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Published on: Dec 29, 2019
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Every high school student has to write essays now and then. However, writing an essay is not only about narrating information or views on a piece of paper.
Instead, a good essay follows a proper format according to accepted standards and guidelines.
Most of the time, your institution or instructor mentions the formatting style that they require. For example, it could be MLA, APA, or Chicago - depending on your field of study.
Read this blog to learn how you can format your essay in different styles. Don’t worry, you don’t have to remember these styles by heart - you’ll get easy tips to help make formatting easier!
Let’s dive in!
Essay format refers to the organization of your essay on paper. It involves setting up the document in a way that makes it visually appealing and easy to read.
Following a specific format not only enhances the overall presentation of your essay but also helps convey your ideas effectively. It is also important for research papers and academic assignments to follow a certain format.
Note: Essay format is different from essay structure. The essay structure is about how you organize information in the introduction, body, and conclusion when writing a paper.
The essay structure includes elements like the essay outline, thesis statement, topic sentences, and concluding thoughts. Meanwhile, the essay format is concerned with the margins, font size, and page settings.
The formatting guidelines inform you about the layout of the essay and its structure. Here are the key elements of formatting an essay:
The title page contains information such as the title of the paper and the name of its author. In addition, it could also contain the name of the institution, date, instructor, and other details based on the style.
The essay should be written in the same font style throughout. The most commonly used styles include Calibri, Arial, or Times New Roman fonts as they are simple, clean, and easily readable. The font size for normal text is usually size 12 pt.
Headings should stand out in the paper. Moreover, different levels of headings should be clear just by looking.
Different formatting styles recommend different ways to achieve this. For instance, central alignment, different font style and font size, or bold and italics.
Setting appropriate margins ensures that your essay looks well-balanced and visually appealing.
Standard margins are typically one inch on all sides of the page, but specific requirements may vary. Line spacing, usually double spacing, allows sufficient room between lines. Making your essay easier to read and providing space for annotations or comments.
The headers show the page numbers to ensure correct organization of the essay. Depending on the style, they may also contain the title of the paper, the author’s name, or the heading of the current section.
Keeping a consistent alignment (either left or justified) is the standard practice for essay formatting. This alignment creates a neat and uniform appearance.
Additionally, some styles recommend indenting the first line of each paragraph by about half an inch. This helps visually separate paragraphs and maintain readability.
Citing sources and providing references is crucial to acknowledge the ideas and work of others and to avoid plagiarism. Different formatting styles have specific rules for adding in-text citations and references.
Different formatting styles recommend different settings for the above elements. Read on to learn about the most common formatting styles used in academics.
The most common formatting styles used throughout various disciplines include the following:
The APA essay format is developed and maintained by the American Psychological Association. It is mostly used in various science and social science disciplines. The latest APA style manual is the 7th edition, updated in October 2019.
Another formatting style is MLA, developed by the Modern Language Association. Students from the field of humanities use this style as a standard practice.
Students belonging to the field of business, arts, or history sometimes use this style. This formatting style was first used in 1906, and it has been updated several times since.
Apart from these, there are a number of other referencing and formatting styles. This includes Harvard, IEEE, APSA, ASA, and AMA. Some institutions or instructors may also develop custom formatting styles, but most of the time they follow one of the standard ones.
What is the MLA format for an Essay?
If you want to create an MLA format essay, then you should follow the below-mentioned formatting criteria.
Here is what an essay in MLA format looks like:
According to the APA format, the paper should be formatted according to the following guidelines:
Check out this example below:
An easy key to format your paper according to the Chicago style is the set of guidelines mentioned below:
Here are some examples of the formatting of some of the most common types of essays. Reading these examples will show you what formatting looks like in practice.
Remembering all the details of the style recommended by your professor is not easy. Then how can you ensure that your formatting is perfect before submitting your paper?
Here are a few tips:
It’s just impossible to know all the correct citation formats. Fortunately, you don’t have to! There are several citation tools and reference management programs that can generate accurate citations and references in a chosen format.
Create a checklist of formatting guidelines specific to your essay style (e.g., APA, MLA) and refer to it during the formatting process. It would make it easier to check for consistent margins, font style, headings, and other elements of formatting while proofreading.
Take the time to carefully proofread your essay specifically for formatting errors. Such as inconsistent font styles or sizes, inconsistent spacing, or improperly formatted citations.
Also check for proper alignment, paragraph indentation, and accurate page numbering.
Ask a classmate, friend, or instructor to review your essay specifically for formatting. A fresh pair of eyes can often spot formatting issues that you may have missed. Incorporate their feedback and make necessary adjustments to improve the overall formatting of your essay.
Explore pre-designed essay templates available in word processing software or online resources. These templates often come with pre-set formatting styles that you can customize to meet your specific requirements.
To Wrap Up,
Formatting your essay correctly is important for academic writing. It shows that a student has followed the standards of writing set by the academic community. Moreover, correct formatting is essential for getting your paper published or accepted by your professor.
With the guidelines, examples, and tips provided above, you are sure to complete the formatting stage with ease.
However, if you don’t have the time to review your formatting and require more help, then don’t worry!
WriteMyEssay.help is here for you. We offer a ‘do my essay’ service that will provide you quality essays at affordable rates. So place your order now.
WRITTEN BY
Cathy A., Literature, Marketing
Cathy has been a trusted source of high-quality writing for more than five years. With her in-depth knowledge of mass communication from her Master's degree, she always produces work that meets the needs of her clients. In fact, they often leave her 5-star reviews for being an outstanding writer who is very passionate about their craft.
Cathy has been a trusted source of high-quality writing for more than five years. With her in-depth knowledge of mass communication from her Master's degree, she always produces work that meets the needs of her clients. In fact, they often leave her 5-star reviews for being an outstanding writer who is very passionate about their craft.
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