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July 15, 2024
What's the difference between a memoir and an autobiography?
Explore the differences between memoirs, autobiographies, and biographies.
Learn moreWhen writing an essay for school or a business document for work, you may be asked to have either single or double-spaced text. It helps to know when to use which type of line spacing, especially if you aren’t provided with instructions on how to space your document. Learn about single versus double spacing and how the sentences in your document should be spaced out.
Line spacing requirements can vary depending on the type of essay or business document you are writing. If you are just writing a journal entry or are freewriting on your own, you can use whatever type of line spacing you like. However, there are some cases when choosing a specific type of line spacing matters:
Most academic papers must adhere to the spacing requirements of whatever style guide they need to be written in. Most style guides, like MLA and APA, use double spacing. When you are proofreading your essay, be sure to check what line spacing is the requirement for a given style guide. Using the wrong spacing may be an honest mistake, but some strict instructors may end up deducting points for doing so!
Having different line spacing options is helpful for enhancing readability. For instance, a double-spaced document may be easier to browse through, and a single-spaced document will appear shorter and less overwhelming. Double spacing also gives instructors room to leave comments or questions on a printed document to show students where they can improve.
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Learn MoreMost work-related documents like business letters are single-spaced. Some longer work documents can be written in double space to make them easier to skim through. Cover letters for job applications should also be written in single space.
Some people prefer to use 1.15 and 1.5, which are the two spacing options in between single space (1.0) and double space (2.0). 1.15 is a good option for adding a little more space than single space, and 1.5 is ideal for spacing out documents without making them as large as double space. Some word processing tools like Microsoft Word also offer larger line spacing options like 2.5 and 3.0.
If you want to change the line spacing of your Microsoft Word document:
Knowing which line spacing option to use is one of the many things you must know when formatting a document for work or school. Page indents, adding the correct amount of spaces after a period, and using the right fonts are a few examples of some ways to properly format a document and make it look more visually appealing. Find more writing tips to improve your spelling, punctuation, and formatting for your next paper or work project.
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