LESSON 5.22
Format the Nonfiction Without Narrator Essay

The essay is almost complete. So let’s format the paper.

We are using APA, the format of the American Psychological Association. It is the most common format style.

Title Page

Format the title page to look like the sample below.

Page Number

The title page is page 1. To enter the 1:

  • Click Insert on the main toolbar
  • Click Page Numbers
  • Click Top of Page
  • Click Plain Number 3 (third one down)
  • Click Escape (Esc key). The pages will occur automatically.

Title

  • Click Enter several times
  • Set page at center. (Second of the boxlike icons above “Paragraph” in Home on the toolbar.
  • Make a specific title
  • The title should not be a sentence
  • Boldface the title
  • Capitalize the first word and all the major words

Author

  • Leave the page centered
  • Hit Enter twice
  • Type your name

School

  • Leave the page centered
  • Hit Enter once
  • Type the name of the department, then a comma, then the name of the school
  • Spell out all words
  • For elementary, junior high/middle school, or high school, type the name of the school only

Course

  • Leave the page centered
  • Hit Enter once
  • Type the designator and the name of the course. Spell out the name.

Instructor

  • Leave the page centered
  • Hit Enter once
  • Find out if your instructor is a doctor. If so, type Dr. (Name)
  • If the instructor is not a doctor but teaches college, type Prof. (Name)
  • If the instructor teaches elementary, junior high/middle school, or high school and is not a doctor, type Mr. (name) or Ms. (Name)

Date

  • Leave the page centered
  • Hit Enter once
  • Type the date this way:
    • Date, Month (spelled out), Year (all four digits

To Exit Title Page

  • Click on insert
  • Click Page Break
  • Do not simply hit Enter a bunch of times.

Page 2

  • Start on the top line
  • Type Background (level 1)

Text

  • Indent all of the paper except Level 2 and Level 3 headings, ½”.
    • If there is no ruler, click on View and find the ruler
    • Otherwise, move the TOP HALF of the ruler’s cursor to the ½” mark. Do not tab.
  • Double-space entire paper
  • Do not have spaces between paragraphs. To eliminate them—
    • Highlight the area
    • Click Home
    • Click the dialog box on the left side of Paragraph
    • Set both left-hand scrolls under Spacing to 0.
    • Set the right-hand scroll to Double.
    • Click the little box on the bottom.
    • Click OK.