40 min read
Paragraph Formatting
Paragraphs as structural units — spacing, indents, tabs, pagination control; why spaces fail for alignment.
The paragraph mark (¶) is the unit
Everything from one ¶ to the next is one paragraph. It carries:
- Alignment (left, centre, right, justify)
- Line spacing and before/after spacing
- Indents (left, right, first line, hanging)
- Tabs, borders, shading
- Keep with next, Keep lines together, Widow/orphan control, Page break before
Character formatting (bold, font size) applies to letters. Paragraph formatting applies to the whole ¶ block. Mixing them up causes "I changed line spacing but only one word moved" confusion.
Why repeated spaces fail
Wrong: Time: 10:00 Main Hall typed with spaces.
Why it breaks: Adding Registration: shifts columns. Different fonts change space width. Accessibility tools read it as nonsense.
Better tools depending on goal:
| Goal | Tool |
|---|---|
| Two-column list within prose | Tab stops with leaders |
| Timetable | Table (see Tables lesson) |
| Legal clauses | Hanging indent + numbering |
| Side-by-side labels | Table or Layout → Columns |
Spaces are for separating words — not columns.
Spacing vs blank paragraphs
Wrong: Press Enter three times between chapters.
Right: Select heading → Layout → Paragraph spacing Before 24 pt or modify Heading 1 style.
Blank ¶ marks still occupy space and move when content above edits. Style-controlled Space After travels with the heading when Dr. Helen Marsh inserts a new chapter.
Keep with next and widow/orphan
Keep with next: Heading stays on same page as following paragraph — stops Uniform alone at page bottom with body on next page.
Keep lines together: All lines in paragraph stay on one page — use on short policy quotes.
Widow/orphan control: Prevents single line of paragraph stranded alone on next page — default on for professional body text.
Page break before: Forces chapter Heading 1 to start fresh page — often better in Heading 1 style than manual Ctrl+Enter stacks.
Fix uniform policy readability
Goal
Apply professional paragraph spacing and a hanging indent on quoted rules.
James Okonkwo adds this to NorthgateHandbook.docx as part of one polished student handbook, policy pack, and open-day collateral before families arrive.
Select policy block
Where
Do this
You should see
- Body paragraphs highlighted.
Verification
Check your work
You are correct if all of these are true:
- Uniform body uses 1.15 spacing — not single-spaced wall of text.
- At least one quoted rule uses hanging indent — not manual spaces.
- Uniform heading does not orphan at page bottom alone.
Tab stops for a simple two-column list
For Item[TAB]Detail lists without a full table:
- Home → Show/Hide ¶
- Select lines → Layout → Tabs → set tab at 8 cm → leader ...... if needed
- Type label → Tab → type detail
Leaders align dots for sign-in sheets. For open-day times, a table is still clearer — tabs suit simple two-column prose.
Practice
More lessons in Microsoft Word · Next: Styles — Professional Formatting · Previous: Font & Character Formatting