Library FAQs

You're writing your paper (if you're a nursing student, you're using APA format) and thought you had it all double-spaced, but you notice (or are told) that there's extra space between your paragraphs. How do you fix it so it's just double-spaced? 

This is a common problem when using Word. Many people don't realize that Word's default settings may automatically add a line of 8 pt or 10 pt font after each paragraph (after you use a hard return). This results in extra space when you want your paper to be double-spaced, only. 

This is fixable by tweaking the paragraph settings options. If you are applying these changes after you've already typed your paper, you'll need to select all your text before making these changes, or they won't be applied to text that's already there.

In the desktop version of Word, choose Paragraph. In the Spacing area, make sure you have zero (not 8) in the After spot, as well as double spacing in the Line Spacing slot. 

In the online version of Word, there are various ways to find Paragraph Spacing. One is to select your text and right click, then choose Paragraph Options. In the Spacing area, make sure you have zero (not 8) in the After slot, as well as double in the Line Spacing slot. 

Another option is to choose Layout, and then set Spacing After to zero (not 8).