- At the beginning of each paragraph. This helps to create visual separation between paragraphs and makes it easier for readers to follow the flow of your writing.
- When you are creating a list. Indenting the items in a list helps to organize the information and make it easier to read.
- When you are quoting someone else's work. Indenting the quote helps to distinguish it from your writing and makes it clear that you are not plagiarizing.
- When you are creating a table. Indenting the columns in a table helps to align the information and make it easier to read.
However, there are some exceptions to the rule of indenting.
- You do not need to indent the first line of a report. This is because the title of the report is already centered on the page, so indenting the first line would create unnecessary white space.
- You do not need to indent the first line of a paragraph that begins with a heading or subheading. This is because the heading or subheading is already visually separated from the rest of the paragraph, so indenting the first line would be redundant.
- You do not need to indent the last line of a report. This is because the last line is usually the signature or date, which is already aligned with the right margin.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your reports are well-formatted and easy to read.