Mastering the Art of Essay Formatting

Consistency is the hallmark of professional writing. When you follow a strict formatting guide, you allow the reader to focus on your arguments rather than being distracted by irregular spacing or font changes. Use the same font style and size throughout the entire document, including your page numbers and citations.

Before you begin typing, set your word processor to standard academic defaults. This includes one inch margins on the top, bottom, left, and right. You must also set your line spacing to 2.0 or double spaced. Avoid adding extra gaps between paragraphs unless specifically instructed by your style guide.

Different styles require different headers. In MLA style, you typically include your name, instructor, course, and date in the top left corner. In APA style, a separate title page is often required. Regardless of the style, ensure your last name and page number appear in the top right header of every page.

Every new paragraph should be indented by 0.5 inches. You can usually achieve this by pressing the Tab key once. Your text should be left-aligned rather than justified. Left-aligned text creates a ragged right edge which is actually easier for the human eye to track during long reading sessions.

The final page of your essay is the most technical part of formatting. Whether it is a Works Cited page or a Reference list, use a hanging indent for every entry. This means the first line of the citation starts at the margin, while subsequent lines of the same citation are indented.