Why I want a wife?

No, if you add the word 'do' then that would turn the title into a question. I'm sorry I can't really think of an explanation beyond that. Does anyone else have any thoughts?

AnonymousI read an essay entitled 'Why I want a wife'.Shouldn't it be 'Why do I want a wife' grammatically?

No. The title is just a noun phrase, not a complete sentence. It is very rare for a title to be a complete sentence. A very similar complete sentence is, "This essay tells you why I want a wife", which means "This essay tells you the reason that I wan

Do you mean a question cannot be a title grammatically?

I see.Many thanks to both of you!

Best regards!

Peter

AnonymousDo you mean a question cannot be a title grammatically?

No. It is not grammatically wrong, but it's not common for a question to be a title.

CJ

Now I totally get it.I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Best of luck,

Peter

Is the optional addition of 'on' suitable for an original title or just for a response title?

On why I want a wife

On 'Why I want a wife'

On "Why I do want a wife?"

Anonymousaddition of 'on' suitable for an original title or just for a response title

Either.

On Why I Want a Wife could be the title of an essay that explains why the author wants a wife.

On "Why I Want a Wife" could be the title of a critique of the essay Why I Want a Wife.

Likewise, you could have On "On Wh

Thanks, CJ.

I just saw the apparent placement of 'I' before 'do' in the last example of my previous post.

It can be grammatically correct, but in the negative sense.

On why I don't want a wife

Also, the introduction of a simple comma adds a whole new dimension to the title.

Why,I want a wife!

Anonymous... the introduction of a simple comma adds a whole new dimension to the title.
Why, I want a wife!

True, but note that the use of "why" as an introductory pause word is dying out - at least in the United States. I can only imagine people in my grandfather's generation using it.