FORMAT

1.	Length: On some projects, directions specify length. If description says "4 pages," that means your paper will end on the 4th page. Usually, I give a word count so that your paper ends ends up being the length needed for good coverage.
2.	Font: 12 point Courier, just like on this page
3.	Margins: Top-bottom: = 1". Left-Right = 1.25".
4.	Spacing: double except name block, title, or block quotes.
5.	No bold font.
6.	Number each page in the footer at the center or right bottom. No hand-written pagination. To make page number appear in Courier, go into footer and change it
7.	Staple everything. No plastic folders or title pages.
8.	Underline or italicize book titles, names of ships, or movies no matter where it appears in your paper.
9.	No Title Page. Name Block appears page 1, Single-spaced in the upper-right corner: Name History 130_ & class start time date
10.	Title--Book review. single spaced, left margin flush, lower-case font. Book Review on Race and Manifest Destiny: The Origins of American Racial Anglo-Saxonism by Reginald Horsman. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1981, xi + 367pp. Notes, bibliography, pictures, and index. NOTE: Plug in your book's data in place of the sample entry. The Roman numeral "xi" stands for the numbering of the preface, forward, etc. Use full title of book as listed on title page. For total book pages, record that last numbered page of the entire book. Use can use a shortened version of the title in your review's main body. Title--other papers. Centered, single-spaced, and capitalized.
11.	If doing research paper, reference using quick reference from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition.
12.	Don't isolate. Don't let sub-headings or question lead-ins appear alone at the bottom of the page without at least one line of text beneath it.

 TIPS ON STYLE

Style includes sentence construction (syntax), word choice (diction), and the principle elements of writing (cohesion, unity, and the art of transition). Format and style are where students typically fall down. A good proofreader can solve many problems if he/she really devotes time to your paper. Below are some observations I have made over the years:

use paragraphs	Paragraphs give a paper form. Treat only one topic or theme per paragraph. For example, if the topic is "X", the sentences in the paragraph should read X1, X2, X3. If your first draft paragraph bounces around and looks like this: X, Y, Z, rewrite it. Remember that sections of your review can have more than one paragraph.
write complete sentences	Know the difference between a sentence fragment and a complete sentence. If you don't know the difference, find out.
I and You	Don't use the word "I" or any form of the first person until the last paragraph. Never use the word "you."
verb "to be"	Avoid forms of the passive verb "to be." (am, are, is, was, were, been).
last word of sentence	Avoid prepositions (with, in, of, on, by, at, under, over) as the last word of a sentence.
quoting	As a general rule, restrict direct quotes to less than 20% of you paper. But use them when the author writes something is such as way that to paraphrase (same number of words but in your own style) or summarize (larger sections of stated in far fewer words) would detract from his intended effect.
don't write questions	Don't write questions into your paper. Answer them. Don't write, for example, "What caused the Civil War?" Convert it into a declaratory statement: "Bitterness caused by slavery divided North and South by 1861."
patriotism	Don't yield to exaggerated patriotism. Don't assume, for example, that everyone believes that America has a divinely appointed mission to spread democracy throughout the world, a thing we call "American Exceptionalism." Take a more distance 3rd person stance.
detail and examples	Avoid excessive detail. Don't narrate, for example, the Cuban Missile Crisis. Assume that your reader knows the general chronology. Avoiding detailed narration, however, does not mean that you forget about concrete examples. Know the vocabulary and categories of your topic. Select examples that convey the meaning and sophistication of your book's analysis.
no self-effacing	Never say at the end of your review that you had a hard time reading the book. Self-effacing statements undermine the credibility of your review. Your assignment is to understand.
no redundancy	Don't repeat the same information twice. Proofread carefully, then eliminate redundant sections that consume space needed for the inclusion of other material.
adopt scholarly tone	No slang, no funny stuff, no passion. Take a "studied," dispassionate view of your subject. You are a third person referee, not a cheerleader. Don't assume that your readers swallow patriotic myths without question.
words to avoid	seems, very, really.