Formatting An Essay
How to Format an Essay
Good writing is very important. You need to have accurate vocabulary, correct grammar, and strong organization and development.
You also need to make sure your writing looks correct before you submit it to your teacher. Making sure everything looks correct in your document is called formatting. You should start develop your formatting knowledge and sills while at ELS, as correct and consistent formatting will be even more important at university or in your job.
Remember that the details will vary from assignment to assignment. It is important that you (1) remember what to pay attention to, and (2) know how to do it.
Remember that the MOST important thing is that you are consistent within each assignment.
Terms and Details to Remember
Font: What the words look like
Font size: How big the words are
Font color: What color the words are
Line spacing: How much space is in between each line within each paragraph
Paragraph spacing: How much space is between the paragraphs
Alignment: Whether the words line up with the left edge, the right edge, or are centered
Indentation: If the first line of each paragraph is set in from the left edge of the paragraph
Formatting with Microsoft Word
The most common changes you'll need to make in Microsoft Word all appear on the "home" tab at the top of the screen.
Changing the Font
In this picture, you have many different fonts. You need to make all the words have the same font. Follow these steps:
Highlight all the words
Click on the font dropdown menu
Choose the font you want to use
Common fonts for academic writing are Calibri, Cambria, Arial, and Times New Roman
The most important thing is to be consistent through your entire assignment
Now, the words have the same font.
Changing the Font Size
In this picture, you have many different font sizes. You need to make all the words have the same font. Follow these steps:
Highlight all the words
Click on the font sizes dropdown menu
Choose the size you want to use
Common sizes are 11 or 12, depending on the font you are using
Again, the most important thing is to be consistent through your entire essay
Changing the Font Color
In this picture, you have many different font colors. Usually, all the words will be black automatically. However, if you copy/paste something into your document, it might be a different color. Here is how you change the color.
Highlight all the words
Click on the font color dropdown menu
Choose the color you want to use
This will almost always be black for a school assignment or normal work project
Again, the most important thing is to be consistent through your entire document