But what if you don’t want the first line to be indented? Can you indent the second line specifically while writing a citation or Bibliography that needs to follow a specific format? As a matter of fact, you can. And, here’s our complete guide on how to do it.
Should You Indent Second Line on Google Docs?
Usually, you use first-line indents to make the paragraphs distinguishable from each other and easier to read. On the other hand, when writing academic papers like a research paper or thesis, you need to follow a specific structure or format such as APA, Chicago, MLA, or any other. Here, hanging indents are essential to format the document accordingly.
How to Indent Second Line in Google Docs
You can indent a second line on Google Docs using a hanging indent. A hanging indent is also called a second line indent. Thus, indenting a second line is the same as creating a hanging indent. It indents all the selected text except the first line of the paragraph.There are different ways to indent the second line on Google Docs if you are using a web version. You can use the ruler, indent shortcut, or tweak a few settings.However, if you are using an app version of Google Docs, you need to go through the settings.So, let’s get right into the article to learn about the different ways you can create a hanging indent on the Web version and mobile phones.
Manually Adjusting the Markers on the Ruler
Since this method requires markers on the ruler, make sure you have the ruler on display. If it’s not, click on the “View” menu and select the “Show ruler” option. Then, follow the steps below.
Using Google Docs Settings
Google Docs itself provides a way to create a hanging indent. Here’s how you can access the necessary settings on both the web version and the mobile app.On the Google Docs Web versionIf adjusting markers is a little inconvenient for you, you can tweak the settings as follows. On the Mobile AppThere is no ruler available in the Google Docs mobile app. However, you can use a workaround method. This works for both Android and iPhone devices. Here’s how you can do it.
Using the Indent Shortcut
You can use the indent shortcut below the Menu bar to indent the second line on Google Docs. For this,
How to Indent the Second Line on Microsoft Word?
You can indent the second line on Microsoft Word by using the hanging indent. Here’s how you can do it.
