How to write standard essay format
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How to write standard essay format
How the information for your essay is organized is an essay format. An essay format has a lot to do with the presentation of the text. Your readers will have difficulty understanding your essay’s main argument and idea if it is poorly structured or doesn’t have a format. Readers won’t continue reading a confusing essay. The linear approach is a standard format to write your paper. Each idea is presented in this approach to make it easier for the readers to understand. Drafting quality college essays is essential for students’ academics. This article provides an understanding of an essay format to present the general guidelines of each type to present the information gathered.
Types of essay formats
Three primary formatting styles or types are used for formatting essays and papers. These styles include MLA, APA, and Chicago. Whether you are writing a general academic or a research paper, you must choose a format to draft it. Instructors usually assign a format, and students should therefore read the prompt carefully.
How to write an essay in MLA format?
The format is commonly used in the discipline of humanities. To write in MLA format, essays, and papers should meet the following requirements:
- Use Times New Roman font in 12pt size.
- Double-space your text.
- Do not include extra space between paragraphs.
- Maintain a one-inch margin on both sides of the paper.
- Include page numbers in the header.
- Center the essay title on the page.
- A work cited page where sources used are listed
MLA vs. APA
It is crucial to differentiate the two types of formatting. The following are the similarities:
- The formatting styles have similar spacing, citation, and indentation.
- Both styles require all the information in the essay to be included in the works cited page.
- They also use parenthetical citations within the body of the paper to indicate specific quotes or calculations.
- Citations are listed alphabetically on the works cited/reference page.
The following are the differences of the two formats:
- While APA format is focused more on social sciences, the MLA style is used in humanities. The list of sources also has different names.
- Works cited are different in how they display the original content’s name.
- Include the page number at the end if the author’s name is mentioned in the sentence when using an in-text citation.
How to write an essay in APA format
APA format is one of the most common college essay formats. Being familiar with its requirements is therefore essential.
- The font type used should be times new roman.
- The text should be double-spaced.
- One-inch margins should be applied
- Place a header in the upper left corner of each page with a concise title of your essay, limited to 50 characters including punctuation.
- Use bold and capitalize the first letter of each word for all headings. Each heading level has specific additional criteria to adhere to.
Chicago essay format
The Chicago essay format includes the following:
- Times new roman 12pt font size
- Double spacing
- Margins
- Page number in the header
- Alphabetical arrangement of citations in the bibliography
- Footnotes on paraphrased and quoted passages
Tips for writing an academic paper
Choose a good topic
Many students find it challenging to select a suitable essay topic. It is important to choose a topic that is specific enough to allow for comprehensive exploration within the given word limit. Striking a balance is crucial – the topic should not be too broad, as it may lead to insufficient information, nor should it be too narrow, resulting in a lack of available resources. If you need assistance with your essay writing, don’t hesitate to seek guidance from your instructor.
Start research as soon as possible
Ensure you are acquainted with the information you are working with before you begin writing. Find compelling facts, trivia, arguments and counterarguments.
Pick out specific, compelling resources
Once you have familiarized yourself with the topic, it is important to have a solid understanding of the subject matter. This will enable you to engage in a meaningful conversation about it. Begin by selecting reliable and informative resources, such as bookmarked or saved materials. Extract relevant information from these sources and make note of any citations that will be needed for your paper. Additionally, consider expanding or narrowing down your scope of research to gather the necessary information for your topic.
Create an outline
This might be the most important phase of the process. You will have a particular goal in mind if you have a slid essay outline. When you will get stuck in the middle of the paper, it will be easy to refer to it. The progress is guaranteed to be swift as you have direct links from the research you have done. Having an outline will boost the informational scope.
Write a draft
Ensure that there is enough backup in the outline for whatever information you want to explore. Don’t be shy of using creativity in your paper and explore the possibilities.
Ask for a peer review of your academic paper
The draft is done before you know it, and it is ready to be sent for reviewing. You can ask a classmate, specialist or a relative if they are willing to contribute. Receive as much feedback as possible and work on it.
Final draft
Go through your paper before submitting the final draft to focus on mistakes such as grammar and punctuation. Ensure whatever you have written follows proper essay structure.
Basic parts of an essay format
An essay uses a simple format, and every essay can be written in such format. Below are the parts that an essay format is based on. Each part should be drafted professionally to make your academic essay effective.
Cover or title page
The initial page of your paper or essay is called the cover or title page. It is where you introduce the topic of your paper or essay. Additionally, the title page contains other details such as the name of the author, instructor, course and date of submission.
An abstract
An abstract is a concise overview of your essay or research paper. It is typically a paragraph of around 300 words that provides an accurate and succinct summary of the purpose of essay, the main thesis statement and the study design.
Table of contents
When composing a long paper or essay, you have to develop a table of contents where headings and subheadings are presented along with their page numbers. The table is used to navigate your work.
Introduction
The first section of a short essay is called the introduction. It is crucial for the overall structure of the essay as it presents the main idea and provides background information on the topic. The introduction also includes a thesis statement, which is the central argument of the essay. All the information presented in the body of the essay supports and validates the thesis statement.
Main body
The main body of an essay is essential as it gives substance and meaning to the thesis statement. It is where you present the information and evidence related to the topic, supporting or challenging the argument. Organizing the body in a logical format guides the reader through the essay and reinforces the thesis statement. Each paragraph in the body should have a topic sentence that contributes to the overall argument and persuasion of the reader.
Conclusion
This is the final part of an essay writer. No new ideas should be presented here and the conclusion attempts to sum up the entire essay. This is achieved by restating the thesis statement in different words and summarizing the key ideas.
Appendix
An appendix is created when an author utilizes uncommon terms, phrases, and words within a document. It serves as a compilation designed to explain those unconventional words to the readers.
Bibliography
A writer has to consult different sources when gathering information for an essay. A bibliography is thus created to provide the reference of all the sources used when gathering the information. It is provided at the end of the essay where all the sources cited are given along with their details.
Formatting an essay
Organizing an essay involves focusing on the structure of the essay. When composing an academic essay, it is essential to ensure that each section is crafted in accordance with the specified format. This includes adhering to the chosen format for the title page, in-text citations, essay outline, and reference list.
Title page format
According to MLA style guidelines, the title page of an essay should include:
- the writer’s name, course, instructor, and date.
- use double spacing between paragraphs.
- Name of institution in the top center of the page
- Font times new roman
Use the following style when using the APA format
- Write the title in all capital letters.
- Set a margin of 1 inch on both sides of the page.
- Use a 12pt font, specifically Times New Roman.
- Include the name of the writer and the institute.
The title page of an assignment is what an instructor encounters first. Thus, it is crucial to construct it in a well-organized manner.
First page of an essay
Before starting the essay writing process, ensure that the first page is properly formatted. This can be achieved by incorporating a header, containing your last name and the corresponding page number, on the right-hand corner of each page, excluding the last one; the works cited page. Write the name of your instructor, course and date on the left upper corner. Use double spacing throughout the essay and put the title in the center.
Cite according to essay format
During the research process for your essay, you will likely encounter various text sources that are relevant to your topic. However, it is important to be aware of the consequences when incorporating text from the internet without proper acknowledgment. Failing to properly cite your sources can result in accusations of plagiarism, which is considered a serious offense in the writing community.
Format the bibliography
The works cited page, which is the final page of your essay, is formatted as follows:
- Sources are organized in alphabetical order
- Double spacing is applied to the entire page
- A hanging indent is used for each entry.