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19+ best microsoft word essay templates.

On the search for college templates ? We can help you with that. We have here an array of essay templates for you to choose from. For some, essay writing can be a stressful endeavor, but that should not be the case. Writing is a positive and professional way of channeling your deepest thoughts and sentiments.

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Simple Narrative Essay Template

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Three-Paragraph Essay Template

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Biography Essay Outline Format Template

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Sample Essay Plan Template

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Microsoft Word High School Persuasive Essay Template

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Microsoft Word Basic Paragraph Reflective Essay Template

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Free Microsoft Word MLA Format Argumentative Essay

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Microsoft Word Introduction Expository Essay Template

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Free Microsoft Word Narrative Research Essay Template

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Microsoft Word Short Informative Essay Template

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Relevance of Essay Templates

  • 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.

Free Microsoft Word Personal Elementary Essay Template

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Microsoft Word University Academic Scholarship Essay

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Microsoft Word Professional College Essay Template

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Microsoft Word Middle School Descriptive Essay Template

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Free Microsoft Word Essay Layout Template

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Microsoft Word Outline Paragraph Essay Template

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Free Microsoft Word APA Essay Template

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Free Microsoft Word 5th Grade Essay Template

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Free 6th Grade Persuasive Essay Template

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Free 4th Grade Essay Template

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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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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 Set Up and Use MLA Format in Microsoft Word

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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.

How to Set Up and Use MLA Format in Microsoft Word image

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 ).

How to Set Up the MLA Format in Word image

  • Select Margins then click Custom Margins .

How to Set Up the MLA Format in Word image 2

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

How to Set Up the MLA Format in Word image 3

  • Select OK .

2. Set the Font and Font Size

To change the font:

  • Select the Home tab.

How to Set Up the MLA Format in Word image 4

  • 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 .

How to Set Up the MLA Format in Word image 5

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 .

How to Set Up the MLA Format in Word image 6

4. Set the Indentation

To set paragraph indentation:

  • Right-click the document and select Paragraph .

How to Set Up the MLA Format in Word image 7

  • 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 .

How to Set Up the MLA Format in Word image 8

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

5. Set the Header

To set your header:

  • Click the Insert tab.

How to Set Up the MLA Format in Word image 9

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

How to Set Up the MLA Format in Word image 10

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

How to Set Up the MLA Format in Word image 11

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.

How to Set Up the MLA Format in Word image 12

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

How to Set Up the MLA Format in Word image 13

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.

How to Set Up the MLA Format in Word image 14

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 .

How to Set Up the MLA Format in Word image 15

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!

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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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What is Microsoft Word: Everything You Need to Know

Microsoft Word is an element of Microsoft Office which helps with the creation, editing, and formatting of documents. It includes facilities for spell and grammar checking, as well as text formatting. Read this blog and explore What is Microsoft Word, its features, functionalities, and significance in today's landscape.

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Are you ready to unlock the secrets of one of the most ubiquitous tools in the digital landscape? What is Microsoft Word, you ask? It's more than just a word processor – it's a gateway to a world of creativity, efficiency, and seamless document management. 

According to Statista , as of February 2024, over a million companies worldwide are utilising Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Office 365). The United States leads with 34% of customers, followed by the United Kingdom at 8%. Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands each contribute 3%. If you haven't started using this software, worry no more. Read this blog and explore What is Microsoft Word, its features, functionalities, and significance in today's landscape.

Table of Contents  

1) What is Microsoft Word 

2) What are the features of Microsoft Word? 

3) Microsoft Word use cases 

4) How to use Microsoft Word effectively? 

5) Conclusion 

What is Microsoft Word?

Microsoft Word is an element of Microsoft Office which helps with the creation, editing, and formatting of documents. It includes facilities for spell and grammar checking, as well as text formatting. You can also include photos, tables, and charts in your documents. It's popular for letters, reports, and resumes.

Word allows many people to work on a document together, keeping track of changes. It provides templates to make document creation easier. It is commonly utilised by users, organisations, and schools because of its ease of use and multiple useful features.

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What are the features of Microsoft Word?  

features of Microsoft Word

a) User-friendly interface: Microsoft Word has an easy-to-use layout, making it simple to find tools and options. You can quickly access important functions through the menu.

b) Formatting: Word's formatting is powerful, allowing you to change fonts, sizes, colours, and other features to make the documents stand out.

c) Templates: Word also includes ready-made templates for many kinds of documents, saving your time and giving the work a professional look from beginning to end.

d) Graphics and media integration: Users can effortlessly insert images, shapes, charts, and other media elements into their documents. This feature is beneficial for adding visual appeal and enhancing the overall presentation. 

e) Collaboration and sharing: Microsoft Word allows for seamless collaboration among users. Multiple people can work on the same document simultaneously. This makes it ideal for team projects and group editing. MS Word also supports real-time co-authoring. 

f) Review and Commenting: The Track Changes and Comment features enable easy reviewing and editing of documents. Users can leave comments and suggestions, allowing for effective communication and revision. 

g) Spelling and Grammar Checks: Microsoft Word has a tool to check spelling and grammar. It helps users find and fix mistakes in their documents, ensuring they look polished and error-free.

h) Page layout and design: Users can adjust how their pages look by changing margins, orientation, and adding headers and footers. This helps create documents that look professional and consistent.

i) Table of Contents and Navigation: MS Word allows users to create a table of contents for lengthy documents. They can use headings to navigate easily through the content. This feature enhances document organisation and accessibility. 

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j) Mail Merge: This helpful tool lets users customise multiple documents, like letters and labels, with individual details for each recipient, saving time.

k) AutoCorrect and AutoText: Word automatically fixes spelling mistakes and creates shortcuts for commonly used phrases, making writing smoother and faster for users.

l) Word Count and Statistics: MS Word provides a word count tool that helps users track the length of their documents. Additionally, it offers statistics on reading time and sentence count. 

m) Language translation: Microsoft Word includes language translation features, allowing users to translate their documents into different languages. 

n) Compatibility and cloud integration: Microsoft Word allows you to save your documents in a range of formats, ensuring that they can be opened on other devices. It also connects to cloud-based storage providers, allowing you to access documents from anywhere with an internet connection.

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o) Storage: You can keep your documents stored safely, so you can access them whenever you need.

p) Object Linking and Embedding (OLE): OLE is a technology that facilitates the exchange of information between software programs regarding various types of objects. These objects can range from graphs and equations to video clips, audio clips, images, and more.

q) Page Break: Easily define where pages end for printing, ensuring smooth transitions between sections.

r) Search and Replace: Quickly find and swap specific words throughout your document using find and replace in Microsoft Word .

s) Thesaurus: Enhance your writing by substituting words with synonyms, enriching your language and avoiding repetition.

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Microsoft Word use cases  

As a versatile word processing software, Microsoft Word finds applications across various domains and serves diverse user needs. Let’s explore some of the common use cases where Microsoft Word excels: 

a) Document creation and editing: Microsoft Word is mainly used to make and change various types of documents. It's helpful for tasks like writing essays, letters, or reports, offering an easy way to write, review, and improve written content.

b) Academic assignments: For students and educators, Microsoft Word is an essential tool for academic assignments, research papers, and presentations. Its formatting options, headers, footers, and referencing tools help organise and professionally present academic work. 

c) Business reports and correspondence: In the corporate world, Microsoft Word is commonly used for craft business reports, memos, proposals, and other official documents. Its collaboration features to enable seamless teamwork and real-time editing among colleagues. 

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d) Resume and CV creation: Job seekers rely on Microsoft Word to create eye-catching and well-structured resumes and curriculum vitae (CV). The software's templates and formatting options help applicants present their qualifications effectively. 

e) Creative writing and publishing: Writers and authors use Microsoft Word to craft novels, short stories, poems, and other creative pieces. The ability to organise content, use various fonts, and add images fosters creativity and enhances the overall writing experience. 

f) Collaborative work: Microsoft Word's collaboration features enable multiple users to work on the same document. This use case is particularly beneficial for group projects, brainstorming sessions, and remote collaboration. 

g) Creating newsletters and news articles: Journalists and media professionals use Microsoft Word to compose newsletters and news articles. MS Word’s spell checker and grammar tools ensure accuracy and professionalism. 

h) Editing and reviewing: Microsoft Word is often used to proofread and editing content. The "Track Changes" feature allows editors and reviewers to suggest edits, making the revision process more efficient. 

i) Legal documentation: In law, Microsoft Word is used to write legal documents like contracts and court papers, ensuring accuracy and professionalism in the legal process. 

j) Transcription and dictation: Microsoft Word can turn what you say into written text, making it easier to type up spoken words.

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How to use Microsoft Word effectively?  

How to use Microsoft Word effectively

a) Opening Microsoft Word: Launch Microsoft Word from your desktop or Start Menu. Alternatively, access it through the Microsoft Office suite. 

b) Creating a new document: Click “Blank Document” to start a new project or choose from available templates for various document types. 

c) Typing and editing text: Begin typing your content in the document. Use basic editing commands like copy, cut, and paste for content manipulation. 

d) Formatting text: Highlight the text to apply formatting options such as font style, size, colour, and alignment using the formatting toolbar. 

e) Inserting images and media: Click on "Insert" to add images, shapes, charts, and other media to enhance your document. 

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f) Page Layout and Design: Adjust page layout using the "Page Layout" tab. Set margins and orientation, and add headers or footers.

g) Saving documents:  Save your work often by clicking "File" then "Save." Name your file and choose where to save it. 

h) Collaboration and sharing: Collaborate by clicking “Share” to work on the same document with others in real-time.

i) Reviewing and editing: Use the "Review" tab to make changes, leave comments, and check for mistakes.

j) Printing documents: Print your document by clicking "File" then "Print" to see a preview and print it.

With practice, you can become proficient in using this versatile word-processing software for various personal and professional projects.

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Conclusion 

Microsoft Word stands as an epitome of innovation, seamlessly blending creativity with efficiency. Through its versatile features and user-friendly interface, it has redefined how we interact with textual content. So, next time you ask, "What is Microsoft Word," remember, it's not just a tool; it's a transformative experience.

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Frequently Asked Questions

To open Microsoft Word, find its icon on the Start menu or taskbar and click it. You can also search for "Word" in the search bar and click the app.

Microsoft Word provides essential formatting tools, collaboration features, templates, and seamless integration for efficient document creation in diverse environments. Also, it simplifies document management tasks, ensuring compatibility across platforms and enabling seamless sharing and editing among collaborators.

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Our Office Applications Blogs cover a range of topics related to Microsoft Word, offering valuable resources, best practices, and industry insights. Whether you are a beginner or looking to advance your Microsoft Office skills, The Knowledge Academy's diverse courses and informative blogs have you covered.  

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microsoft word essay

Get your document's readability and level statistics

When Word finishes checking the spelling and grammar and errors corrected, you can choose to display information about the reading level of the document, including readability scores according to the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level test and Flesch Reading Ease test .  Understand readability scores.

When you're using Word for Microsoft 365, you can quickly see readability statistics for your document.

Open your Word document.

Select the  Home  tab.

Choose  Editor , and then go to  Document stats .

A dialog explaining that readability stats are being calculated and this may take a few minutes. Choose OK or Cancel.

Word will open a window that shows you information about the statistics and reading level of your document.

Important:  This feature is only available for Microsoft 365 customers receiving updates on the Current Channel. If you have questions about what update channel you're currently on, reach out to your organization's IT admin or see Overview of update channels for Microsoft 365 Apps .

Go to File > Options .

Select Proofing .

Under When correcting spelling and grammar in Word , make sure to select the  Check grammar with spelling check box.

Select Show readability statistics .

Return to your document.  

Select Spelling & Grammar . 

Correct or ignore any spelling or grammar corrections, and then Word opens the Readability Statistics window with information about the reading level of the document.

On the browser toolbar, select Word > Preferences .

Choose Spelling & Grammar .

Under Grammar , select Check grammar with spelling and Show readability statistics .

In your Word document, select Review > Spelling & Grammar .

Correct or ignore any spelling or grammar corrections, then Word will open the Readability Statistics window with information about the reading level of your document.

Understand readability scores

Each readability test bases its rating on the average number of syllables per word and words per sentence. The following sections explain how each test scores your file's readability.

Flesch Reading Ease test

This test rates text on a 100-point scale. The higher the score, the easier it is to understand the document. For most standard files, you want the score to be between 60 and 70.

The formula for the Flesch Reading Ease score is:

206.835 – (1.015 x ASL) – (84.6 x ASW)

ASL = average sentence length (the number of words divided by the number of sentences)

ASW = average number of syllables per word (the number of syllables divided by the number of words)

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level test

This test rates text on a U.S. school grade level. For example, a score of 8.0 means that an eighth grader can understand the document. For most documents, aim for a score of approximately 7.0 to 8.0.

The formula for the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score is:

(.39 x ASL) + (11.8 x ASW) – 15.59

Understand how languages affect readability scores

The languages that you use in a document can affect how your Office program checks and presents readability scores. 

If you set up Word to check the spelling and grammar of text in other languages, and a document contains text in multiple languages, Word displays readability statistics for text in the last language that was checked. For example, if a document contains three paragraphs — the first in English, the second in French, and the third in English — Word displays readability statistics for the English text only.

For some European languages within an English document, Word displays only information about counts and averages, not readability.

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Perfect your papers and reports with customizable templates

Your papers and reports will look as professional and well put together as they sound when you compose them using customizable Word templates . Whether you're writing a research paper for your university course or putting together a high priority presentation , designer-created templates are here to help you get started. First impressions are important, even for papers, and layout can make or break someone's interest in your content. Don't risk it by freestyling, start with a tried-and-true template. Remember, though: Papers and reports don't have to be boring. Professional can still pop. Tweak your favorite layout template to match your unique aesthetic for a grade A package.

microsoft word essay

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Writing Essentials for Beginners: How to Get Started

Learn how to start writing with the help of this guide to writing for beginners from Microsoft 365. Explore writing essentials, tips, and more.

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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 .

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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 May 6, 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.

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:

  • 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, May 06). MLA Format | Complete Guidelines & Free Template. Scribbr. Retrieved September 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/mla/formatting/

Is this article helpful?

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  • Government Exam Articles

An Introduction to MS Word

One of the most widely used programs of Microsoft Office suite, MS Word is a word processor developed by Microsoft. 

An introduction to MS Word, its features and its uses, have all been discussed in detail, in this article. Also, a few sample questions based on this MS Office program have been given further below for the reference of candidates preparing for competitive exams. 

To know further about the MS Office suite and the various programs included in it, visit the linked article. 

Since MS Word is one of the most used programs of the Office Suite, some basic information regarding its creation and development has been given below:

  • Charles Simonyi, a developer and Richard Brodie, a software engineer, were the two creators of MS Word
  • This program was initially named “Multi-Tool Word” but later, was renamed as MS Word
  • It was introduced in 1983
  • Word for Windows is available standalone or as a part of MS Office suite
  • MS Word for Mac was introduced by Microsoft as Word 1.0 in 1985
  • The extension for any word file is “.doc or .docx.”

Moving forward, details about the features and applications of Word have been discussed. To read more about the other Computer Knowledge topics, check the links given below:

Daily News

Basics of MS Word

Let us first understand some basic aspects of Microsoft Word.

MS Word

What is MS Word?

Used to make professional-quality documents, letters, reports, etc., MS Word is a word processor developed by Microsoft. It has advanced features which allow you to format and edit your files and documents in the best possible way. 

Where to find MS Word on your personal computer?

Follow these simple steps to open MS Word on your personal computer:

Start → All Programs → MS Office → MS Word.

What are the uses of MS Word?

MS Word enables users to do write-ups, create documents, resumes, contracts, etc. This is one of the most commonly used programs under the Office suite. 

How to create an MS Word document?

To create an MS Word doc, follow the steps mentioned above to open Microsoft Word. Then once the program is open, click on “File” followed by “New”. This opens a new doc where something new can be created.

Since it is used by people of all age groups, in schools, in colleges and for official purposes, having proper knowledge of Microsoft Word is a must. The preview of the MS Doc file once it is opened is given below:

MS Word Document

Also, from a competitive exam perspective, one must be well aware of this topic. To get the list of all major Government exams conducted in the country, aspirants can visit the linked article. 

For a better understanding of how MS Word works and the features that are included in it, you can refer to the video given below and analyse its functioning easily.

microsoft word essay

Features of MS Word

Now let us read more about the features and components of an MS Word doc file in detail.

The image given below shows the different elements and categories which are available in MS Word doc:

MS Word - Features of Microsoft Word

This has options like font colour, font size, font style, alignment, bullets, line spacing, etc. All the basic elements which one may need to edit their document is available under the Home option.

Tables, shapes, images, charts, graphs, header, footer, page number, etc. can all be entered in the document. They are included in the “Insert” category.

The template or the design in which you want your document to be created can be selected under the Design tab. Choosing an appropriate tab will enhance the appearance of your document.

  • Page Layout

Under the Page Layout tab comes options like margins, orientation, columns, lines, indentation, spacing, etc. 

This tab is the most useful for those who are creating a thesis or writing books or lengthy documents. Options like citation, footnote, table of contents, caption, bibliography, etc. can be found under this tab.

Spell check, grammar, Thesaurus, word count, language, translation, comments, etc. can all be tracked under the review tab. This acts as an advantage for those who get their documents reviewed on MS Word.

Apart from all the above-mentioned features, the page can be set in different views and layouts, which can be added and optimised using the View tab on the Word document. Margins and scales are also available for the benefit of the users. 

When compared with MS PowerPoint , MS Word is more of reading while PPT is more of visual and graphical representation of data. 

To know more about Microsoft Windows , visit the linked article.

For Govt exam aspirants, given below are links to the other subjects which are a part of the competitive exam syllabus:

Uses of MS Word

Given below are the different fields in which MS Word is used and simplifies the work of an individual:

  • In Education: It is considered as one of the simplest tools which can be used by both teachers and students. Creating notes is easier using MS Word as they can be made more interactive by adding shapes and images. It is also convenient to make assignments on MS Word and submitting them online
  • In Workplace: Submitting letters, bills, creating reports, letterheads, sample documents, can all easily be done using MS Word
  • Creating & Updating Resume: One of the best tools to create your resumes and is easy to edit and make changes in it as per your experience
  • For Authors: Since separate options are available for bibliography, table of contents, etc., it is the best tool which can be used by authors for writing books and adjusting it as per the layout and alignment of your choice

Also, creating a Doc file and converting it into PDF is a more suitable option, so it is highly recommended. 

For competitive exam aspirants, given below are links which may help you prepare yourself for the upcoming exams:

Sample MS Word Question and Answers

Some sample questions and answers with the competitive exam perspective have been given below. Refer to these for assistance. 

Q 1. How can you open the column dialogue box?

Answer: (1) Alt+O+C

Q 2. Which is the default alignment in MS Word?

  • None of the Above

Answer: (3) Left

Q 3. “Ctrl + =” is used for _________

  • Change Alignment
  • Superscript
  • Change font to Bold
  • None of the above

Answer: (2) Subscript

Q 4. A combination of which shortcut keys to use to split a table?

  • Ctrl+shift+enter
  • Shift+enter

Answer: (1) Ctrl+shift+enter

Furthermore, to get the best tips to ace the upcoming Government exams, candidates can check the Preparation Strategy for Competitive Exams at the linked article. 

Get the best study material and the latest exam information at BYJU’S. 

Government Exam 2023

Frequently Asked Questions on Microsoft Word

Q 1. which formatting features can be added to the ms word document.

Ans. The common formatting features which are available on MS Word include:

  • Font Style, Size and Colour</li
  • Header and Footer
  • Insert Images
  • Add tables and bulleted lists
  • Set a page layout
  • Add Word Art

The basic feature of why people choose MS Word over any other text editor is that it makes the document more visually interactive and appealing.

Q 2. What is Microsoft Word used for??

Q 3. what are the basic functions of ms word.

Ans. Given below are the basic functions of Microsoft Word:

  • Creating text documents
  • Editing and Formatting the existing documents
  • Making a text document interactive with different features and tools
  • Graphical documents, comprising images
  • Used by Authors and Researchers
  • Detect grammatical errors in a text document

Q 4. What is the extension of an MS Word file?

Q 5. what are the five basic fields of application for ms word.

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]

Whatever founder mode consists of, it's pretty clear that it's going to break the principle that the CEO should engage with the company only via his or her direct reports. "Skip-level" meetings will become the norm instead of a practice so unusual that there's a name for it. And once you abandon that constraint there are a huge number of permutations to choose from.

For example, Steve Jobs used to run an annual retreat for what he considered the 100 most important people at Apple, and these were not the 100 people highest on the org chart. Can you imagine the force of will it would take to do this at the average company? And yet imagine how useful such a thing could be. It could make a big company feel like a startup. Steve presumably wouldn't have kept having these retreats if they didn't work. But I've never heard of another company doing this. So is it a good idea, or a bad one? We still don't know. That's how little we know about founder mode. ]

Obviously founders can't keep running a 2000 person company the way they ran it when it had 20. There's going to have to be some amount of delegation. Where the borders of autonomy end up, and how sharp they are, will probably vary from company to company. They'll even vary from time to time within the same company, as managers earn trust. So founder mode will be more complicated than manager mode. But it will also work better. We already know that from the examples of individual founders groping their way toward it.

Indeed, another prediction I'll make about founder mode is that once we figure out what it is, we'll find that a number of individual founders were already most of the way there — except that in doing what they did they were regarded by many as eccentric or worse. ]

Curiously enough it's an encouraging thought that we still know so little about founder mode. Look at what founders have achieved already, and yet they've achieved this against a headwind of bad advice. Imagine what they'll do once we can tell them how to run their companies like Steve Jobs instead of John Sculley.











[ ] The more diplomatic way of phrasing this statement would be to say that experienced C-level execs are often very skilled at managing up. And I don't think anyone with knowledge of this world would dispute that.

[ ] If the practice of having such retreats became so widespread that even mature companies dominated by politics started to do it, we could quantify the senescence of companies by the average depth on the org chart of those invited.

[ ] I also have another less optimistic prediction: as soon as the concept of founder mode becomes established, people will start misusing it. Founders who are unable to delegate even things they should will use founder mode as the excuse. Or managers who aren't founders will decide they should try to act like founders. That may even work, to some extent, but the results will be messy when it doesn't; the modular approach does at least limit the damage a bad CEO can do.



to Brian Chesky, Patrick Collison, Ron Conway, Jessica Livingston, Elon Musk, Ryan Petersen, Harj Taggar, and Garry Tan for reading drafts of this.

How-To Geek

How to double space in microsoft word.

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Microsoft Office vs. Google Docs, Sheets, Slides: Which Is Best?

6 steps to ensure you never lose a microsoft office file again, the pixel 8 pro has a big problem, quick links, what is double-spacing, option 1: configure document to automatically double space, option 2: double space with a keyboard shortcut, option 3: double-space by editing the text properties.

If you need to add some line spacing to your Word document or write an APA style piece, double spacing is a useful feature. You can quickly double space your documents with just a few clicks or a keyboard shortcut.

Virtually every college student eventually has to double space a document in Microsoft Word. It provides plenty of margins to make notes or suggestions in a document. It's also a great way to make it easier to read---I can't read anything on a Kindle without changing the view to double-spaced, for instance---and can be more visually appealing for certain types of writing.

If you use Google's apps,  double spacing on Google Docs  is a common task as well. Fortunately, there are several ways to use double spacing in Microsoft Word. You can set your document up ahead of time with double-spaced formatting, or apply double spacing to the document after finishing it instead.

Related: How to Double-Space on Google Docs

If you don't have anything written yet, you can  use a cool trick  from the 2007 version of Microsoft Word (that still exists in the current version of the software) to create some random text to edit. Simply open up a new document, click anywhere in the field, and type

to create some fancy Lorem Ipsum text . Do this as many times as you like to create additional paragraphs.

Type "=lorem ()" into a blank Word document to generate random text

Once you've generated your text or finished writing your document, it's time to set your line spacing.

Related: Undocumented Microsoft Word Feature: Insert Lorem Ipsum Text

If you want to configure your document to automatically double space as you write, there are two ways to do it.

The first method uses the "Line Spacing" icon under the "Home" tab. In the "Home" tab, navigate to the "Line Spacing" icon.

Select "2.0" from the drop-down menu. Your text will now be double spaced. You can do this to quickly double spacing at any point in the writing process, but it works best for setting up the document.

You can accomplish the same goal using the Design tab. Start by clicking the "Design" tab in the ribbon.

Navigate to the "Design" tab located in the ribbon

In the "Design" tab, navigate over to the "Paragraph Spacing" option. Select it to bring up a menu.

In the "Design" tab, navigate over to the "Paragraph Spacing" option.

In the drop-down menu, select "Double :"

Within the drop down menu, select the "Double" option

And that's it! Your document will now automatically set each line to double spaced as you write:

Your document is now double spaced. Enjoy!

Another easy way to double space your documents is to use our old friend, the please note this method works as both a way to configure the document before writing and to double space while writing.

To double space with a keyboard shortcut, first highlight your desired text, or select everything using the Ctrl+A command.

Select the text you want to double-space with the cursor or select the entire document using "Ctrl + A"

With the desired text selected, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+2 to quickly apply double space formatting to your text.

A third method for double spacing your text is to edit the paragraph settings of specific passages. First, highlight the text you want or use Ctrl+A to select all:

Right-click your mouse to bring up a menu and select "Paragraph: "

In the "Paragraph" menu, select the drop-down menu located beneath "Line Spacing:"

Select "Double" and click "OK :"

Using these methods to quickly double space text in Microsoft Word will help you get past those formatting roadblocks with ease. Happy writing!

  • Microsoft Office
  • Microsoft Word

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