3-1 Paragraph Formatting

Key Concepts

• Indentation
• Alignment
• Line Spacing

Indentation

Indentation refers to the space at the beginning of a paragraph, typically used to visually separate it from the previous paragraph. In word processing, you can set the first line of a paragraph to be indented by a specific amount, usually measured in inches or centimeters. This helps in distinguishing new paragraphs and making the document more readable.

Imagine indentation as the space you leave at the start of a new paragraph when writing a letter by hand. Just as you might indent the first line to signal the start of a new thought, word processors allow you to do the same digitally, ensuring clarity and structure.

Alignment

Alignment determines how text is positioned within the margins of a document. Common alignments include left, right, center, and justified. Left alignment is the most common and aligns text to the left margin, while justified alignment stretches the text to fill both margins evenly. Proper alignment enhances the visual appeal and readability of your document.

Think of alignment as arranging books on a shelf. Left alignment is like lining up books on the left side, right alignment is like lining them up on the right side, center alignment is like placing them in the middle, and justified alignment is like evenly spacing them to fill the entire shelf.

Line Spacing

Line spacing refers to the amount of space between lines of text in a document. Common line spacing options include single spacing, 1.5 spacing, and double spacing. Single spacing is the most compact, while double spacing provides the most space between lines. Adjusting line spacing can make your document easier to read and more visually appealing.

Consider line spacing as the distance between lines of text on a page. Just as you might space out lines in a handwritten letter to make it easier to read, adjusting line spacing in a word processor can improve the readability of your document.