Handwritten work

MLA format: Observe the same MLA rules for written as for typed work, except for double spacing. Use an MLA heading for out-of-class essays, use a header with your name and page number on every separate page, and leave one-inch margins for all four margins of the page.

Margins: Always leave open a one-inch margin. Remember, all sides, including top and bottom, should have a one-inch margin. Nothing should be written in these margins.

Concision: Write only the amount of text required of you. If you are given a set number of lines, formulate your answer so as to fit it within those lines. If you must write more to finish a thought, only write one or two extra lines, and place them somewhere on the quiz or test where you are able to observe the margin rule. When you go over the line limit, don't shift into smaller writing.

Neatness: If you write in the margins, write vertically along the margin, squeeze text between lines or into tiny spaces in an indecipherable manner, it won't be read. Do any pre-writing on the back of the paper or on a separate sheet of paper, so that it won't interfere with the clear reading of your writing.

Legibility: The basic idea here is that if your writing isn't readily legible, it won't be read. You decide how to make your writing legible. Please, don't call me to you during an essay exam and ask me to assess the legibility of your writing.