Common Essay Formatting Mistakes: APA, MLA, and Harvard Spacing & Margins

Key Takeaways

• 1-inch margins on all sides — this is the universal standard across APA, MLA, and Harvard. Yet most students default to Word’s 1.25-inch setting.
• Double-spacing is mandatory — APA, MLA, and Harvard all require 2.0 line spacing throughout the entire document, including references.
• 0.5-inch paragraph indent — don’t use the spacebar. Use your word processor’s automatic indent setting to avoid uneven spacing.
• Each style has unique elements — MLA uses a running header with page numbers in the top right; APA uses a title page; Harvard has no single official manual, so check your institution’s guide.

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You spent hours writing the essay. You have a strong thesis, solid evidence, and a clear argument. Then your marker hands it back with half a page of red marks next to things that have absolutely nothing to do with your argument.

They’re not grading your ideas. They’re grading your formatting.

Here’s what I see students get wrong about 95% of the time — and how to fix it before you submit.

The Universal Formatting Rules (All Three Styles Agree)

Before we dive into the specific quirks of APA, MLA, and Harvard, let’s cover what all three styles agree on. If you follow these five rules, you’ll avoid the vast majority of formatting mistakes students make:

1. Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all four sides

This is the gold standard. Not 1.25. Not 1.5. Exactly one inch. Word processors often default to 1.25 inches, and students don’t catch it until submission. Set your margins manually before you even start writing.

2. Line Spacing: Double-spacing throughout

Every style guide — APA 7th, MLA 9th, Harvard — requires double-spacing. That means:

• Main body text: double-spaced
• Block quotes: double-spaced
• References/Works Cited: double-spaced
• No extra blank lines between paragraphs

Your word processor’s “2.0” setting gives you the correct spacing. Never set it to 1.5 or single-space, and never add “extra Enter” keystrokes between paragraphs.

3. Font: 12-point Times New Roman or equivalent

All three styles want readability. Times New Roman (12 pt) is the default choice. Arial (11–12 pt) and Calibri (11 pt) are also widely acceptable. Pick one font and stick with it.

4. Paragraph Indent: 0.5 inches

Indent the first line of every new paragraph by half an inch. Crucially: use the Tab key or your word processor’s automatic indent setting. Never press the spacebar five times to “indent” a paragraph — this creates uneven spacing and looks unprofessional.

5. Alignment: Left-align only

Do not justify your text (making both the left and right edges align perfectly). Left-align means the right edge of your text is naturally ragged. Right-justified text looks like a newspaper column and is never acceptable in academic essays.

If you get all five of these right, your essay is already in the top tier of formatting. Let’s look at what each style adds on top of these universal rules.

APA 7th Edition: The Most Common Formatting Mistakes

APA (American Psychological Association) 7th edition is the default in most social science programs. It has the most rigid formatting requirements, and that’s where students lose the most marks.

Mistake #1: Adding extra spacing between paragraphs

Here’s the single most common formatting mistake I see in APA papers: students add an extra blank line between paragraphs. They think it looks “cleaner.” It doesn’t — it’s a formatting violation.

APA 7th Edition requirement: Double-space the entire document, including the title page, body text, headings, block quotes, and the References page. Do not add blank lines before or after paragraphs or headings. Set your word processor’s “Space Before” and “Space After” settings to exactly 0 points.

The fix: Select all text, click the Paragraph settings, and set both “Space Before” and “Space After” to 0 pt. This ensures consistent spacing throughout.

Mistake #2: Forgetting the hanging indent on the References page

APA requires a hanging indent on the References page. The first line of each entry is flush with the left margin; subsequent lines are indented by 0.5 inches. Students either forget this entirely or use a regular indent on every line, making the reference list look like normal paragraphs.

APA 7th Edition requirement: The References page uses a hanging indent where the first line is flush left and lines 2+ are indented by 0.5 inches. Entries are alphabetized by author surname. Every in-text citation has a matching entry, and every entry in the list has an in-text citation.

The fix: In Microsoft Word, select your reference entries, go to Paragraph > Indents > Special > Hanging, and set it to 0.5 inches.

Mistake #3: Using a title page when you shouldn’t

In APA 7th edition, student papers do not need a separate title page unless your instructor specifically requests one. You type your name, affiliation, course, instructor, and date on the first page of the body text, followed by the title centered below.

The mistake: Students add a separate title page with “Running head:” and page numbers across every page — this was the APA 6th edition requirement. APA 7th simplified this for student papers.

Mistake #4: Mixing APA headings with MLA headers

APA uses formal heading levels (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, etc.) with specific formatting for each. Students often mix these with MLA’s informal header format, creating inconsistency that markers notice immediately.

APA heading requirement:

• Level 1 (main section): Bold, centered, 12-point font
• Level 2 (subsection): Bold, left-aligned, 12-point font
• Level 3: Bold, italic, left-aligned, 12-point font

Always check your assignment brief — if it specifies APA, use APA headings consistently throughout.

MLA 9th Edition: The Most Common Formatting Mistakes

MLA (Modern Language Association) 9th edition is dominant in humanities disciplines — literature, language, cultural studies, and related fields. MLA is less rigid about structure than APA, but it has its own signature requirements.

Mistake #1: Adding a title page (when one isn’t required)

Unlike APA, MLA 9th does not require a title page. Your first page contains a left-aligned heading (your name, instructor’s name, course name, and date), followed by your title, then the body text begins on the next line.

MLA 9th Edition requirement:

• First page heading: Four lines, double-spaced, left-aligned
• Title: Centered on its own line, followed by the body text on the next line
• No bold, underline, or quotation marks around the title

Mistake #2: Using the wrong header format

MLA requires a running header in the top-right corner of every page: your last name, followed by a space, followed by the page number. Example: Smith 1, Smith 2, Smith 3.

The mistake: Students either skip the header entirely, use APA’s “Running head: Title” format (which is incorrect for MLA), or right-align the header but forget to include their last name.

Mistake #3: Not indenting the first line properly

MLA requires a 0.5-inch first-line indent for every paragraph. Like APA, this should be done with the Tab key or automatic indent setting — never the spacebar.

Students also frequently confuse MLA’s first-page heading format with APA’s title page. In MLA, the heading (name, instructor, course, date) sits in the upper left of the first page, while page numbers sit in the upper right.

Mistake #4: Wrong Works Cited format

MLA’s Works Cited page requires:

• Double-spaced entries
• Hanging indents (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches)
• Alphabetical ordering by author’s last name
• In-text citations that match every entry

Students often forget the hanging indent on the Works Cited page or add extra spacing between entries.

Harvard Referencing Style: The Most Common Formatting Mistakes

Harvard is the trickiest style to cover because it’s not a single official manual. Multiple institutions use Harvard-style referencing with slightly different rules. However, the core formatting conventions are consistent enough to cover the common mistakes students make.

Mistake #1: Not checking which Harvard variant is required

This is the most consequential mistake Harvard students make. Harvard style has several variants:

• Cite Them Right (most common in UK universities)
• Author-Date style (most common in US universities)
• Footnote style (used in some history and social science programs)

Your institution’s specific guide is what matters. Using the wrong variant means your entire citation format is technically incorrect.

Mistake #2: Using 1.5 spacing instead of double-spacing

Some institutions specify 1.5 line spacing for their Harvard guides, while others require double-spacing. This is a common point of confusion.

The rule: Check your university handbook. The default Harvard standard is double-spacing, but several UK universities (especially those following Cite Them Right) may specify 1.5 spacing. Never guess — always check.

Mistake #3: Incorrect in-text citation format

Harvard in-text citations use the author-date format: (Surname, Year). Students often mix this with APA’s (Author, Year, p. X) format (which includes page numbers) or MLA’s (Author Page) format (without commas).

Common Harvard in-text formats:

• Parenthetical: (Smith, 2023)
• Integrated: Smith (2023) argues that...
• Direct quote: (Smith, 2023, p. 45)

Always verify your institution’s exact requirements.

Mistake #4: Reference list formatting errors

Harvard reference lists require alphabetical ordering, double-spacing, and hanging indents. Students frequently:

• Skip the hanging indent
• Add extra blank lines between entries
• Use the wrong title format (italicizing journal names instead of article titles, or vice versa)

The Quick-Reference Formatting Comparison

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the key formatting differences across all three styles. Use this as a pre-submission checklist:

Element	APA 7th	MLA 9th	Harvard
Margins	1″ all sides	1″ all sides	1″ all sides (check variant)
Spacing	Double (2.0) throughout	Double (2.0) throughout	Double or 1.5 (check variant)
Font	12pt Times New Roman	12pt Times New Roman	12pt Times New Roman or Arial
First-page heading	Name, affiliation, course, date, title	Name, instructor, course, date	Varies by variant
Running header	Page number only (top right)	Last name + page number (top right)	Varies (often page number only)
Title page	Not required for student papers	Not required	Not required
Paragraph indent	0.5″ (Tab key)	0.5″ (Tab key)	0.5″ (Tab key)
Reference heading	References	Works Cited	References or Bibliography
Reference indent	Hanging indent (0.5″)	Hanging indent (0.5″)	Hanging indent (0.5″)
Page numbering	Top right only	Top right (with surname)	Varies by variant

The Pre-Submission Formatting Checklist

Before you hit submit, run through this checklist. It covers every common mistake students make across APA, MLA, and Harvard:

• [ ] Margins set to exactly 1 inch on all four sides (top, bottom, left, right)
• [ ] Line spacing set to 2.0 (double-spacing) throughout the entire document
• [ ] Space Before and Space After settings set to 0 points for all paragraphs
• [ ] Font is 12-point Times New Roman (or equivalent) used consistently throughout
• [ ] Every paragraph indented by 0.5 inches using the Tab key or automatic indent
• [ ] Text is left-aligned only (not justified)
• [ ] Page numbers inserted automatically (not typed manually)
• [ ] Reference list/Works Cited uses hanging indents (0.5-inch)
• [ ] Citation style is consistent throughout (no mixing APA, MLA, and Harvard)
• [ ] File submitted in the correct format (.docx or .pdf)

What To Avoid

Here are the three most common formatting mistakes that consistently cost students marks — and why they’re avoidable:

1. Don’t use the spacebar to indent. This is the single biggest formatting faux pas in academic writing. Pressing the spacebar five times creates uneven indentation that markers notice immediately. Use the Tab key or your word processor’s automatic indent setting.

2. Don’t add blank lines between paragraphs. Even if you think the spacing looks too tight — don’t add an extra Enter keystroke. Double-spacing is the correct setting, and adding more spacing violates the style guide.

3. Don’t guess your institution’s requirements. Some universities have additional formatting rules beyond the style guide. Always check the assignment brief or your department’s handbook first.

Bottom Line

Formatting mistakes are the easiest to fix and the most damaging to ignore. You’ve already done the hard work of writing a strong essay. Taking five minutes to verify your formatting ensures your marker focuses on your argument instead of your layout.

If you’d rather spend that time on the actual writing, let our editors handle the formatting details. Every submission goes through a thorough quality check before delivery — margins, spacing, indentation, citations, and style consistency all verified.

Explore our editing and proofreading service to get a professional review before your deadline.

FAQ

Related Guides

• Essay Writing Checklist: What to Verify Before Submission
• APA vs MLA vs Chicago: Citation Styles Explained for Students
• How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement: A Complete Guide
• How to Structure an Essay: The Complete Outline Guide
• Citation Tools vs Manual Citation: Which Works Better for Students?

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