Many guidelines for formatting essays, as presented in rubrics, recommend double-spacing as one of the proper formats for standard comprehensive essays. For instance, when you receive the assignment instructions, essay prompts, or other academic homework assignment instructions, the Spacing of the work is usually specified.
The common spacing specifications include a 1.5 spaced essay, single-spaced essay, and a double-spaced or 2.0 spaced essay. In most cases, instructors will insist that your essay must be typed and double-spaced on standard-sized 8.5″ by 11″ paper, with margins of 1″ on all sides.
In this detailed guide, we focus on the definition of a double-spaced essay, how to double-space an essay on MS Word or Mac Pages, and how to spice up that essay so that you score higher marks.
What is a double-spaced essay?
Here is the meaning of a double-spaced essay: A double-spaced essay is a standard essay written on a standard-sized (8.5″ x 11″) paper with a one-inch margin around the paper formatted with double spaces between the lines that make a paragraph with no extra spacing between paragraphs.
In terms of word count, a double-spaced essay contains either 275 or 300 words in total per page, depending on the font used. Formatting a paper in double-spacing makes it easier for the tutor to read through the essay, make corrections within the left spaces, and follow through with ideas in your essay.
The number of words in a double-spacing essay also depends on the page margins you have set for your text. For instance, if you use A-4 sized page, an essay will have fewer words, the same as an A3 page. However, a standard-sized age with one-inch margins all around should have 275 words as a standard.
With short essays being between 250 words and 1000 words, with the most common in college being a 500-word essay, you can write as many words as you wish depending on the scope of the question, essay prompt, and the topic.
In most instances, students are advised to use font 12 points of 11 depending on the font type you are using. Failure to format your essay in the required Spacing might lead to penalties ranging from deduction of grades to poor grades.
As you set out to write or edit your essay, ensure that you choose a font that your professor advises. But this should only be the last thing you do as you polish your essay. For instance, some students find it comfortable writing with a given font, say Arial font 13, and then converting to Times New Roman font 12 when editing.
What is the significance of Double Spacing in essays and assignments?
You are probably wondering why we double-space essays or why it is the preferred standard for essays you write in high school and college. Below are some of the top three reasons why teachers want essays to be double-spaced.
- Double-spacing makes it easier to read through the document quickly as the lines do not blur together.
- Double-spaced essays are also reader-friendly. A reader can easily read and trace the points in your essay without needing extra aids or larger fonts.
- Double-spaced essays or assignments are also preferred because they leave whitespaces where the instructors can write comments on the paper.
- Another reason is that double-spaced essays give you (the essayist) enough room to communicate to your readers. The Spacing enhances the spatial mode of the essay or paper, making it easier to spot main points, read without getting lost or straying into other lines, and use one’s fingers.
Double-Spacing vs. Other tyles of Spacing for Essays
When writing an essay, report, dissertation, annotated bibliography, or research paper for school, you should be aware of the type of Spacing required. There are three types of Spacing for school assignments: single, 1.5, and double Spacing.
A double-spaced paper or document, which is the most common, entails creating 2.0 spaces between lines in a paragraph without spaces between paragraphs. Double-spacing is a norm of most college assignments; even dissertations and theses are mostly double-spaced.
A 1.5 spaced essay or document means that the lines or sentences in a paragraph are spaced 1.5 mm from one another without spaces between paragraphs.
Finally, a single-spaced paper has little white spaces between the typed lines in the paragraphs. The lines within the paragraph are spaced 1.0 from one another. This means that there is little room for comments, remarks, or feedback from the professor. You should only use single and 1.5 spacing if your instructor advises so.
If you have typed your paper and realize that you have the wrong spacing, do not worry. You can do the Spacing of an essay or document either on a word document or on a Mac, as we shall explain shortly. The good news is that you can do this at any point in your writing process. The process will differ depending on the program you are using. Let’s explore widely.
How to set Double-Spacing on your Computer
Some people prefer to use other font styles and formats when writing, then edit the entire document to the required format and Spacing later, which is okay. Others like to keep everything organized from the beginning, which means setting double-spacing from the onset. Whether on Mac Page’s word processor or MS word processor, here are some steps to take.
Pages on a Mac
If you are using a Page’s word processor on a mac, you can follow these steps to double-space your paper:
- Highlight the text that you wish to double-space
- Click on Inspector, a blue button on the top right of your window
- In the new window, select the Text tab or the “T.”
- Find the section labeled Spacing and type 2 into the box to the right of the slide bar.
On Microsoft Word Processor
If you are typing your assignment on a word document, follow the following steps to double-space it:
1. Select the text that you wish to change its Spacing
2. Under the Home tab, go to the Paragraph Click on the small arrow in the bottom left corner, as shown below.
3. A new window will pop up with various settings, including general, indentation, and Spacing, as shown in the figure below.
4. Click on the line spacing drop-down arrow
5. Select “Double” from the list
6. Check the “Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style.”
7. Press OK to execute the changes and save
The process is more or less the same for all Microsoft word processing versions.
You can also adjust the line-spacing from the toolbar on your Microsoft word processor. This is probably the best way if you are one of those that want a page with double-spacing from the onset.
1. Under the Paragraph section of the Home Tab, locate the line-spacing button.
2. Click on the button to expand it as shown below.
3. Choose 2.0 for double-spacing, 1.5 for 1.5 line-spacing, and 1.0 for single spacing.
4. Click on OK to make the paper double-spaced.
How to Write a Double-Spaced Essay: 9 Steps to Take
Suppose you are assigned to write a double-spacing essay and you are wondering how to proceed, here is a little cheat sheet to keep you going. We asked our top essay writers and here were their exact recommendations; they can help you craft a double-spaced essay or assignment.
1. Read the essay prompt
The first thing you should always do when assigned to write a double-spaced essay is to thoroughly read the assignment prompt. It helps you unpack the question, brainstorm on a good topic, and pick the best topic for your essay. additionally, you also get to understand the Spacing, font type and size, and length/wordcount of your essay. It is an integral step in writing an essay.
2. Select a good essay topic
After reading the instructions, you need to rewrite the question on your own terms, conduct some research, evaluate the viable topics, then choose a hot topic for your essay. depending on your area of study, select a topic that is neither too narrow nor too broad. Go with a topic that is easy to find resources and one that you have genuine interest in writing a paper. If you are left with the option of selecting a topic on your own, select a topic that is relevant to the subject of study.
3. Use appropriate evidence
We cannot insist less how much it is important to cite all the sources that you use in an essay. First, failure to cite sources used in an essay could amount to plagiarism, which is a punishable offense in higher education and even professional realms. Therefore, you need to manage your in-text citations and reference list to ensure that your paper has some scholarly rigor. Citing facts paraphrased, quoted, or summarized from a source bolsters the arguments in the paragraphs of your essay. It brings in a string of a scholarly streak that makes the paper flow, make sense, and support your thesis statement.
4. Present your facts well
When planning for your essay or writing an essay outline/structure, you ought to have thought of the scaffolding of your essay. An essay scaffold refers to the order in which you present your arguments, themes, or texts in an essay. Have some semblance of organization in your essay. As an essayist, ensure that you substantiate your claims using proper evidence.
Instead of casually presenting an idea because you do not believe in it, use the available empirical evidence to make the essay even more desirable. It is also appropriate not to jump into unwarranted or unsupported conclusions.
If you do so, let it be on grounds of the evidence presented to support your thesis statement. Equally, your essay must always address the readers, so focus on what would interest them. From the title to the reference page, ensure that your readers are well-entertained and hooked.
5. Have a good essay structure
Apart from determining the order of argument, ensure that your essay is also well-structured. A comprehensive essay with a definite structure intrigues the readers. It also simplifies the writing process because everything falls into its rightful place.
You will have a laser-sharp focus on a structured essay than an essay you write haphazardly. Such an essay (a poorly-planned essay) will probably miss a thing or two. But when you have an essay outline, your chances of intriguing your readers increased. In short, a well-structured essay is reader-friendly.
Instead of beginning with the introduction, like anyone else, why not begin with the body paragraphs. Because you have a preliminary thesis, your body paragraphs can be developed without the introduction.
You can then finalize the writing process by tweaking the thesis into a final thesis, based on the arguments on the body paragraphs, and then writing a catchy introduction.
When you have your introduction, you can now finalize the writing process by writing an equally catchy conclusion that leaves your readers yearning for more.
As long as you maintain the standard format of a three-paragraph or a five-paragraph essay, whichever order you use to write does not matter provided the quality of the essay is met.
Choose the essay scaffold depending on the type of essay you are writing. For instance, you can use Toulmin, classic argument method, or Rogerian approach when writing an argumentative essay. similarly, you can choose to use chronology or point-by-point contrast when writing a classification or compare and contrast essay.
6. Use simple vocabulary
When writing any essay, it is not the chance to measure who knows what vocabulary. Instead, it is a chance to present facts from research to reinforce your ideas and thoughts on a given topic. Resist the temptation of using tough words to impress your teacher. Simplicity always wins when it comes to essay writing. Write in plain and simple language.
Use the ordinary words that makes it easier for your instructor to read and flow with your ideas. They never have the time to peruse a thesaurus, and even if they do, you would probably irritate their appetite leading to poor grades.
Use simple common words to communicate with the audience. Most engaging and top-grade essays are written in simple language. Students who write simple papers end up scoring better, as long as the facts are presented, flowing, and well organized.
7. Use short and long sentences
Every piece of assignment you write is meant to impress your readers. Using short sentences and long sentences blended together makes an essay readable. Short sentences are brief, easy to understand, and allow for easier navigation.
Although sometimes it is tempting to use complex sentences, they are counted as run-on or ambiguous sentences. When writing, this should not trouble you. However, when editing the paper, shorten the long sentences that have empty but complex vocabularies. It narrows down to simplicity again.
All our writers are better because they have mastered the art of balancing short and long sentences. With such a craft, you can convince even the toughest professor on earth for the best grades.
Brevity, coherence, accuracy, composition, and clarity comes from a mastery of how to use short sentences. So, try to practice often and use this approach for success in your essays.
8. Balance your paragraphs
To achieve a perfect paragraph in an essay is akin to getting an A+. It is not hard although it is something that most people struggle with.
Ensure that your topic sentences achieve cohesion and coherence. Cohesion means a good flow while coherence means achieving a sense of the whole. Your paragraphs should transition into one another.
Each paragraph should present a single idea linked to the order. Check out our guide on the PEEL paragraphing format. We also have a checklist for a good essay paragraph. A paragraph is an indispensable or irreplaceable node within a coherent sequence of logic. They are the building blocks of the essays. So, make them count.
Finally, your paragraphs need to be balanced in terms of number of words. Remember, by default the body paragraphs comprise 80% of the entire word count. This means that if you are writing a five-paragraph essay, the three body paragraphs should be spread to cover for the same.
9. Edit and format correctly
The writing process is no doubt the hardest part. Since it comes with researching, reading, and critical thinking, by the time you are done chances are that you are exhausted probably fatigued. If you make the mistake of rushing directly to edit and format the paper, you’ll probably make mistakes. It is the sole reason why it is good to plan an essay – allocate some good time for editing and polishing the essay or any assignment for that matter.
Now, when you’re done with writing, take some much-deserved break. You can go for a walk, have a nap, watch yoru favorite show, activate your social media and plug back, or visits a friend, whatever will ease your mind.
After the rest, spend some quality time objectively reading, editing, and formatting your essay. focus on spelling, grammar, stylistic, and organization mistakes. You should also check the right Spacing, fonts, and font type. If you find the process consuming and tiresome, you can use our essay editing service. We have keen editors who can always help.
After everything is okay, check your paper for plagiarism, and submit it before the deadline.
Parting Shot!
To this end, you now understand what a double-spaced essay is, how to set double Spacing on your Computer, and how to make a double-spacing interesting enough to earn you a better grade.
Whether you are writing in MLA, Harvard, APA, or Chicago, the process remains the same. If you need tips on how to make an essay longer, check out our guide on the same. We also have various guides that can help you become a better essay writer.
Otherwise, if all you need is someone who can assist you with writing a well-researched, refined, and polished school essay, we have excellent and talented writers on the wait. Place an order through the form on our homepage and experience a perfect essay help you have never seen before.
