how to write a essay on microsoft word

How to Set Up and Use MLA Format in Microsoft Word

The Modern Language Association (MLA) is an organization that provides guidelines for professional and academic writers. Many universities, employers, and professional agencies now require writers to conform to the MLA style since it’s easy to use and consistent.

In this article, we’ll cover how you can use the MLA format in Microsoft Word.

The MLA Format Requirements

Here are the basic MLA guidelines:

• Use 1-inch margins on all sides
• Use a legible font like Times New Roman
• Use 12 size font
• Use double-spacing throughout the entire document
• Use indentation for the beginning of each paragraph
• Include a header that displays your surname and page numbers on the top right-hand side
• The first page should include your name, paper information and date
• The title of your paper should be centered on the first page
• The end of the paper should include a Works Cited page with MLA citations

How to Set Up the MLA Format in Word

Here’s how you can organize your Word document so that it conforms to the MLA guidelines. We’ll cover each requirement in turn, so start at the top and work your way down.

1. Set the Margins

To set 1-inch margins:

• Click on the Layout tab (in older versions of Word this will be Page Layout ).

• Select Margins then click Custom Margins .

• For the Top , Bottom , Right and Left margins, type 1 and press Enter .

• Select OK .

2. Set the Font and Font Size

To change the font:

• Select the Home tab.

• Click the font drop-down menu and select the Times New Roman font (or a similar font like Calibri).
• Click the font size drop-down menu and select 12 .

3. Set Double Line Spacing

To set double-spacing:

• Select the spacing drop-down menu . This icon looks like blue up and down arrows beside four horizontal lines. Click 2 .

4. Set the Indentation

To set paragraph indentation:

• Right-click the document and select Paragraph .

• Make sure the Indents and Spacing tab is selected.
• Click the drop-down menu beneath Special and select First line . Then, click the field beneath By and type 1 cm .

Alternatively, you can press the tab key before starting each new paragraph.

5. Set the Header

To set your header:

• Click the Insert tab.

• In the Header & Footer section, select Header and click Blank (the top option).

• In the header, type your name and press the spacebar once.
• Click the Home tab.
• Select Align Text Right in the Paragraph section.

6. Set the Page Number

To set page numbers:

• Using your cursor, click in the header after your name.
• Select the Header and Footer tab.

• Select Page Number , click Current Position and select Plain Number .

7. Include Key Information on the First Page

Now that your formatting is set up, it’s time to include the required information on the first page of your document.

This should be one to four lines with your full name and other key information such as your course name, course number, instructor’s name, and date (written in a day, month, year format).

After the date, click the Enter key, type your document or research paper’s title and center the text by pressing Align Text Center in the Home tab.

8. Format the Works Cited Page

If you include citations in your document, these also need to conform to the MLA handbook. The list should be:

• Titled with “Works Cited” at the top of page
• In alphabetical order
• Left-justified
• Double-spaced
• Indented with a hanging indent

To include a hanging indent, select your citation list, right-click your document and select Paragraph . In the Indentation section, select the drop-down box underneath Special , select Hanging , and click OK .

Time to Get Writing

Now that you’ve formatted your MLA paper correctly, it’s finally time to get writing. With this formatting guide, you’ll have no trouble passing the MLA requirements. Just make sure to double-check your document before you submit it!

Jake Harfield is an Australian freelance writer whose passion is finding out how different technologies work. He has written for several online publications, focusing on explaining what he has learned to help others with their tech problems. He’s an avid hiker and birder, and in his spare time you’ll find him in the Aussie bush listening to the birdsong. Read Jake's Full Bio

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HOW TO – Format papers in standard academic format (using Microsoft Word)

This guide explains how to format your documents in Microsoft Word so that they follow the standard rules for formatting academic papers as described in most MLA and APA style books for undergraduate writing. These rules apply to most of the papers you will submit in your college classes, but in some cases your professors will want you to follow specific guidelines that may differ from those below. Always clarify with your professor which set of guidelines he or she wants you to follow before you submit a paper.

Using standard formatting for academic papers shows that you understand the customs of the university community and therefore helps to boost your own credibility. Using unusual or highly distinctive formatting, on the other hand, suggests that your previous schooling did not adequately prepare you for university work. Consider the impact of unusual formatting: not only does it call attention to your paper in a way that might not be positive, professors might also see it as a sign that you’re trying to artificially inflate page length.

Note: These instructions apply to all versions of Word for Mac and for the 2003 version of Word for Windows. I haven’t yet updated them to include instructions for the 2007 version of Word for Windows, but the tools should nevertheless be easy to find if you look around on the toolbar at the top.

• 2 DOCUMENT MARGINS
• 3 INDENTATION
• 5 ALIGNMENT
• 6.1 Heading
• 6.3 Sample First Page
• 7 PAGE NUMBERS
• 8.1 Document Spacing
• 8.2 Paragraph Spacing
• 9 CREATE NEW PAGE
• 10 BLOCKED QUOTATIONS
• 11 RESOURCES

DOCUMENT MARGINS

Rule : Papers submitted for review or grading should have 1” margins all around. This should be the default for Word, but if your default setting is to have left and right margins of 1.25”, change your default. Page length requirements are based on 1” margins.

Instructions : Go to the Format menu, drag down to Document, change the margins, and the click on the Default button and accept the change to the Normal template. Make sure you leave the gutter set to 0” or you’ll mess up your document formatting.

INDENTATION

Rule : The first line of each paragraph should be automatically indented.

Instructions : This should be the default for Word, but if not, you might want to change your Normal style, as described above. To change the indentation format for a document, choose Select All from the Edit menu. Then go to the Format menu, drag down to Paragraph, look under the “Special” drop-down menu in the Indentation section, and select “First Line.” This setting automatically indents the first line of a new paragraph so that you don’t have to do it manually.

Rule : College papers should be in a standard academic font: either Times New Roman or Cambria, in 12pt size. (If you submit a paper in another font, I will change it on the file I download.)

Instructions : Times New Roman or Cambria 12pt should be the default for Word, but if yours is different then change your default. Go to the Format menu, drag down to Style, make sure “Normal” is selected from the list of styles, and click “modify.” Choose the correct font and size from the Formatting menu. Click “OK” to make the change to your default settings.

Rule : The text of your paper should be left aligned, NOT justified, as justified text is hard to read if it hasn’t been professionally typeset. The default in Word is left alignment, so don’t change it.

FIRST PAGE FORMAT

Rule : In the upper left corner of the first page of your document, type your name, the date, the course number and section (or topic), and the version of the paper (such as Paper 1 Second Draft), each on a separate line. Be sure to change the date and paper version when you submit revisions and final versions. See the sample below.

DO NOT use the “headers” feature from the header/footer menu to create this full heading as that will make it appear on every page, which is not customary in academic writing. Also do NOT use a title page unless the assignment specifically asks for one.

Rule : Skip a line after the heading and center an original title that conveys the topic of your paper. Do not use underlining or italics in the heading (unless you’re referring to the title of a book or periodical). Do not use bold text or ALL CAPS.

Sample First Page

Page numbers.

Rule : All papers should have automatically inserted page numbers that show in the upper right corner on all pages except the first. Do not insert these page numbers by hand. Instead, use Word’s Header/Footer tool.

For documents following MLA format, put your last name and page number in the upper right corner. For documents following APA format, put a short version of your title (instead of your last name) and the page number in the upper right corner.

Instructions : Go to the View menu and choose “Header and Footer.” You’ll see a header box appear at the top and a footer box at the bottom. Click in the header box, type your last name (or title), make it align to the right, and then select Page Numbers from the Insert menu.

When you’re finished, click on the “Close” tab under the Header view. Each page of your document should now display a page number at the upper right that updates automatically when you make changes to the document. It will appear as grayed out text unless you active the Header and Footer tool to make changes.

To change the setting so that page numbers do not display on the first page, go to the Format men, drag down to Document, and click on the Layout button. Then check the box next to “Different First Page.” Click OK. If necessary, remove the header that appears on the first page and insert a header on the second page, which will automatically appear on all subsequent pages as well.

Document Spacing

Rule : The entire paper should be double-spaced, including the heading and bibliography.

Instructions : Choose “Select All” from the Edit menu, go to the Format menu and drag down to Paragraph, and choose “double” from the “line spacing” menu in the Spacing section. Or you can use these keyboard shortcuts. On a Mac, use Cmd-A to select all and Cmd-2 to double-space. On a PC, use Ctrl-A to select all and Ctrl-2 to double space.

Paragraph Spacing

Rule : Papers should have no extra spacing after paragraphs. This should be the default for Word, but if your default setting is to have 10pt spacing after paragraphs, change your default.

Instructions : Go to the Format menu, drag down to Style, make sure “Normal” is selected from the list of styles, and click “modify.” In the lower left corner, select the dropdown menu that starts with “Format” and drag down to Paragraph. In the paragraph settings menu that pops up, change the settings for Spacing After to 0pt.

CREATE NEW PAGE

Instead of using a lot of returns before starting your bibliography, create a new page for it following these instructions.

Go to the Insert menu, drag down to Break, and then drag over to Page Break.

BLOCKED QUOTATIONS

Rule : If a quotation will exceed four lines within a paragraph, you should separate it out by blocking and indenting it. As with any quotation, a blocked quotation should be clearly introduced by the sentence that leads up to it and it should also be properly cited, but the rules for blocked quotations are somewhat different. The blocking take the place of quotation marks, and unlike in a regular in-paragraph quotation, the parenthetical citation goes outside of the final period instead of inside of it (given that the blocked quote might contain several sentences.)

Instructions : Type the quotation in its own paragraph, without quotation marks, and remove the indent from the first line. Type the source in parentheses after the last period of the last sentence. With your cursor, select the quotation, from the first word to the end of the parenthetical citation, and click the Increase Indent button from the Paragraph Formatting menu.

• MLA Formatting Guidelines for College Papers
• APA Formatting Guidelines for College Papers
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How to Use MLA Format in Microsoft Word

A popular formatting style for academic documents is the MLA format. Here’s how to use MLA formatting in Microsoft Word.

The Modern Language Association , or MLA, allows formatting guidelines for professional and academic papers—it’s uniform and easy to use. If you have an essay to write, educators could require it to be written using the MLA format.

However, specific criteria must be met to have a properly formatted MLA paper. The process involves setting correct margins, using the right font, double-spacing the body’s content, and other essential rules. If you haven’t written a document in this format before, here’s how to use the MLA format in Microsoft Word.

How to Use an MLA Formatted Document Template in Word

To most straightforward way to set up an essay in MLA format is to use one of Microsoft’s templates.

To use an MLA format template, do the following:

• Open a new blank Microsoft Word  document.

• A generic MLA formatted essay paper will appear, and you can type in the data you need for your article.

• The process is as easy as going through the document and adding your own data. For example, if you copy and paste a quote, remember to change the font to Times New Roman and set its size to 12 .

• With MLA format, the entire document needs to be double-spaced. If you need to correct a sentence or two, highlight the sentences, right-click to pull up the formatting box.

How to Manually Set Up MLA Formatting from Scratch in Word

You can also set up the MLA format manually. To set up MLA Format in Word, do the following:

• Double-click the top of the document to bring up the Header area and type your full name.

• Type your last name in the Header area and a single space.

• Double-click an empty area of the document to exit the Header area and type your full name. Ensure the Paragraph is set to Alight Left and enter the info shown in the template above—name, teacher name, course, date, etc.

• Now, before typing the body of your text, set the Paragraph section to Align Left .

Also, remember that when you’ve finished your essay, you need to insert citations for an excellent grade.

Using MLA Format in Microsoft Word

The steps above will help you set up MLA formatting in a Microsoft Word document.

It’s worth noting that some professors may put their own spin on the MLA format, so make sure you speak to them before starting your essay. You might need to make some adjustments to the template formatting to get the style right in your document.

You can do other exciting things with Microsoft Word, like transcribing audio files or seeing the word count in a Word document . It’s also worth noting that you can insert custom headers and footers or insert a block quote in Microsoft Word .

Derrick Fuentes

March 12, 2023 at 10:24 pm

Thank you veryb much for writing this article this saved my ass.

January 30, 2024 at 9:13 pm

Thank you very much for this article! My instructor asked to write all assignments in MLA format, with the textbook explaining the ins and outs of the format, all of course but how to practically use MLA in Microsoft Word! Hence I am very appreciative of this short article :-)

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Quick Links

Finding sources with the researcher tool, using smart lookup and search, adding citations and bibliographies, inserting hyperlinks, including footnotes and endnotes, inserting and numbering equations, including page or section numbers.

College is tough enough without spending time trying to figure out how to make your essay meet certain requirements. Microsoft Word offers several features that make writing and formatting your school papers a little easier.

One task you likely spend time on when creating your essay is research. Rather than jump back and forth between Word and your browser, you can use the built-in Researcher tool .

With it, you can find sources like scholarly articles, websites, images, and similar items you need for your paper. Then, add items, insert quotes, and cite the sources directly from Researcher.

On the References tab, click "Researcher" in the Research section of the ribbon.

When the sidebar opens on the right, enter your search term and press Enter.

You'll then see all results for your term provided by Bing. You can review details from journals and websites, select an item to read more, and even add the source directly to your paper.

Another handy tool for doing your research in Word is the Smart Lookup or Search tool. Slightly different than Researcher, this search tool helps you find definitions, pronunciations, and basic information for a search term. For certain types of items, you can add a link or citation to your paper. The tool is basically for general searches which can be quite handy.

This is directly to the left of the Researcher button on the References tab. Click the Smart Lookup or Search button to open the sidebar. Then enter your search term into the box at the top.

You can use the More drop-down arrow to narrow down the results by web or media. This is helpful for providing you with a definition, popular websites for references, and images or other media for your search term.

Depending on the type of item that displays, you can select the plus sign or three dots on the top to cite that source, insert a link, or open the item for full details.

Once you've done your research, it's time to create citations. You normally need a bibliography to list the sources of your in-text references. Word makes citing your sources and listing them correctly an easy task.

Related: How To Automatically Add Citations And Bibliographies To Microsoft Word

Whether you're required to use MLA, APA, Chicago, or another style for your essay, you can add your citations and bibliography in just a few steps.

To add a citation, go to the References tab and the Citations & Bibliography section of the ribbon. Choose the writing format from the Style drop-down list.

Then, select Insert Citation > Add New Source, enter all the necessary details, and click "OK." You'll then see your citation in your text.

When you're ready to create the bibliography, place your cursor in the spot where you want it. Select the Bibliography drop-down box on the References tab and choose the one you want to use.

This automatically creates and formats the bibliography for you per the writing style you selected earlier.

For complete details and additional features, take a look at our dedicated article on citations and bibliographies in Word .

When you add citations and other references to your document, you might need to link to them if they're on the web. You can easily add hyperlinks to text in your document.

Select the text you want to link and either right-click or head to the Insert tab.

Choose Links > Insert Link and choose "Existing File or Web Page" in the box that appears. Enter or paste a copied URL into the Address box and click "OK."

You'll then see your text linked to your web source.

If you have notes you want to add to your paper such as a comment or additional information, you can include those details in footnotes and endnotes. This allows you to add the information you need to the bottom of the page (footnote) or end of the section or paper (endnote) without distracting from the main content.

Related: How to Use Footnotes and Endnotes in Microsoft Word

To add one or the other, place your cursor in your text where you want the indicator to appear. Go to the References tab and Footnotes section of the ribbon. Choose either "Insert Footnote" or "Insert Endnote."

You'll see the superscript indicator where you placed your cursor and be automatically directed to the footnote or endnote to add your details.

If you want to adjust the format, placement, numbering, or other features, check out our full tutorial on footnotes and endnotes in Word .

If the type of paper you're composing is for a math class, you'll likely need to include equations. With Word, you can add equations formatted correctly and number your inserted equations as well.

Related: How to Make a Fraction in Microsoft Word

To add an equation, you can use the Ink to Math equation editor . Head to the Draw tab and select "Ink to Math."

Write your equation in the large center area and you'll see a preview on top. You can use the erase, select and correct, or clear tools as needed.

When you finish, click "Insert" to pop the equation into your paper.

If you're required to number your equations or simply prefer to, you can easily add captions to them. Select an equation, go to the References tab, and pick "Insert Caption" in the Captions section of the ribbon.

When the Caption box opens, choose "Equation" in the Label drop-down list. Then, select the position or adjust the numbering as needed. Click "OK" to insert the caption.

One more feature of Word that might be a requirement for your essay is numbering. You can include page or section numbers, choose the placement, and make the first page different if you're using a title page.

Related: How to Work with Page Numbers in Microsoft Word

To add page numbers, go to the Insert tab and Header & Footer section of the ribbon. Use the Page Number drop-down menu to select the area of the page and then pick an option for the position of the numbers.

To change the pages containing numbers, remove the first page from numbering, and include any other details with the page numbers, open the Header & Footer tab. You'll see this tab if you double-click in the header or footer where you place your page numbers.

For details on using section numbers, review our how-to for working with page numbers in Word .

For citing sources, linking to them, doing research, and organizing your paper with page numbers, these Word features should have you off to a great start for your school year.

For more, look at how to change the margins or how to use double-spacing in your Word document. And as you pursue your future career, learn a few quick tips on formatting professional-looking documents in Word .

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Writing-Related Software Tutorials

How to Use Microsoft Word (10 Core Skills for Beginners)

By Erin Wright

Do you want to learn how to use Microsoft Word quickly? This tutorial teaches ten core skills for beginners.

Table of Contents

How to Start a New Document

How to change the font, size, and color, how to change the alignment, line spacing, and indentations, how to add headings, how to change the margins, how to add images, how to add page numbers, how to add headers and footers, how to run the editor (spelling and grammar check), how to save and print your file.

Please note that this is a quick start guide. I have in-depth tutorials for most of these topics for those who would like to learn more.

Watch all the steps shown here in real time!

Explore more than 250 writing-related software tutorials on my YouTube channel .

The images below are from Word for Microsoft 365. These steps are similar in Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016.

We will cover these ten core skills in Word for Mac in a separate tutorial.

• Open Word on your computer.

When Word opens, you will be in the Home screen of the Backstage view.

• Select Blank document to start a new document. (Alternatively, select Open if you want to open an existing Word document.)

When the new document opens, you will be in the Home tab in the ribbon , and your cursor will automatically be placed towards the top, left-hand corner of the page, ready to type.

You can change the font, size, and color before or after you type text. However, if you want to change existing text, first left-click, hold, and drag with your mouse to select the text.

• Select the Home tab in the ribbon if you are not already there (see figure 2).
• Select the menu arrow to open and choose from the (A) Font , (B) Font Size , or (C) Font Color menus in the Font group.

If you selected existing text, that text will change immediately. If you haven’t selected existing text, all new text will feature the choices you just made.

Further Reading: How to Change the Font, Font Size, and Font Color in Microsoft Word

Like the font choices shown above, you can change the alignment, line spacing, and indentations before or after you type text. However, if you want to change existing text, first left-click, hold, and drag with your mouse to select the text.

• Select the Home tab, if you are not already there (see figure 2).
• Select the Align Left , Center , Align Right , or Justify button to position the text on the page.

• Select the Line and Paragraph Spacing menu arrow and then choose a spacing option from the drop-down menu.

• Select the Decrease Indent or Increase Indent buttons to adjust the indent as necessary.

Further Reading: How to Adjust Line Spacing in Microsoft Word and Three Ways to Indent Paragraphs in Microsoft Word

You can turn existing text into a heading or choose a heading level before typing the heading text.

• Select the Home tab if you are not already there (see figure 2).
• Select a heading level from the Styles group.

• If the heading level you want isn’t visible, select the More button.

• Select a heading level from the menu that appears over the Styles group.

Further Reading: How to Create and Customize Headings in Microsoft Word

You can change the page margins for your entire Word document at once.

• Select the Layout tab in the ribbon.

• Select the Margins button and then select an option from the drop-down menu.

Further Reading: How to Adjust the Page Margins in Microsoft Word

• Place your cursor where you want to insert the image.
• Select the Insert tab in the ribbon, select the Pictures button, and then select the location of the image:
• This Device lets you choose an image stored on your computer or network server.
• Stock Images lets you choose stock images, icons, cutout people, stickers, and illustrations. The full stock image library is only available to users signed into Word for Microsoft 365.
• Online Pictures lets you search for images through Bing, Microsoft’s search engine.

For this tutorial, we will insert an image stored on the device.

• (For “This Device” option only) Locate and select the image in the Insert Picture dialog box and then select the Insert button.

Your image should now appear in your Word document.

• (Optional) Select one of the resizing handles and then drag the image to a new size.

• (Optional) Select the Layout Options button and then choose how the image is positioned with the surrounding text:

A. In Line with Text

E. Top and Bottom

F. Behind Text

G. In Front of Text

The effect of each option will depend on the size of your image and the density of your text. So, you may need to experiment with several options to find the one most suited to your content.

Further Reading: How to Insert and Modify Images in Microsoft Word

• Select the Insert tab in the ribbon (see figure 13).
• Select the Page Number button and then select a location from the drop-down menu, followed by a design from the submenu.
• Select the Close button to close the Header and Footer tab. (This tab only appears when the Header and Footers areas are active.)

Further Reading: How to Add Page Numbers in Microsoft Word

• Select the Header or Footer button and then select a design from the drop-down menu.

• Type your text into the placeholders.

• Select the Close button to close the Header and Footer tab (see figure 18).

Further Reading: How to Insert Headers and Footers in Microsoft Word

In Word for Microsoft 365, the spelling and grammar check is called the Editor. Your spelling and grammar options will depend on which version of Word you are using. Therefore, your interface may look different than the images shown below.

• Select the Review tab in the ribbon and then select the Editor button. (Older versions of Word will have a Check Document button, instead.)

• Select the corrections or refinements category you want to review in the Editor pane.

• If Word finds a possible error, select a recommendation or select Ignore Once or Ignore All .

Word will automatically move to the next issue within the category.

• Select a new category or select the closing X to close the Editor.

What Is the Difference between the Editor Button and the Spelling and Grammar Button?

You may notice a Spelling and Grammar button next to the Editor button in the Review tab. This button provides a quick way to check only spelling or spelling and grammar without checking the additional refinements reviewed by the Editor.

Further Reading: How to Use the Editor in Word for Microsoft 365

I recommend saving your file before printing just in case there is a disruption during the printing process.

• Select the File tab in the ribbon.

• Select the Save tab in the Backstage view.

• Select the location where you want to save the File.

• Type a name in the File Name text box and then select the Save button.

• Once you have saved your document to a specific location, you can then select the Save icon if you make changes to the document later.

• To print, reselect the File tab (see figure 26) and then select the Print tab in the Backstage view.

• Ensure the correct printer is selected and turned on, enter the number of copies into the text box, and then select the Print button.

From there, follow any additional dialog boxes provided by your printer.

Updated November 26, 2023

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• How to Format an Essay with Microsoft Word

How To Format An Essay With Microsoft Word

Follow these steps to put a smile on your instructor’s face – and more importantly, to correctly format your essay.

• Click on the Microsoft Word icon on the computer screen
• After Microsoft Word loads, click on Format at the top of the screen and then on Paragraph
• In the Paragraph box, click inverted triangle next to Line Spacing and then click on Double from the drop down menu
• Click on “View” at top of screen and then click on “Header and Footer”
• You should now be in the “Header” box. Hold down the “Ctrl” button (on bottom of keyboard near the space bar), and press down the letter “R” once. The cursor should now be at the right hand side of the Header box
• Type in your last name (ex. Doe) and press the space-bar once
• In the blue and gray “Header and Footer” box, click on the white page icon (the one with the single pound sign: ex. # ) on the extreme left
• Click on the “Close” button. You should now see your last name and the numeral 1 in a light gray in the upper right hand corner of your document (ex. Doe 1).
• Wipe the sweat off your brow
• Type in you first and last name (ex. Jane Doe) and press the “Enter” key
• Type your Instructor’s name (ex. Dr. Bordelon) and press the “Enter” key
• Type your course name, number, and section (ex. English 021-06) and press the “Enter” key
• type in your full name and essay # (example: Emily Dickinson Essay #1)
• press the “Enter” key
• Shout “Yahoo!” really loud
• Click on “Insert” at top of the screen and then on “Date and Time”
• Click on the date in the month, day, year format (ex. July 15, 1999) and press the “Enter” key
• type in you title (Ex: How to Set Up MLA Format in Microsoft Word) and
• press the “Enter” key . (Note: do not bold or underline your title and do not put it in quotation marks)
• Press the “Back Space” key once and then the “Tab” key
• Begin typing your paper in MLA college essay format.

**Before ending your work session, remember to save back up copy to A:drive or flash drive.**

• After Microsoft Word loads, click on “Format” at the top of the screen and then on “Paragraph”
• In the “Paragraph” box, click inverted triangle next to “Line Spacing” and then click on “Double” from the drop down menu
• Type short title of essay and press the space-bar once
• Press enter until the center of the page, hold down the ctrl key and press E once: then type in your title
• Press enter twice and type first and last name (ex. Jane Doe)
• Go down to end and type your course name, number, and section (ex. English 021-06) and press the “Enter” key, type professor’s name, enter, and the date.
• Almost there . . . . Hold down the “Ctrl” key and press the “Enter” key. You should be on a new page. Hold down Ctrl and press letter “E” once.” Type title
• Begin typing your paper in APA college essay format.
• Scroll or page down to the end of your last paragraph
• Hold down the “Ctrl” key (on bottom of keyboard near the space bar) and press the “Enter” key once
• You’ve just created a “hard page break” that will keep your Works Cited page separate from the rest of your essay.
• hold down the “Ctrl” key (on bottom of keyboard near the space bar);
• press the letter “E” once (The cursor should now be at the middle of your screen);
• type “Works Cited” if using MLA citation or “References” if using APA (Note: do not bold or underline it); and
• Press the “Back Space” key once and begin adding your entries in  alphabetical order .

Need Additional Assistance?

Visit occ’s writing center.

The Writing Center is open to OCC and Kean Ocean students and is here to assist with papers, research, presentations, and reading for any course. Our staff is filled with well-trained writing consultants that are available to assist at any step of the writing process you are in, from brainstorming to final editing we are here to help you succeed!

Tips for Formatting an Essay in Microsoft Word: Fonts and More

• Brian D. Taylor
• Categories : Help with writing assignments paragraphs, essays, outlines & more
• Tags : Homework help & study guides

Why is Formatting Important?

Formatting refers to the arrangement of text on a document. There are many ways to format different types of documents. The focus of this guide will be formatting for essays.

In general, you will want your documents to look neat and professional. Special attention to formatting will ensure that your essays make a great first impression. In fact, some teachers will mark your paper down if you do not format correctly, or follow specific guidelines the teacher has requested (such as double spacing.)

Typography is a term that was first used when referring to how letters were chosen and set for printing on a press. In today’s age of word processors, it now refers to font selection and formatting. Pay careful attention to how you use typography in your essay. Font selection is of key importance. When you are writing an essay for a school assignment, you should make sure your font looks neat and professional. Remember, your essay will have to be read at some point, so you should make sure it can be read easily.

Fonts to Choose

Serif fonts assist with readability. A serif font has little lines on the end of the character. The lines help the eye move from letter to letter more easily. Some examples of standard serif fonts in Microsoft Word are Times New Roman, Courier New, and Book Antiqua. You should use a serif font for the majority of your essay. Be careful, though. Some serif fonts, still would not be acceptable. For instance, serif font styles such as Goudy Stout or Engravers MT would not look professional as the text of your essay because they are big and bulky. Choose carefully.

Sans serif fonts do not have the little lines at the end of the letters. Some examples of sans serif fonts are Arial, Calibri, and Comic Sans. Usually, sans serif fonts work well in short sections of text such as headings or titles. It is best not to use a sans serif font as the bulk of your essay. Furthermore, while I suggested Comic Sans as an example for a sans serif font, its use is typically frowned upon as it does not present a professional quality.

Another aspect of typography is the size of your font. Fonts are measured in points. A one point font is 1/72 of an inch. A 72 point font would measure one inch. Normally, you should choose 10 to 12 point font for all parts of your essay. Font sizes smaller than ten points become difficult to see and read. Font sizes larger than twelve point are difficult to read as well, and they make your teacher think that you’re just trying to use more space.

Bolding & Italicizing

At times, you may need to use bold, italics, or underlining. Bold is best used only in the title of your essay, if at all. Italics and underlining are typically used when you need to emphasize text or if you are referring to a title of another work.

To format your fonts in Microsoft Word, first select the text you wish to format. From there, you have a few options. You can format directly with the formatting toolbar which, by default, appears at the top of the window. You can also use the Format Font Window, which will give you more options. To get there, right click with the mouse and choose “Font” from the menu that appears. The Format Font Window looks like the image to the left (click on the image for a larger view). The selected text will appear in the preview pane. As you format the text, you can see how your text will look in the preview pane. When you have completed formatting your text, click OK to return to your document.

Spacing refers to the amount of space between lines of text. Typically, teachers ask for double spaced text for most assignments. The extra space between each line gives them room for comments and corrections. The extra space also makes the text easier to read. Always double check your teacher’s spacing policy, though. Sometimes a teacher will require a certain page total for your writing, while expecting single spaced lines. Double spacing will cut the length of your essay in half which will cause you to lose points. Always be sure to double check what the teacher wants.

Typically, headings are single spaced. There’s not much reason to have extra space between lines of your heading, so do not use it unless you’ve been directed otherwise. If you are using a quote of four lines or larger, it requires special formatting. Typically, this should be single spaced, as well.

You can also space at the paragraph level. This type of spacing appears before or after a paragraph.

To control spacing in Microsoft Word, select the text, then right click. Choose “Paragraph.” This will open the Format Paragraph Window. It should look like the image to the left (click on the image for a larger view). In the Spacing section, you’ll see two fields: one for Before and one for After. These allow you to space paragraphs apart, either before the paragraph or after. The spacing is measured in points, similar to fonts.

To the right, you can space at the line level. To double space your essay, choose Double from the drop down menu. Similarly, choose Single to single space. There are some other choices for more precise line spacing, but typically double and single will do for most school essays.

Indentation

Indentation refers to spacing from the left or right of the page. For most of the paragraphs in your essay, you will need to indent the first line. A good standard is a .5" first line indent. The tab key is usually set to tab over .5", but it is good practice to use the Format Paragraph Window to ensure that your indentations are correct.

To set a .5" first line indent for all paragraphs, select your text, then right click. Choose “Paragraph.” This will bring up the Format Paragraph Window. In the Indentation section, choose First Line from the drop down menu labeled Special. This will activate a first line indent for your text. Now choose the measurement for the indent. Again, .5" is a good standard to follow.

There are other times when you may need to pay attention to indentation. Let’s say you have a research paper that requires a bibliography or works cited page. The hanging indent option can come in handy and many works cited entries require one. A hanging indent is like the opposite of a first line indent; it indents everything but the first line. You set up a hanging indent in the same way you do a first line indent, only choose Hanging from the drop down menu in the Format Paragraph Window.

Finally, if you are quoting material of four or more lines, you will need to separate the text from the rest of the paragraph and indent both sides. To do this, go to the Format Paragraph Window. Choose the text to be indented and choose the measurement of indent for both left and right sides. Usually, you will want 1" on each side of quoted material. A sample image is attached to show how this should appear on the page.

Working with Images

Sometimes, a teacher will allow the use of images in an essay. Be sure to check with the teacher before adding images as some teachers frown upon their use. Even if the images are allowed, be sure to use them wisely and sparingly. Typically, less is more when it comes to using pictures in essay writing. Teachers want you to create pictures with your words instead!

To insert an image you can copy and paste it into the document, or you can use the insert image function. Once the image is placed into the document, it can be formatted. Begin with the layout of the photo. Right click the image and choose Format Picture. Click on the Layout tab at the top of the window. Here you have several options. In line with Text will cause your image to act as text. This option may cause your text to behave in unexpected ways. This option will almost always create large gaps of space in your essay and is best avoided. The Square or Tight options will cause the text to wrap around your image, thus eliminating the problem of the gaps. One of these two options is best.

Next, you will need to choose the alignment of the image. This appears near the bottom of the Layout tab. Choose which side of the page you wish the image to appear and click OK to see your results. If you change your mind about the alignment of the image, you can now click and drag the image to where you would like it. Since you’ve chosen the Square or Tight text alignment option, the text will simply wrap around the image wherever you place it. Be sure that when placing the image, the text remains in a neat and professional arrangement.

Good luck on your essay! If you have any additional Microsoft Word tips to share post them in the comments.

Generate accurate MLA citations for free

• Knowledge Base
• MLA format for academic papers and essays

MLA Format | Complete Guidelines & Free Template

Published on December 11, 2019 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on September 5, 2024 by Jack Caulfield.

The MLA Handbook provides guidelines for creating MLA citations and formatting academic papers. This includes advice on structuring parenthetical citations, the Works Cited page, and tables and figures. This quick guide will help you set up your MLA format paper in no time.

Cite your MLA source

Start by applying these MLA format guidelines to your document:

• Use an easily readable font like 12 pt Times New Roman
• Set 1 inch page margins
• Use double line spacing
• Include a ½” indent for new paragraphs
• Include a four-line MLA heading on the first page
• Center the paper’s title
• Use title case capitalization for headings
• Cite your sources with MLA in-text citations
• List all sources cited on a Works Cited page at the end

Alternatively, you can automatically apply the formatting with our MLA docx or Google Docs template.

Table of contents

How to set up mla format in google docs, header and title, running head, works cited page, creating mla style citations, headings and subheadings, tables and figures, frequently asked questions about mla format.

The header in MLA format is left-aligned on the first page of your paper. It includes

• Your full name
• Your instructor’s or supervisor’s name
• The course name or number
• The due date of the assignment

After the MLA header, press ENTER once and type your paper title. Center the title and don’t forget to apply title-case capitalization. Read our article on writing strong titles that are informative, striking and appropriate.

For a paper with multiple authors, it’s better to use a separate title page instead.

At the top of every page, including the first page, you need to include your last name and the page number. This is called the “running head.” Follow these steps to set up the MLA running head in your Word or Google Docs document:

• Double-click at the top of a page
• Type your last name
• Insert automatic page numbering
• Align the content to the right

The running head should look like this:

The Works Cited list is included on a separate page at the end of your paper. You list all the sources you referenced in your paper in alphabetical order. Don’t include sources that weren’t cited in the paper, except potentially in an MLA annotated bibliography assignment.

Place the title “Works Cited” in the center at the top of the page. After the title, press ENTER once and insert your MLA references.

If a reference entry is longer than one line, each line after the first should be indented ½ inch (called a hanging indent ). All entries are double spaced, just like the rest of the text.

Generate accurate MLA citations with Scribbr

Prefer to cite your sources manually? Use the interactive example below to see what the Works Cited entry and MLA in-text citation look like for different source types.

Headings and subheadings are not mandatory, but they can help you organize and structure your paper, especially in longer assignments.

MLA has only a few formatting requirements for headings. They should

• Be written in title case
• Be left-aligned
• Not end in a period

We recommend keeping the font and size the same as the body text and applying title case capitalization. In general, boldface indicates greater prominence, while italics are appropriate for subordinate headings.

Chapter Title

Section Heading

Tip: Both Google Docs and Microsoft Word allow you to create heading levels that help you to keep your headings consistent.

Tables and other illustrations (referred to as “figures”) should be placed as close to the relevant part of text as possible. MLA also provides guidelines for presenting them.

MLA format for tables

Tables are labeled and numbered, along with a descriptive title. The label and title are placed above the table on separate lines; the label and number appear in bold.

A caption providing information about the source appears below the table; you don’t need one if the table is your own work.

Below this, any explanatory notes appear, marked on the relevant part of the table with a superscript letter. The first line of each note is indented; your word processor should apply this formatting automatically.

Just like in the rest of the paper, the text is double spaced and you should use title case capitalization for the title (but not for the caption or notes).

MLA format for figures

Figures (any image included in your paper that isn’t a table) are also labeled and numbered, but here, this is integrated into the caption below the image. The caption in this case is also centered.

The label “Figure” is abbreviated to “Fig.” and followed by the figure number and a period. The rest of the caption gives either full source information, or (as in the example here) just basic descriptive information about the image (author, title, publication year).

Source information in table and figure captions

If the caption of your table or figure includes full source information and that source is not otherwise cited in the text, you don’t need to include it in your Works Cited list.

Give full source information in a caption in the same format as you would in the Works Cited list, but without inverting the author name (i.e. John Smith, not Smith, John).

MLA recommends using 12-point Times New Roman , since it’s easy to read and installed on every computer. Other standard fonts such as Arial or Georgia are also acceptable. If in doubt, check with your supervisor which font you should be using.

The main guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA style are as follows:

• Apply double line spacing
• Indent every new paragraph ½ inch

The fastest and most accurate way to create MLA citations is by using Scribbr’s MLA Citation Generator .

Search by book title, page URL, or journal DOI to automatically generate flawless citations, or cite manually using the simple citation forms.

The MLA Handbook is currently in its 9th edition , published in 2021.

This quick guide to MLA style  explains the latest guidelines for citing sources and formatting papers according to MLA.

Usually, no title page is needed in an MLA paper . A header is generally included at the top of the first page instead. The exceptions are when:

• Your instructor requires one, or
• Your paper is a group project

In those cases, you should use a title page instead of a header, listing the same information but on a separate page.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2024, September 05). MLA Format | Complete Guidelines & Free Template. Scribbr. Retrieved September 28, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/formatting/

Is this article helpful?

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Speaker 1: This is the Beginner's Guide to using Microsoft Word, and specifically using it to create documents like reports, essays, handouts, flyers, things like that. So I'm just going to go down here and click on Microsoft Word. If you don't have Word down here on the taskbar, you can just click here on search windows and do a search for Microsoft Word to see if it's on your computer. If that doesn't turn up anything, then it's not installed on your computer. But like I said, I'm going to go ahead and click on that to start it up, and Microsoft Word opens right up, and it gives me right away a bunch of templates that I can choose from to help me get started creating documents using Microsoft Word. You can see that there's all sorts of great documents. They have trifold brochures, they have event menus, they have blog posts, all sorts of different templates that you can use. Also across the top, notice that you can filter them by category. So I could just show business templates, I could show event templates, labels, and so on. Notice that there is an education category. You can also search for online templates here. So templates can be a great time saver. You can just select one of these templates to open it up and then edit it and use it for your own purposes. But in this tutorial, we're going to focus just on creating starting from scratch. So I'm going to click here where it says blank document, and it opens up the Microsoft Word layout and a blank document. Now, there is so much to Word. Most people don't really use Word to its full capabilities. But in this tutorial, I'm really going to focus on the basics, on those essentials that you need to know to start using Microsoft Word effectively. One of the first things I'm going to do is just close this panel here at the left that says navigation. It's a nice panel, but I'm going to get rid of that and close that out. Next, I want to give you a quick tour of what you're seeing here in the layout. You'll notice that across the top, we have tabs. We have the Home tab, Insert tab, Design tab, and this is very similar to Excel, Microsoft Excel, and also Microsoft PowerPoint. If you've watched my other tutorials, you already know about this Microsoft Office layout. But for those who maybe haven't watched those other tutorials, just a quick intro. Each of these tabs, when you click on it, will give you a different ribbon, and that's what they call this. This is the ribbon, and the ribbon changes based on the tab that you click. Okay, so if I want to change something about the layout, I click on layout, and then I look at the layout ribbon and see what I can do. Now, each ribbon is divided up into groups. So this is the Page Setup group, this is the Paragraph group, and the Arrange group. Now, what if I want to insert something, maybe a picture or a photo? I would go to the Insert tab and click, and I get the Insert ribbon with lots and lots of different groups. Now, one thing about groups that you need to be aware of is some groups will have a little launch button in the corner. So here's an example of a launch button. The Paragraph group has a launch button, but the Arrange group doesn't, at least for me it doesn't. The Page Setup group has a launch button. So what are these launch buttons, and why do you need to know about them? Well, basically, whenever you see a launch button, what that means is that there are more tools, but that they couldn't fit them in the space provided in the group. So if I don't see one of the font options that I would like to have, I look through these to see if it's there, and if it's not, I can just click here on the launch button, and then I'll get even more options. Another example over here in the Styles group, there's a few styles, but if I click here, then I get many, many more styles to choose from, and some options that I don't see just by looking at the group itself. So watch out for that launch button. Okay, now down here, I have the page of my document. This is my Word document, and it's completely blank at this time. A couple of things that I want you to know about before you get started making a document. First of all, I don't know about you, but I like to be able to see the document, at least its width. And so I'm going to go down here in the lower right corner and change the zoom level. So it was at 200%, and that was a little bit too big for me. Maybe 150, maybe 125, you know, something like that, that will be a little bit easier to fit on the screen. So I think I'll just go with this, 100%. Now in this tutorial, I'm using Microsoft Word 2016 for Windows. But if you're using an older version of Microsoft Word, or even a future version of Microsoft Word, or Word for Mac, most of what I'm showing you will still be applicable. But one of the things that I kind of miss from an older version of Microsoft Word is I miss the rulers. I'm used to having a ruler across the top, and also down the left side to help me know the size of the page that I'm working with. So I'm going to go here and look and see where might there be an option to show the ruler. And I would think it would be maybe here in the layout options. But the reason I'm bringing this up is because if you're having trouble finding an option, like I am right now, you don't need to really hunt and search for it very much. If it's not quickly showing up, all you need to do is go here to the top where it says, tell me what you want to do, and do a search. So I'll do a search for rulers. And look, right there at the top, there's an option that says show ruler, and I can click on it, and immediately the rulers pop up. Okay, so I'm happy now with the look of Microsoft Word. Okay, now I'm ready to start creating a wonderful document. And let's say this document is going to be a handout or a worksheet for my students. I can just go in and start creating. So I'll just provide a space there for the name of the student, the class period, and I'm just typing and hitting return or enter on the keyboard. And I would like this to be the title of my document. Now, this is pretty typical, but what I would do here is highlight the text, and immediately I get a pop-up here with some options that I have, but I can also go here to the home tab, home ribbon. That's where you'll find the most commonly needed options in Microsoft Word. And so look, there is center, and that's what I was hoping for. I can also underline if I want to, I can make it bold, and there's all sorts of options that you have there. I could make the text bigger, but more often than not, instead of making all of these fine-tuned adjustments, what I often do is I use these styles. And so to show that, I'm gonna click the undo button several times to go back to just the text. So with just the text selected, I'm gonna go here where it says styles, and I'll go to heading number one. And you can see what it does. It changes the color, it makes it bigger, changes the font a little bit. There's also heading number two and several other options. Title would be a good one as well. And I'm gonna go with title. Now, regardless of which one you pick, if you want, you can still adjust it. Like I would still like that to be centered. I would still like it to be underlined. And I think that looks really nice. So now I hit enter or return, and I can proceed to create this worksheet. I can type in instructions for my students. And Microsoft Word handles most of the work. I'm just typing, hitting enter, moving down. Now, I can also click to move around using the mouse, but watch what happens. I can only click so far. It's not letting me go past the current line that I've typed. I can go to the right side of it, but that's as far as it'll let me go. I can go back up, though, by clicking and make changes, make adjustments. Okay, and I'm really ruining this document, aren't I? So I'll just undo a few times. But the point is that if you want to put in some blank space and then type something below, you're gonna have to tap enter a few times to move the cursor down, and then you'll be able to type down below. Now, when you get to the bottom of the page, you hit enter, and look, it just takes you automatically to page number two. Now, a few other essential things to know about Microsoft Word include how to insert pictures, because that's really one of the powerful things about Microsoft Word. And you heard me say the keyword there, didn't you? It's insert. So I click on insert and look at the options that I have for things to insert into this document, all sorts of things, including Wikipedia articles, online videos, all sorts of neat things. But in this case, I'm gonna go to pictures, and that automatically accessed my computer, and now I can browse my computer to find pictures that I can then pull in and use in my document. So I'll pull in this skeleton. Now, whenever you put a photo or an image into Microsoft Word, it brings up some difficulties. For example, that is not at all where I wanted that photo to be. I wanted it to be here in between the text up here and the text down below. And so this is a problem. The other problem is the photo came in way too big. So let's fix some of these issues. The first thing I'm gonna do is click on the picture. Now, something subtle just happened. When I clicked on that photo, look what happened. I got an additional tab and ribbon that appeared at the top of Microsoft Word. And this is gonna be very important. Anytime you click on something, especially something special like a photo or a video, it's gonna give you some extra options. In this case, the format options. First thing I wanna do though is just resize this image. So with it selected, I can just go to the corner, any corner, click and drag to shrink that photo down to size a little bit. And that's a lot better. Now, I still, I'm struggling. I'm trying to drag it up to the place I want it to be, but it's just not quite cooperating with me. The reason why is because this photo has some specific layout options that come pre-selected by default. And so I need to change those layout options. Now, in this latest version of Microsoft Word, when you click on a photo, you'll get this little button that pops up. You can then click on it to change the layout options. But just like in older versions of Microsoft Word, you also have the option to right click and go to wrap text and that will give you the same options. So here in wrap text, I'm gonna go with in front of text or behind text. Either one will work great. I guess I'll choose behind text. And now you can see what happened. Now it's moving much more freely. I was not able to do this before. I was not able to click and drag and put the picture wherever I wanted it to be. But just by changing the options to behind text or in front of text, now it's unlocked that photo and I can put it literally anywhere in this document that I want it to be. It could even be up here in the header or in the footer. It really doesn't matter. So that's a nice little trick that you'll want to know and be able to use in your own documents. I also want you to know that you can insert online pictures and this is a great option. You can connect to the internet and do searches and find images, find clip art and things that are on the web and then just click and drag to drop them into your project. So that's a really nice option to have. Now, before we move away from the photo and move on to other topics, I want you to notice this format tab that I mentioned earlier. When you click on a photo and then the format tab, it gives you some options to do some things that are really nice. You can remove the background. In this case, it wasn't very successful in how it removed the background. You can alter the color scheme in lots of ways. You can do some corrections and there's some artistic effects. And so there's some really pretty exciting things. You could come up with some creepy images here with this skeleton. I'm gonna undo that, but these photo effects are really pretty nice. You can compress the picture as well and do some other exciting things. There's also some picture styles. For example, you can put a frame around Mr. Skeleton here and there's all sorts of different frames. You can have a kind of a fuzzy border around the skeleton if you'd like. You can make it almost 3D with some of these 3D effects. So some really nice options. You can also crop and you'll be surprised how often this is helpful and necessary. So when I clicked on crop, it gave me some additional lines and edges and things like that. So I can use that to crop out part of the photo. Whoops. And I have to make sure I get the exact line there. And then I can just click outside the box and it makes that crop effective. So watch out for this format tab. It'll appear and give you some wonderful options that you need to be aware of. There are also all sorts of other great options, especially shapes are especially good. You can put in arrows. You can put in call outs. You can put in squares, rectangles, circles, plus signs, all sorts of great shapes that are useful, especially for teachers and students. And I want you to know that you can also add a text box. Now, how is a text box special? How is it different from the regular text that you're typing in? Basically a text box is additional text that can float on top of your document. So I'm gonna go with a simple text box and I'll type in a wonderful message here and then click away. This text box now can be dragged wherever I want it to go. Now it is interacting with that text. And if I don't want that to happen, I can use this button here to make it be behind the text, the other text, or in front of the text. I'm gonna go with behind. And so now I can drag it freely. So similarly to how I fixed this photo and made it so that I could drag it anywhere I wanted it to be, it's similar with text that's in a text box. Okay, now here in the review tab, a few other basics that you need to know about whenever you're writing a paper or a report or even a worksheet like this, it's important to get the spelling right. And you can see here on the review tab, you can click spelling and grammar and it will check for spelling mistakes. It looks like it found one. I don't know how I possibly misspelled this word, but I did. And if it can, Microsoft Word will suggest alternate spellings that are correct. In this case, I've got it stumped a little bit. So I'll close that out. But I just wanted to point that out. The spelling and grammar in Word is great and is really one of the basic essentials that you need to know if you're gonna be using Microsoft Word. There's also some great options like word count. If you're a student and the teacher has said, I want you to create a 2000 word essay or report, you can just click to get a word count and it'll tell you how many characters, how many words, how many pages, et cetera. There's also a wonderful thesaurus to help you use a variety of words instead of using the same word over and over. That's very helpful. Okay, so let's say you're done with your document and it's time to get ready to turn it in. If you're a student and you're finishing an assignment, let's say, or maybe you're a teacher and you've put together what you want to print and give to the students, how do you go from there? Well, one of the first things that you need to do is to consider if you have the right line spacing and things like that, especially for students. Maybe the teacher has said, I want you to double space your paper. How do you do that? Well, here on the Home tab, Home ribbon, you can go to Paragraph group and look right here. This is the line and paragraph spacing options. And you can go in and say, I want double spaced. Now, for that to really be effective, you need to click and drag to highlight the text that you want to affect. So now when I do line spacing, set it at two, now my paragraph has double spaced text. I also want you to notice that you have font color options and all sorts of typical font options that you're probably very accustomed to on all sorts of tools and on the internet. There's different fonts to choose from here as well. Okay, so I'm happy with this. I'm good. Of course, I could change the margins at the left and right using this ruler tool. But if I don't want to mess with that, I'll just leave it as is. Now, to finish this off, I just go to File and I have a bunch of different options. First, I really should save this and I can click Save. I can save it just to this PC and I could save it directly, let's say, to the desktop or to my documents. But also notice that there's an option to save it to OneDrive. And if you're not familiar with OneDrive, please watch my YouTube video on OneDrive. It's a wonderful tool, similar to Dropbox, but extra good for Microsoft Office and Microsoft Word in this case. Now, to access that, it would be helpful to sign in to your Microsoft account. And that way, like it says here, you can get to your documents from anywhere because you'll be signed in to your Microsoft Office account and basically OneDrive. In this case, though, I'll just save it to my desktop. It opens up and I just give it a name. So there's the name I want to use. I click Save and we're good to go. And of course, I can also click there on File and I could print it now that I've saved. I could've printed it without saving, but it's a good idea to save first just so you don't forget. But I can now print and there's all these print options. Now, in addition to print and save, notice what else that there is. There's export and this is very powerful. I could create a PDF out of this document. So I can click that, save it, also to the desktop in this case. And so now, when I go to my desktop, look, there is a PDF document that I've created from inside Microsoft Word. And here's the original in Word format. So that's a nice, powerful option just built right into Word. So I'm done. So I'm gonna close out of this document completely, go to my desktop. Let's say next week I need this same document. I can just go back to Word, open it up, and look, because it was recently created, it shows up here. So this is a list of recently created documents on this computer and there it is at the top. Now, as I use this more and more on this computer, I'm gonna end up with 20, 30, 50, 100 documents. It might be nice if this is a document that I'm gonna keep working on a lot over the next few weeks, it might be a good idea to try to get it to stay at the top of the list. Well, there is a way to do that. If you put your mouse on it, look, there's a little pin. And if you click that pin, it will pin this particular document to the top of the list. Now, I know, right now I just have the one document, but imagine 500 documents. This document would remain at the top of the list because I pinned it. So that's a little trick that I think is helpful to know. So in this tutorial, we have gone over all of the basics that you need to know, all of the essentials that you need to know to start using Microsoft Word, whether you're a teacher, whether you're a student, a business person, or you're just using this on your own at home. Microsoft Word is very powerful. You can use it to make all sorts of things. And what I've given you here today is just the basics to help you get started with a few little bonus tips and tricks in there that are a little bit more than basics. So in the future, I'd like to make an advanced Microsoft Word tutorial, so watch for that. But thanks for watching, and please consider connecting with me on my social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. And definitely do subscribe to my YouTube channel for more videos about technology for teachers and students. And watch for a new video at least every Monday.

Welcome to Copilot in Word

Copilot in Word ushers in a new era of writing, leveraging the power of AI. It can help you go from a blank page to a finished document in a fraction of the time it would take to compose text on your own. And while it may write exactly what you need, sometimes it may be "usefully wrong" thus giving you some helpful inspiration. Additionally, Copilot Chat can provide helpful actions based on your document content or obtain additional content from outside resources.

And if you're looking for something more generic, beyond what's in your draft, you can ask Copilot Chat questions to research, ideate, or iterate on for possible content to add.

Draft with Copilot

Note:  This feature is available to customers with either a Microsoft 365 Copilot (work) or Copilot Pro (home) license.

Whether you're creating a new document or working on an existing one, Copilot can help you move forward. In a new, blank document or upon creating new line in an existing document, the Draft with Copilot experience appears.

The description you provide can be a simple sentence or a more complex request with outlines, notes, or referenced files that you want Copilot to use. You could tell Copilot "Write an essay about baseball" or "C reate a paragraph about time management, " for example.

For users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot​​​​​​​ license, the Reference a file button allows you to search for and include up to three of your existing files as inputs to ground the content Copilot drafts. In the compose box, you can also enter "/" and the name of the file you'd like to reference, which will update the file options shown in the menu for selection. This feature only references the files you select, not any other organizational data.

In the Copilot compose box, enter in details on how you would like Copilot's response to change. For example, write " Make this more concise, " and Copilot will fine tune its response based on your instructions.

In a document with existing content, you can also use the Inspire Me button to have Copilot automatically keep writing for you, based on the content already in your document.

For more information, see Start a draft with Copilot in Word.

Note:  Some customers with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license or Copilot Pro license will have a preview of the Coaching feature , which helps you review your draft.

Transform with Copilot

Sometimes rewriting and editing your documents takes more time and thought than writing your ideas down in the first place. Copilot not only helps you create new content, but it also helps you transform your existing content into a document you can be proud of.

Fine tune the table by entering details into the Copilot compose box about what to adjust in the table, like " Add an empty third column. "

For both Rewrite and Visualize as a table , select < and > to navigate through Copilot's suggestions.

For more information, see Transform your content with Copilot in Word .

Chat with Copilot

When generating summaries or asking questions about your document, Copilot will provide references with citations to where it retrieved its information from.

For more information, see Chat with Copilot about your Word document.

Some ideas to try

Want to practice a bit and see what Copilot can do? Here are some starter ideas.

Use the Copilot prompt in the canvas to request content for any of these.

An article for my team on the importance of taking care of their wellbeing

Create a business plan for a new mobile pet grooming service

Write a marketing plan for a house painting business

Create a cover letter for a Finance Officer role

Ask Copilot about the document

In a document containing existing content, open Copilot Chat and try any of these.

What are the key points in this doc?

Summarize this document.

Is there a call to action?

Ask Copilot for info that's not in the document

In the Copilot Chat pane try any of these:

I need a chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Show me the chocolate chip cookie recipe ingredients in a table.

Give me an example haiku about Contoso coffee.

Copilot and Microsoft 365 are built on Microsoft's comprehensive approach to security, compliance, and privacy.

For more information about privacy, see the following information:

If you’re using Microsoft 365 Copilot in your organization (with your work or school account), see Data, Privacy, and Security for Microsoft 365 Copilot .

If you're using Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps at home as part of Copilot Pro (with your personal Microsoft account), see  Copilot Pro: Microsoft 365 apps and your privacy .

Current limitations

The content of the chat pane isn't saved, so Copilot won't be able to refer to previous interactions there.

Copilot may not work well with content containing SmartArt, tables, or charts.

Copilot currently supports fewer languages than what's available for the UI. Find more information at Microsoft Copilot supported languages .

Copilot is currently limited in the number of words it can process per prompt. For more information about processing longer documents, see Keeping it short and sweet: a guide on the length of documents that you provide to Copilot .

Keep in mind...

The features described here use GPT, an AI system from OpenAI that creates text based on a prompt. As it is a new system, it may create things you didn't expect. If you find its content to be unexpected or offensive, please send us feedback so we can make it better. Because content generated via AI draws from the internet, it may contain inaccuracies or sensitive material. Be sure to review and verify the information it generates. Also note that similar requests may result in the same content being generated.

We want to hear from you!

If there's something you like about Copilot—and especially if there's something you don't like—you can submit feedback to Microsoft. Just click the thumb-up or thumb-down button in the response output. This feedback will help us improve your experience in Word.

Frequently asked questions about Copilot in Word

Use Coaching to review content in Word for the web

Copilot in Word help & learning

Microsoft Copilot help & learning

Where can I get Microsoft Copilot?

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Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Writing > How To Write A Persuasive Essay

How To Write A Persuasive Essay

Being persuasive doesn’t come naturally to everybody. Some people could sell a ketchup popsicle to a woman in white gloves, while others couldn’t sell bottled water in the desert. You can learn how to write a persuasive essay by following our guide. We’ll cover the three parts of a persuasive essay, how to properly assemble your essay , then provide some tips that will help convince the reader to see your side of the issue.

Three components of a persuasive essay. A persuasive essay is a unique experience compared to a narrative or argumentative essay. Every essay needs to follow a specific format or be organized in a way to achieve the writer’s purpose. Every persuasive essay requires you to do these three things:

• Identify the issue.
• Pick a side.
• Make your arguments.

When properly organized, the three essential parts of a persuasive essay will make for an effective argument for any stance and topic.

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How to build your essay . When properly organized, the three essential parts of a persuasive essay will make for an effective argument for any stance and topic.

• Engage the reader with an introduction. Every essay needs a way to draw the audience in. Create a hook that will encourage the reader to keep reading to learn about the issue, your stance, and why they should listen to your arguments. Your introduction needs to be catchy and decisive. Don’t waffle back and forth about your stance or the issue; your reader might feel like they’re not going to get vital information regarding the topic.
• Write the body paragraphs. Each body paragraph should be its own argument. Use the introductory sentence of the paragraph to introduce the argument, then back it up with the rest of the paragraph. When it comes to forming your arguments, remember that they’re NOT opinions. All arguments should have evidence to support your stance on the topic.
• Wrap it up with a conclusion . Wrap up your essay with a strong final statement about your stance on the subject. Your conclusion should be firm and final in persuading the reader toward your side of the issue without introducing new arguments. If you find yourself introducing a new argument in your conclusion, go back and add another paragraph to the body of your essay.

Tips for making a compelling argument. Formulating a compelling argument takes time and effort. If you struggle with persuasive writing, you can take certain approaches to your writing that will help make your essay more convincing. We’ve put a few of them together to help you learn how to write a persuasive essay:

• Know your audience. You should always know who you’re writing for. It doesn’t matter if it’s your mom, dad, sister, best friend, or worst enemy, have an idea of your audience’s level of understanding of the topic you’re writing about. Having an understanding of your audience makes it easier for you to know where to expand your explanations or make your statement brief. It also helps you be think of counterarguments they might use. Come up with as many counterarguments as you can think of, then address them. Answer questions, respond to arguments, and present new evidence as a way to persuade those of an opposing stance.
• Research more than you think you’ll need. It’s better to have too much water to quench your thirst than too little. Do a deep dive when you research your topic and supporting arguments. The deeper your knowledge base is, the more information you have to back up your stance, and it’ll be easier to skim the top of the issue or dip below the surface as needed. Take your time researching the topic and grow your knowledge as much as you can.
• Edit from a different perspective. Your arguments will always make sense to you. As the writer, you know what you’re trying to say and understand why your arguments make sense. Edit your essay with an opposing perspective in mind. Ask yourself, “Does this argument hold up?” or “What if XYZ happens? Does argument X hold up?” Try to poke holes in your own arguments as a way to strengthen them.

Knowing how to write a persuasive essay isn’t easy. The power of persuasion doesn’t come easily to everyone, but you can work toward writing an effective persuasive essay by following the steps and tips we’ve laid out.

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