Is it better to use italics or underlining to emphasise a word as in the sentence below -

'but, if you do anything like this again, you will be prosecuted; which means going to court and facing a judge.'

or

'but, if you do anything like this again, you will be prosecuted; which means going to court and facing a judge.'


Kat x

I think everyone uses italics, these days. Underlining in handwriting and typewriter days was all there was to indicate emphasis, so it's also how you instruct a typesetter to set something in italics (including book titles etc.). But that's not for you to worry about.

The only time I'd use underlining is if I was setting out a letter in a novel exactly as it would have been written, and then I'd use underline if the writer would have...

Emma

I agree, italics.

But I'd probably also think about avoiding using them as much as possible, by employing more emphatic words to imply the stress you want. You absolutely will be prosecuted, you will certainly be prosecuted, etc...

R x

Thanks, I have used italics, but just wondered which was preferrable.

Thanks Rosy, yeah agree about emphasising another way.

Kat x