Format of Papers--
Some Recommendations

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• Use regular 8 1/2" x 11" typing paper or computer paper; not corrasable or onion skin.  Type/print on only one side of paper.   And double space.

 
• Use a readable font set at 12 or so.  Don't use huge fonts; teachers know this means your paper isn't long enough.  Don't use tiny fonts; they make your teacher's eyes hurt, and you want her/him to be happy when reading your paper.

 
• Make corrections with correction fluid, or cross errors out neatly and  insert corrections with black pen.  Always proof papers for typos: all errors are your responsibility, whether you typed the paper or not.  A neatly corrected paper is far preferable to (and will get a better grade than) a clean paper with all kinds of errors.

 
• Use SPELL CHECK!!  Nothing irritates more than obvious spelling errors in the first sentence or two of the paper.  But don't set spell check on automatic; it can make terrible mistakes when not supervised by a human.  (By the way, using a grammar checker can also be dangerous; most grammar checkers aim for writing at the 8th grade level -- not likely to produce a good impression with college teachers.  Also, in random trials, I find they are wrong at least half the time.)

 
• Type name, class, teacher's name, and date in upper left corner of p. 1:
 Josephine College
 Engl 101.29, E.K. Sparks
 September 17, 2002
 
• Skip a line after this heading; then put your paper's title: centered and written in upper and lower case. Do not write title in block caps or underline it (you are not writing a book).  Separate title from sub-title with a colon.  Yes, you have to have a title for every paper.

 
• Number pages from p. 2 onward; put your last name next to page number in  top right-hand corner.  If you are just learning to use your program and have not yet figured out the mysteries of "headers," put page numbers in by hand.

 
• Double space.  Indent 5 spaces for paragraphs and 10 for indented quotes.

 
• Leave 1" margins at top, bottom, and right side; 1 1/4" on left side.

 
• Turn justification off.

 
• Make sure the ribbon on the printer you use is new enough to  make clear copy.  If your print isn't dark enough to copy well on a xerox machine, then it is painfully light for your readers to read.

 
• Use MLA documentation style.  This means, put author's last name and a page number whenever you quote.   The full citation goes at the end of the paper on the Works Cited Page.

 
• The works Cited page is sequentially numbered, after your paper.  SO if your paper is 6 pages long, the WC page would be number 7.

 
• I think Works Cited pages look best with single spaced quotes and double spaces between them.