a phrase rather than a sentence. The four headings together give a miniature outline of the article’s argument: decay → neglect → example → lesson.

Common Mistakes When Choosing Sub-Headings

Students commonly make a few predictable errors in this exercise. Each mistake below is paired with the correction and the reason why the corrected version works.

How This Skill Applies Beyond the Activity

Sub-titling is not just a textbook exercise — it is how newspapers, textbooks and reports are organised in real life. Every time you open a long text — a history chapter, a newspaper editorial, a research article — sub-titling is the quickest way to see its structure without reading everything closely.

The same skill of identifying the main idea of a paragraph helps you make notes and write summaries in other subjects. When you can divide a passage into its natural sections and name each one, you have understood the passage. That is why this small activity carries a real-world reading skill worth practising.

FAQs on Sub-Titling

What is sub-titling in Class 11 English?

Sub-titling is the skill of dividing a long piece of writing into sections and giving each section a short sub-heading that conveys its main idea. It helps readers know at a glance which sub-topics are being addressed.

How do I divide the article ‘A New Deal for Old Cities’ into four sections?

Watch for shifts in the sub-topic. The four sections are: urban decay in India (Surat plague, sanitation), neglect of public transport (pedestrian fatalities, automobile dependence), the Curitiba model (bus-way system, flood lakes), and lessons for India (rights-based approach, role of middle class and trade unions).

What are the rules for writing a good sub-heading?

A good sub-heading names the topic specifically, stays brief (usually under 8 words), uses a phrase rather than a full sentence, and matches the tone of the article.

Can I use the same sub-heading as a classmate in the exam?

Yes, if it is accurate. Sub-titling is not a test of originality — it is a test of whether the sub-heading captures the section’s main idea. Any heading that does that job correctly is valid.

Why does the article have an italicised sentence at the top?

That italicised sentence is called a standfirst. It tells readers at a glance what the article is about, so it works as a built-in summary. In the activity, you are asked to notice it first because it is the quickest clue to the article’s overall subject.

Reference: NCERT Class 11 English textbook (Hornbill), chapter Sub-titling.

Official source: download the NCERT textbook free from ncert.nic.in.