microsoft word essay example

Use an APA or MLA template to start a paper online

It's quick and easy to get started on a paper like this while you're online.

APA Paper template

Choose an APA template or MLA template , or other college-related template and open it in Word for the web to make it yours.

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As you work on the paper, you'll probably want to rename it and edit the header with a running head of your own. When you cite sources, you'll want to add footnotes , and then compile your list of references (bibliography). Be sure also to include a table of contents that can update automatically. That way, you won't have to re-type page numbers every time you make changes that affect page breaks.

Work with others on your paper

If you're working with others, or even if you just want some feedback, you can easily share a link to the paper. People with the link can leave comments for you in the document.

When more than one person is editing in Word for the web, everyone will see each other's updates in the document. For more about how this works, see Work together on a document in Word for the web .

Turn in a hard-copy version

When you're finished, print out your paper to turn it in. You can do this with the paper still open in Word for the web. No need to save it first (that's already done for you).

To print, press Ctrl+P, and wait for the Print dialog.

Note:  If you don't see a Print dialog box, click the link for opening a PDF version of your paper. From there, use the PDF program's Print command.

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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?

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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!

How to Use Microsoft Word Effectively for Essay Writing

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Microsoft Word for Essay Writing

Using the traditional pen and paper to draft your essay has not completely gone out of style. However, if you want to effectively write, proofread and format your essay all at the same time, you need a sophisticated approach that would allow you to do all these in due time to succeed in professional essay writing from scratch.

It doesn’t matter how you feel about the Microsoft Word program but it is a word processing tool that you can’t do without in your profession. You get to use it daily as you go about your work.

Learning the basic aspect of using the program is quite not difficult. Most of us get to use the word processing program after learning the basics without taking out time to learn the more important features the program has.

To most people, that aspect is not necessary once they can type, search and replace words and make use of the format margins. I am guilty of that myself. I didn’t take out time to learn more than the basics before joining the tool.

I found out in my continuous use of Microsoft Word over the years that the program has some tricks that help to save time. If you are an impatient writer like me that wants to get each job done in the soonest possible time, you should learn about these alternative tools in the program. You will save a lot of time doing so.

Features How to Use Microsoft Word Effectively for Writing

  • Track Changes . This feature comes in handy when I want to edit my work or give constructive criticism of another person’s work. The changes you make on the document appear on a highlight and that includes changes in format and deletions. The TRACK CHANGES option can be seen in the REVIEW tab and with it, the texts you edit are highlighted in red color.
  • Document Map . The use of headings gives you an overview of the entire structure of the document when you use the special feature called DOCUMENT MAP. This feature makes it easy for you to skip through long documents and also to get the full picture of the storyline.
  • Headings and Styles . When you make the necessary changes of marking section and chapter titles with the heading, it will make it easy for you to format the heading for the document in a single place. I use NORMAL for the body of the document and HEADING1 for the chapter titles.
  • Headers and Footers . On the old typewriter, the typist has to manually include the page number and author name. This has been upgraded to a word progressing tool. You can add that information just once using the HEADER and it automatically appears on all pages.
  • Comments . This can also be seen in the REVIEW column. With this feature, you can include margin notes into your document. This feature can be used for plenty of functions by a writer. For instance, you can use it to include reminders for some editing work you need to do in the future. You can also use it to create reminders on ideas you wish to develop later on in your document.
  • Table of Contents . Most documents don’t need a table of content but when a document requires it, it can be stressful to manually create one. Not just the creation aspect, you have to go through the stress of updating it anytime you add more information to your document. The headings feature and TABLE OF CONTENTS work together. That is the Table of contents creates a table of headings and includes the page number where the heading can be found.
  • Views . Microsoft Word provides you with different view options. With this option, you can get an overview of your overall manuscript in different ways.
  • Compare Documents . Making edits manually in an older version of a manuscript can be a pain in the ass. This feature provides a highlight to pronounce the difference between the two documents. With this feature, you can go through the document at a later date and pick the better version.
  • Full Screen . If you wish to focus on your writing without worrying about different tabs and editing buttons, the full-screen option comes in handy to minimize distraction.
  • View Side by Side . With this feature, you can open up and review two documents at the same time without having to close one first.
  • Integration with Endnote . If you are working on a nonfiction project, you will need to include a lot of references in your work. The endnote feature enables you to keep track of your references in a neat way.
  • Full Page . This feature enables you to view your work as a full document. This is not the best mode for reading, but it allows you to check your documents for formatting errors and blank pages.

You can effectively use Microsoft Word for your professional essay writing if you consistently practice with the software and look for new tips every day. Microsoft Word is easy-to-use software but you don’t want to stop at the mediocre level. There are other things you could do with your software as outlined in this educational piece.

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Word for Writing: A Comprehensive Guide for Students

Word for Writing: A Comprehensive Guide for Students

Enhance Essays with Microsoft Word's Grammar Check

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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

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

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.

Paragraph Format

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.

Paragraph Format

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.

Lenghty Quotes

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!

Format Picture

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.

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Home Mobile Android Using Microsoft Word to Write Essays

Using Microsoft Word to Write Essays

Using Microsoft Word to Write Essays

University students particularly first year students struggle with writing essays for their course works and home assignments. At this level people are not familiar with the detail requirements of their essays which compelled them to go online for plagiarized essays and other third party websites who help these students and create essays and assignments at some fixed cost.

This article will help these students to get familiar with functions of Microsoft Word that can assist them in writing essays and assignments for their college and university. Applying these tips and shortcuts not only will make your presentation more professional and neater but also will save your time.

Paragraph indention is basic requirement of format. Most of the time, universities and colleges provide format requirement to the students for their essays. Students can indent paragraph by going to HOME tab, clicking Paragraph menu will pop up a menu box. On this menu second option is of INDENT which can be explored by choosing multiple options e.g 1.27cm.

word essays indenting

Page Breaks

Page breaks can be used where one topic going to end new commences. Quick short key for inserting page break is simply hold down Ctrl + Enter and press enter key (or go to the ‘Insert’ tab and select ‘Page break’) rather than using the space bar to do it.

word essays page breaks

A powerful function of adding footnotes at the end of page is by going to the ‘References’ tab and then selecting ‘Insert Footnote’. There are few other ways to insert footnote but it may result into unlinked and unformatted footnotes.

word essays footnotes

Set Language

Many students are comfortable with their own set of language. If anyone want to change the language of Microsoft word for instructions and communications, he/she need to go to the ‘Review’ tab and then the ‘Language’ group. From drop down menu relevant language can be selected.

word essays set language

Language setting function can also helps you to pick up not all but some American spellings that could be corrected to other such as Australian when doing spell check. It is recommended to set your language at the end of the your assignment or essay by selecting whole text because sometimes word will automatically detect your langue and will correct words by American while to writing essay.

An absolutely useful feature of MS Word is word count. Universities and colleges set word limit for essays and assignments for students. Since word limit is there student need to know how long he has written and to what extant topic of essay has been covered. Simply highlight the text, go to ‘Review’ tab and click on ‘Word Count’ in the ‘Proofing’ group. You can also see left bottom near pages information ‘Words: 0’.

word essays word count

It is not suggestive to use colored fonts, extra bigger fonts and unnecessary bold words/heading in your essays. Instructions regarding format of your essay or assignment always given by your university/college, one strictly need to follow that. For example, a university ask it student to bring an essay on any topic for 700 words. Font style should be ‘Times New Roman’, font size ‘12’ and headings must be bold with no underline. Even line spacing are clearly instructed by institutes whether it must be 1.5 or 2.

For line spacing, at the end of your essay, select all and go the ‘Format’, click on ‘paragraph’ and set your line spacing.

word essays formatting

Page Margin/Size

This is also part of formatting where universities and colleges ask their students to make writing assignment with the page margins of 1.5 etc. Page size does matter when a student asked make an assignment completing 15 or so pages, here size of the page comes in which needed to be set as advised i.e Letter or A4.

word essays margin size

Header and Footer

word essays header and footer

Before ending your essay and assignment student need to save it to computer in relevant drive or in flash drive. It is strongly recommended to set Autosave option to 1 minute which means after every 1 minute MS Word will automatically save your data which can fairly avoid data loss in any case. For ‘Autosave’ go to start button, then word options which will give an additional option box from which ‘Save’ should be selected and set ‘Save AutoRecover information every’ to 1 minute.

word essays autosave

Creating a Bibliography

Last but not the least at the end of your assignment bibliography must be there. Bibliography is a complete list of all the sources or links you have consulted during your research or assignment work. Without this bibliography or references your work will not be accepted and hence refused by plagiarized. Compiling this list by proper instructed method (Harvard or APA method) is a hectic job which made way easy by Microsoft word. You can generate your bibliography automatically. Before creating bibliography for your document you need to add citation and source to a document:

word essays bibliography

  • Click on reference tab and look out for insert Citation towards little right where style and bibliography options are available.
  • Select your citation style whichever is recommended and source from the options available. Your course supervisor can better help you on that if you are confused.
  • At the end of the phrase or sentence that needed to be cited
  • Go to reference tab and click on ‘Insert Citation’.
  • Select ‘Add Source’ to access the ‘Create Source’ dialogue box

In the source information dialogue box type full information regarding source, author, year and publisher. In order to add more information check the show all bibliography fields box.

  • Once you added one or more sources into your document you can create bibliography anytime
  • Bibliography or references always come at the end of your document, click on that point and from references tab, select bibliography. From list of designs you can select any and insert into the document.

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Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Writing > How to Write a College Essay from Start to Finish

How to Write a College Essay from Start to Finish

No matter if you’re approaching your first essay in a 101-level class or you’re a little further into your undergraduate career, crafting a college essay that gets you the grade you’re looking for is no easy feat. Use this guide on how to write the college essay—and, first, how to format it—to help pave the way toward an easier A on your next assignment.

A student viewing images on AsusTransformerMiniT102.

Formatting the College Essay: Know Your Style Guide

To know the correct way to format your college essay, you will first need to know which style guide your field or course requires. More often than not, a college essay follows one of these three guides:

  • Modern Language Association (MLA): Perhaps the best-known of these academic guidelines, the MLA format is widely used in research papers written at both the high school and college level. Once scholars begin specializing in specific fields, however, MLA format ends up being the preferred format for writing in the humanities—areas of study like literature, philosophy, history, and anthropology.
  • American Psychological Association (APA): APA style, which differs from MLA in some small but noticeable ways, is the preferred format of most research conducted in social sciences like medicine, sociology, and psychology. Though it’s less often used in high school essays, it’s something you will likely see at some point in during your days in college.
  • Chicago Manual of Style (CMS): Although rare in college, some classes might require you to use the Chicago Manual of Style. This extensive style guide offers guidance on a massive range of style and formatting questions, from the grammatical to the purely typographical. While it’s more commonly used to institute uniform style within non-academic writing found in magazines, advertising, and more, you still might encounter it in the college classroom.

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Each of these style guides has its own standards for formatting essays and their citations. Once you know which guide your professor or field prefers you to use in your essay, you can consult resources available at your college’s library or writing center, or online, from somewhere like the Purdue Online Writing Lab , to ensure your work is formatted correctly.

Where to Begin: Tips for Starting—and Finishing—the College Essay

It might be hard to know where to start with an essay, especially one with an intimidating page count. Break down the whole process into something that’s a little more manageable with these end-to-end tips for college essay writing.

Read the Assignment

The most important place to start with your essay is always the prompt or assignment that you’ve been given. Each assignment will vary in its specificity: some college essays are quite open-ended, challenging you to explore your own interests and ideas within a broader sphere of thought; others are very precise, asking you to present an argument and evidence in response to one or more concrete questions.

Familiarizing yourself with the task that’s ahead of you will not only help you find inspiration for your upcoming writing sessions but it will also help you understand straight away whether or not you need to consult your teacher or another resource about any questions you might have.

Find Some Direction

Once you have clarified just what the assignment entails, take some time to consider how you want to approach your essay. Before you sit down to write, it’s useful to first have a brainstorm. Consider your topic, along with any research you have already conducted on it, and try to develop your own take or angle. While you might change your mind as you research and write, it can helpful at this early stage to develop a hypothesis or working thesis that your research and writing will ultimately attempt to prove.

Do Your Research

Armed with this unique angle or working thesis, it’s time to hit the books. Some college essays may require that you cite a minimum number of primary and secondary sources. Regardless of whether there is a minimum number or not, though, you will want to search for authoritative sources that support and strengthen your own analysis. Explore sources online and at your school library, taking notes on each, and compile your research in one place that will be easy to access and reference once you begin writing later.

Create an Outline for Your College Essay

As you’re doing your research, you’ll likely start getting some new ideas for the direction and shape of your essay. Save yourself some work later on by organizing your research into an outline that follows the same structure that your final essay will take. Each college essay typically sticks to the following structure:

  • Introduction: Every essay should begin by situating its readers. Use an opening hook to grab their attention, then provide them with the wider context that your essay is working within. Summarize the ideas that your essay will explore and end your introduction with a thesis statement. Your thesis statement, usually just one sentence long, provides a summary of your essay’s main point and describes to readers the point that your writing will attempt to prove.
  • Essay Body: The body of your essay, which is where the bulk of your writing will be done, serves to present evidence in support of your thesis statement. This is where you display and cite all of that research you have done and lay out an analysis of your topic.
  • Conclusion: The ending of your essay should close things out by restating your thesis statement and summarizing the points you have presented in support of this argument. It should also explore the implications or importance of the argument you have presented. In short, you should conclude your essay by not only recapping the writing that came before, but also answering the question, “So, now what?”
  • Works Cited or References Page: The text of your essay will be followed by a list of the works you have cited within your essay. Be sure to follow the (sometimes stringent) citation format dictated by your style guide here. Luckily, online citation generators like EasyBib , Scribbr , or Citation Machine can help make this process a little easier.

Get Writing

By creating an outline for your essay as you research, you should be able to approach the writing of your piece with a solid skeleton or scaffolding in place, such that the writing process is mostly a matter of filling in the gaps around your research and fleshing things out with further detail. Still, as you write, you might identify areas of your essay that require further research or inquiry. For this reason, writing the body of your essay first, before an introduction or conclusion, can often be the easiest approach. Bring all of your ideas to the body of your essay, and then craft your introduction and conclusion to reflect everything that you’ve discussed within your essay.

Once you have a completed draft of your essay, take some time to revise. Using an intelligent writing assistant like Microsoft Editor can save you some time by catching typos, grammar errors, and unclear sentences as you’re writing.

Of course, you’ll also want to take some time to consider the contents of your essay more broadly and identify any places where your argument or evidence might be weaker than others. If your deadline isn’t looming right around the corner, it can be helpful to step away from your writing for a little while. After a break, you can come back to the page with a fresh set of eyes, making it that much easier to finish writing a paper that makes the grade.

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  • As a marketing strategy in the business world . Behind every successful and famous product is a great writer. Advertisers also used essays as a tool for making quality content in their ads, particularly on websites.
  • As an academic requirement . Inevitably, a student will not encounter essay writing in school regardless of the level. From your elementary to your college years, essays are mostly required by your professors as a partial requirement for the fulfillment of your course or program .
  • As a means of career elevation . For those institutions that are sponsoring great minds and letting them proceed with their post-graduate courses, essays are usually one of the requirements before a scholarship grant is given. Part of the evaluation process is the quality of your writing, which will give them an idea of your degree of expertise.

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Important Factors to Note about Different Types of Essays

  • Argumentative essay . This type of essay requires you to present and explain your stand on a certain issue. This is tricky because you’re not just arguing for the argument’s sake but is also a requirement to provide substantial evidence.
  • Descriptive essay . Here, you are required to layout and write about the salient characteristics and dynamics of a certain issue, person, or event, depending on the topic. This will channel your capability to express your observations in an organized manner.
  • Narrative essay . This refers to the ones that tell a story whether fictional or based on real-life events.

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  • MLA format for academic papers and essays

MLA Format | Complete Guidelines & Free Template

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

The MLA Handbook provides guidelines for creating MLA citations and formatting academic papers. This quick guide will help you set up your MLA format paper in no time.

Start by applying these MLA format guidelines to your document:

  • Times New Roman 12
  • 1″ page margins
  • Double line spacing
  • ½” indent for new paragraphs
  • Title case capitalization for headings

For accurate citations, you can use our free MLA Citation Generator .

Download Word template Open Google Docs template

(To use the Google Docs template, copy the file to your Drive by clicking on ‘file’ > ‘Make a copy’)

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.

MLA header

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:

MLA running head

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.

Format of an MLA Works Cited page

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 table

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).

MLA figure

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:

  • Use an easily readable font like 12 pt Times New Roman
  • Set 1 inch page margins
  • Apply double line spacing
  • Include a four-line MLA heading on the first page
  • Center the paper’s title
  • Indent every new paragraph ½ inch
  • 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

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, March 05). MLA Format | Complete Guidelines & Free Template. Scribbr. Retrieved March 14, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/formatting/

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Microsoft Office Applications Essay

Introduction to microsoft windows 2000.

According to Kioskea (2008), Microsoft is an operating system that is sold by Microsoft Corp, a Seattle-based multinational company. It was originally named Traf-O-Data and later renamed as Microsoft Corp. Through the means of Microsoft 2000, which is the next version of NT 4, a 32-bit system, fully compatible with FireWire and USB peripherals, I learned to use Windows Desktop Update, Internet Explorer5, Internet connection sharing, make use of windows media player, Web DAV, Outlook Express and Automated System Recovery.

Introduction to Microsoft Office and the Internet

I also learned the usage of Microsoft Office, wherein I learned to master the art of the new form regions and Excel task panes. I also learned to customize Word and PowerPoint through advanced task panes, learned the usage of visual designer enhancement, deployment and re-deployment and complete compatibility with previous generations and other Microsoft editions. When I was introduced to the internet, I learned to use the search bar, the chat, the email facility and the facility to play a video or watch a movie.

I used Microsoft Office for their five basic commands- paste, copy, undo and bold.

Keyboarding- Touch Typing

According to KTouch, keyboard touch typing is a procedure through which you need not use a keyboard for typing. Through the means of Keyboard touch typing, I learned to make use of the computer screen to do the typing and I also improved my speed for now I could use all my fingers while typing. I also never had to look down even once. Over here, I simply had to concentrate on the screen.

E-mail and Blogging

The email tool is important to maintain contact with people living far away. Through the means of email, may it be from Yahoo, Google, or Hotmail; you can simply draft a message and send it to the recipient’s mail id. Through the means of emails, I learned the art of staying in touch with people by simply creating a free email account. Likewise, I also learned the advantage of blogging. A blog is a place wherein you write about a particular subject. As I was fond of health and fitness, I created a blog, through which I wrote articles on health-related topics. Soon the PR rankings of my blog started to increase and I managed to get sizable traffic to my blog. Later, I went ahead and created a website, which I later linked to my blog.

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is an Operating System, which was developed by the Microsoft Corporation. Ideally, a Microsoft Word is attached as a component to the MS Office system. Through the means of Microsoft Word, I managed to do a spell check, a grammar check, learn more about the readability statistics, make use of templates, keep a track of changes, learn to highlight a word or a sentence, hide text, auto summarize a document, autocorrect a document and finally auto text as well.

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet, which is electronically programmed to store, organize and manipulate data. When I first looked at an excel screen, I saw a grid of rows and columns. While the horizontal rows are defined by numbers, the vertical columns are defined with alphabets. I also learned that a cell is an intersection point between a row and a column. It is also a place wherein data is stored in a spreadsheet. I also learned to perform basic mathematical calculations, find values for profit and loss, calculate repayment plans for loans and mortgages, find average maximum and minimum values for range-specified data. Likewise, I also used Microsoft Excel for graphing and sorting data for a specified field.

Google Earth

Google earth is a tool through which you can locate and download just about anything in the world. Through the means of Google earth, I learned to make use of Photo Overlays, the usage of 3D terrains, time animations, to play with new layers, use space navigation support, make use of flight simulator, use the sky model, flash support, make use of 3D textures and finally, make ample use of tones of imagery (Mickmel, 2007).

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft PowerPoint was a tool of immense repute. Through the means of this feature, I could make and showcase difficult presentations with utmost ease. I happened to use the 2007 PowerPoint, through which I could make charts, customize slide layouts, allow shadows to drop, enable headings as well as body fonts and add two-dimensional as well as three-dimensional texts.

Microsoft Publisher

The last tool which I learned was Microsoft Publisher. Through the means of the publisher, I was able to adhere to the other office applications, prepare flexible wizards, make use of over 60 coordinated color schemes, auto convert documents in terms of size, layout and publication style, make use of automatic copy fittings to align headings, captions, and text, personalize profiles, make use of the logo creation wizard, use the catalog to browse through 1600 newly designed templates, design sets, use smart objects, run a background spell check, autocorrect, use office assistance, use multilevel undo feature, draw tables, make use of sophisticated designing tools and use the latest office compatibility features with ease.

  • “ Introduction to Microsoft Windows: History of Windows ”. 2008. Kioskea.net. Web.
  • KTouch: SourceForge.net. 2009.
  • Mickmel. “10 Best New Features In Google Earth Since Its Release”. 2007. Digital Earth Blog.
  • Chicago (A-D)
  • Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, March 6). Microsoft Office Applications. https://ivypanda.com/essays/microsoft-office-applications/

"Microsoft Office Applications." IvyPanda , 6 Mar. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/microsoft-office-applications/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Microsoft Office Applications'. 6 March.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Microsoft Office Applications." March 6, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/microsoft-office-applications/.

1. IvyPanda . "Microsoft Office Applications." March 6, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/microsoft-office-applications/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Microsoft Office Applications." March 6, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/microsoft-office-applications/.

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  • Essay on Computers

How To Use Microsoft Word Essay Examples

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Computers , Development , Family , Writing , Windows , Typography , Microsoft , Home

Words: 1100

Published: 01/22/2020

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In this essay the reader will find a set of complete instructions that he/she should follow thoroughly in order to create documents for several papers and essays with the correct formatting features for them. These instructions are carefully planned and organized according to a detailed process analysis and will ensure that, in the end, the users will have the knowledge to easily create written documents for any paper, essay or situation.

Thesis: This essay will explain in detail how to make proper use of the computer software program Microsoft Word.

Keywords: process analysis, word, document, format, user, write.

Before starting

- Open Microsoft Word. On your computer’s Start Menu, click on the icon Microsoft Word to open the program. Alternatively, you may click in All Programs, open the Microsoft Office folder and then click on the Microsoft Word icon to open the program. - Write your document

When Microsoft Word opens, it will automatically create a blank page of a new document.

Start writing your document without any formatting: write the titles, press enter to change to the next line, write the text with punctuation. Do not worry, at this time, with any editing. - Center the title

Begin formatting by centering the title(s) in the document:

Place your mouse pointer in the beginning of the title; click and drag while clicking to select the text of the title (the text will appear with a blue highlight on it); release the mouse button and click the Center button on the above Home tab menu (it is a button with centered lines). - Make the title words bolder Place your mouse pointer in the beginning of the title; click and drag while clicking to select the text of the title (the text will appear with a blue highlight on it); release the mouse button and click the Bold button on the above Home tab menu (it is a button with a capital B). - Make the title words bigger Place your mouse pointer in the beginning of the title; click and drag while clicking to select the text of the title (the text will appear with a blue highlight on it); release the mouse button and click on the arrow button next to the Font Size on the above Home tab menu (it is a button with an arrow, near a number that is your font’s size).

A menu of different font sizes will appear; select the font size you want.

- Create spaces between parts of the document

When you want to create more spaces between paragraphs or parts of the document, just click Enter on your keyboard.

- Create numbering on a list you wrote on the document Place your mouse pointer in the beginning of the text; click and drag while clicking to select all the text lines you wish to number (the text will appear with a blue highlight on it); release the mouse button and click on the Numbering button on the above Home tab menu (it is a button with a “1, 2, 3” list, above the text alignment). Next to the Home tab, click on the Insert tab; click on the Picture icon; a window will open with file locations on your computer; in this window, locate the picture on the folder where you saved it and click Insert. Next to the Home tab, click on the Insert tab; click on the Text Box icon; select the text box style you prefer on the menu that will appear. - Use a different font Place your mouse pointer in the beginning of the text; click and drag while clicking to select all the text you want; release the mouse button and click on the arrow button beside the Font name on the above Home tab menu; select the text font you prefer on the menu that will appear. If you want a defined space between the text lines (e.g. double spacing): Place your mouse pointer in the beginning of the text; click and drag while clicking to select all the text you want; release the mouse button and click on the Line Spacing button (it is next to the text alignment buttons); select the line spacing you prefer on the menu that will appear. - Check the spelling and grammar Click on the Review tab that you find on the above line of tabs; click the Spelling & Grammar button (it will check the whole document for spelling and grammar errors, indicating you where corrections are needed). - Save the document

Click on the Save (it is a floppy disk) icon above the Home tab.

If you haven’t saved the document before, a window will appear for you to choose the location on your computer, the file name and file type; click Save. If you already saved the document before, clicking the Save (floppy disk) will save the changes you made since the last save. - Print your document

At this point, you should have your printer on and connected to your computer.

If you wish to print the document (after saving it), click on the Office button (round button on the upper left corner); on the menu that appears, select Print; a window will appear with some preferences you may change (e.g. pages to print, number of copies, etc.); after setting the preferences you wish, click OK.~ - Close Microsoft Word

After saving your document, click the “x” button on the upper right corner to close Microsoft Word.

Conclusion In the end, the user of this document will be able to use Microsoft Word for creation of documents of any kind of needed work: an article, a composition, a list, etc. The user will also be able to perform the correct formatting on the document, save it on the computer and print it, if wished so. The finished document will have a professional look, which the user may change regarding the appropriate features that each project demands. It is a practical and useful tool for the user to consult when needed, that will allow him/her to have the basic Microsoft Word skills necessary to easily create documents.

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Free Reflective Essay Examples & Samples [MS Word]

Home / Education Templates / Free Reflective Essay Examples & Samples [MS Word]

best reflective essay example 15

Reflective essay examples are the types of written works that examine the writer’s life experience. During writing a reflective essay, you can share your own experiences, state how you have changed, and established because of those experiences. The format of this type of essay depends on the target audience.

Table of Contents

  • 1 What is a reflective essay?
  • 2 The purpose of reflective writing:
  • 3.1 Pay attention to your personal growth:
  • 3.2 Pay attention to literature:
  • 4 How to create outline of reflective essay examples?
  • 5 How to write a reflection paper?
  • 6.1 Reflection:
  • 6.2 Planning:
  • 7 The significance of a reflective essay:
  • 8 Conclusion:
  • 9 Faqs (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is a reflective essay?

A reflective essay is a type of essay that reflects your own life experience. So, you already have a topic to write about because it’s about yourself. Readers expect you to elaborate a specific part of your life. Thus, you have to reflect on emotions, memories, and feelings that you have experienced at that time. Since you are writing about yourself, it should be interesting and exciting. This is crucial to engage your readers with what you’ve written. This type of essay is very special and personal. During writing, you need to reflect, think, and demonstrate.

In this essay, you can explain your feelings and emotions that you have left in the past. These statements make your easy more attractive for the readers. In this way, readers start visualizing what you have written in their minds. These essays contain your painful experiences and are very honest, personal, and emotional. You should also check Essay Outline Templates .

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The purpose of reflective writing:

It is an academic writing assignment that includes details regarding your identity. The main purpose of reflective writing is to analyze and conclude what you have heard and seen. It makes you able to build connections between the text and yourself. The reflective writing is written according to your point of view. Also, it assists you in identifying your interest.

Format of reflective essay:

Reflective essay examples don’t have standard format. As aforementioned, their format depends on the target audience. Besides the format, you have to think first about the life experience you want to share. Keep in mind that it is not a personal journal or diary. But it should be written with good structure and coherence.

You should examine your own life experiences during writing a reflective essay. The main objective of this essay is to provide your most meaningful life experiences with other people. Furthermore, you have to state that how your experiences have changed you as a person.

However, you can write it in different formats. Usually, people use a learning log or a diary entry format. You can also use other formats but you have to ensure that your essay has a good flow and easily understand by the readers. You can make an academic, a general, or an informal reflective essay. In order to write the essay for a class assignment follows the format given by your teacher. You can write an essay which;

Pay attention to your personal growth:

This type of essay teaches you how to assess and identify the experiences you have had in your personal life. It assists in promoting emotional development and growth. You can also understand yourself and your behaviors better by writing such an essay.

Pay attention to literature:

Here you have to provide references to literature and then apply them to your own life experiences. These types of essays are generally given to the students in school.

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How to create outline of reflective essay examples?

Firstly, you have to create an outline before writing your essay. By creating outline, you can give structure to your essay to act as a reference for what you want to write about. It doesn’t matter for what you are writing essay for either for school, for a magazine, or for any other person, drafting an outline is the very first step. Your essay will flow from one paragraph to the next all the way to the conclusion with an effective outline.

Additionally, keep the outline of reflective essay organized. Below is some run-down steps involved in the reflective essay process;

  • Select a topic that you want to write about
  • Collect information
  • Create an outline
  • Write a draft
  • Finalize your essay

How to write a reflection paper?

Include your initial emotions and thoughts in case you are writing a reflection on a certain text. If you are creating a reflection paper about yourself or an event in your life then make a table that contains three columns name them as past experiences, descriptions, and reflections. With the help of this table, you can effectively brainstorm and structure the introduction and body of your essay.

How to write a reflective essay?

Follow the below tips for writing a reflective essay;

Reflection:

The reflective process is the most important part of writing your reflective essay. Focus on the personal experience you want to write about. Think about what occurred, how this experience made you feel, and how it affected your life. For this part of the process, explore your memories and emotions. Take a lot of notes during recalling and reflecting on your life experience. Try to write down all the details you remember. You should be as clear and as detailed as you possibly can. Furthermore, close your eyes to remember those experiences. After recalling all of the details of your life experience, write your essay.

When you have reflected on your life experience, let’s start planning your essay. In the beginning, you may think that you are not adequately prepared even after a lot of reflection. Don’t be overwhelmed, this is a normal feeling. To get rid of your anxiety and doubt, make up a well-rounded and comprehensive plan. You can do this effectively via an outline. With the help of an outline, you can draft an essay that’s more coherent and which has a clear structure.

For reflective essay, planning is very important. As you’re writing about an emotionally-charged topic you may seem you are getting “lost” along the way. This is true especially if you are describing a painful experience which still affects you. To keep your thought organized, outline acts as a map. Ensure to develop all of the fundamental details in your outline that you want to include in your essay. By doing this, you can remove any superfluous information so that it becomes easier to read and understand.

In addition, with the help of an outline, you can prevent yourself from missing out any fundamental information. Also, your writing becomes more clearer. The readers can follow your line of thoughts. Hence, you can save a lot of time by planning your essay. You may also like Thesis Statement Templates .

selected self reflection essay

The significance of a reflective essay:

Writing a reflective essay is of great importance as it is a platform where you can present the things that rarely encounter in our day-to-day activities. Nowadays, we have become unappreciative of the abstract things because for us material things are mattered most. We can’t express love, mercy, and compassion by using electronic gadgets that keep us busy.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the content of your reflective essay example must be engaging to readers. For this, you have to share your experiences. Write down your most significant experiences you had in your life. However, these types of essays are very personal, honest, and emotional. You must create an outline for your reflective essay to give structure to your essay.

Faqs (Frequently Asked Questions)

The three basic parts of a reflective essay are;

  • Introduction
  • Body paragraphs
  • State the event, incident, or topic.
  • The event’s description and problematisation.
  • Cause and effect of the critical event.

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