How to Format an Essay
Overview
Standard essay formatting uses 12pt Times New Roman, double-spacing, 1-inch margins, and 0.5-inch paragraph indents. MLA and APA share these basics but differ in headers, title pages, and citation style. Always check your assignment for specific requirements.
Universal Formatting Rules
Regardless of citation style, virtually all academic essays share these formatting requirements:
- Font: 12pt Times New Roman (or 11pt Calibri/Arial for APA)
- Spacing: Double-spaced throughout, including headers and references
- Margins: 1 inch on all four sides
- Paragraph indent: 0.5 inches on the first line of each paragraph
- Alignment: Left-aligned (not justified)
- Page numbers: Required in the header
These defaults are built into most word processor templates labeled "MLA" or "APA." If you are setting up manually, configure these before you start writing.
MLA vs APA Formatting Comparison
| Element | MLA (9th edition) | APA (7th edition) |
|---|---|---|
| Title page | Not required | Required |
| Header | Last name + page number (right) | Running head (left) + page number (right) |
| Title | Centered, plain text, on first page | Centered, bold, on title page |
| Font | 12pt Times New Roman | 12pt TNR, 11pt Calibri, or 11pt Arial |
| Spacing | Double throughout | Double throughout |
| Margins | 1 inch all sides | 1 inch all sides |
| Paragraph indent | 0.5 inches | 0.5 inches |
| Heading levels | Not formally defined | 5 levels (bold, italic, indented) |
| In-text citation | (Author Page) | (Author, Year) |
| Reference page | Works Cited | References |
Setting Up MLA Format
MLA does not use a title page. The first page of an MLA essay includes:
- Top-left header block (double-spaced):
- Centered title on the next line, in plain text (no bold, no underline, no quotation marks around your own title)
- Page numbers in the top-right corner: your last name followed by the page number (e.g., "Smith 1")
- Begin the essay body immediately after the title, indenting the first line of the first paragraph 0.5 inches.
Setting Up APA Format
APA requires a separate title page with these elements (all centered, double-spaced):
- Title in bold, positioned 3-4 lines down from the top margin. Use title case.
- Author name(s) one line below the title
- Institutional affiliation one line below the author
- Course number and name one line below the institution
- Instructor name one line below the course
- Due date one line below the instructor
The running head (a shortened version of your title, max 50 characters) appears in the top-left header on every page. Page numbers appear in the top-right.
APA uses five heading levels for organizing sections. Level 1 headings are centered and bold. Level 2 headings are left-aligned and bold.
How to Set Up in Google Docs and Word
Google Docs:
- Font: Format > Text > select Times New Roman, 12pt
- Spacing: Format > Line & paragraph spacing > Double
- Margins: File > Page setup > set all margins to 1 inch
- Indent: Highlight text > Format > Align & indent > Indentation options > First line: 0.5 inches
- Page numbers: Insert > Headers & footers > Page number
Microsoft Word:
- Font: Home tab > select Times New Roman, 12pt
- Spacing: Home tab > Line Spacing > 2.0 (disable "Add space after paragraph")
- Margins: Layout tab > Margins > Normal (1 inch)
- Indent: Home tab > Paragraph dialog > Special: First line, 0.5 inches
- Page numbers: Insert tab > Page Number > Top of Page
Both programs have built-in MLA and APA templates accessible from the file creation screen. Using a template saves time and reduces formatting errors.
Common Formatting Mistakes
Extra space between paragraphs: Word and Google Docs add space after paragraphs by default. Turn this off. In double-spaced essays, paragraph breaks are indicated by the indent alone, not by extra blank lines.
Using spaces instead of Tab for indents: Pressing the spacebar five times looks similar to a 0.5-inch indent but creates inconsistent alignment. Always use Tab or set a first-line indent.
Wrong header format: MLA uses "Last name + page number" on the right. APA uses a running head on the left and page number on the right. Mixing these up is a common error.
Justified alignment: Academic essays use left-aligned text. Justified text creates uneven word spacing that is harder to read.
Forgetting to double-space the Works Cited or References page: The reference page follows the same double-spacing as the body. Do not single-space entries.
Frequently Asked Questions
12pt Times New Roman is the standard for MLA and is widely accepted. APA 7th edition also allows 11pt Calibri, 11pt Arial, or 10pt Lucida Sans Unicode. When in doubt, use Times New Roman; it is accepted everywhere.
MLA does not require a title page. Your name, instructor, course, and date go on the first page, followed by a centered title. APA requires a separate title page with the title (bold), author name, and institutional affiliation.
Left-align (also called "ragged right"). Both MLA and APA require left-aligned text. Full justification creates uneven spacing between words and is not standard for academic essays.
Use a 0.5-inch first-line indent for each paragraph. Set this using your word processor's paragraph settings or press Tab once. Do not use the spacebar to create indents; the spacing will be inconsistent.
MLA is used in humanities (English, literature, philosophy) and uses in-text author-page citations. APA is used in social sciences (psychology, sociology, education) and uses in-text author-date citations. They also differ in title page requirements, header format, and heading levels.
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