Manuscript
Guide for Formal Writing
I.
Handwritten Format
A.
Each paper will contain the heading in
the upper right-hand corner - name, date, hour.
B.
Use standard sized (8-1/2 x 11) white
paper with clean edges.
C.
Handwritten assignments should have
one-inch margins on three sides of the page.
D.
Indent each paragraph one inch without
spacing between paragraphs.
E.
Write on one side of the paper only; do
not skip lines.
F.
Use legible writing in black or blue ink.
II.
Typed Format
A.
Each paper should be double spaced
with a one-inch margin on all four sides.
B.
Place the heading in the upper left corner.
Type your name one inch from the top.
On three subsequent double-spaced lines, type your instructor’s
name, the course title and hour, and the date using international style
(day-month-year). See example
on back.
C.
If a title is required, center it a triple space below the last
line of the heading. Capitalize
only the first
letter of appropriate words. Do
not use quotation marks or underline the title.
If your instructor requires a title page, see the instructions in
the Guide to Research.
D.
Use a running head to number all pages consecutively. To create a running head,
type your
last name and the page number a half inch from the top of each page
and flush with the
right margin.
III.
Standards
A.
Write
out all numbers under one hundred, except dates and addresses, and numbers
containing a decimal point. Hyphenate
between the two words of a number (twenty-one
through ninety-nine).
B. In
formal writing, avoid the following:
1.
Contractions in research papers and in business correspondence
2.
Indefinite you
3.
Sentence fragments
4.
Run-on
sentences
5.
Misused
homonyms and other spelling errors
6.
Verb
tense shifts
7.
Misused
apostrophes
8.
Faulty
agreement
a.
subject/verb
b.
pronoun/antecedent
IV.
Language Arts Department Policies
A.
All assigned work is due at the beginning of the hour.
B.
Late or incomplete work may be penalized.
C.
Plagiarism is never acceptable.
2006
