Paragraphs, Line Breaks, Headings, and Lists

Use blank lines to divide paragraphs, use commands such as \section to establish structure, and use itemize or enumerate to create lists. The following example covers the most commonly used way to organize the body of a short article.

EasyLaTeX compiler setting: pdfLaTeX + article; no additional packages required.

Paragraphs and Line Breaks#

A continuous block of text in the source file will be formatted as a single paragraph; a blank line is needed to start a new paragraph:

This is the first paragraph. Even if the source contains a line break, LaTeX still treats it as one paragraph.
This sentence is still in the first paragraph.

This is the second paragraph, started by a blank line.

\\ is a forced line break command, suitable for content that genuinely requires line breaks, such as addresses, poetry, or table cells:

First line\\
Second line

Do not use large amounts of \\ to fake paragraph spacing or blank pages. Paragraph spacing, first-line indentation, and page space are layout settings and should be adjusted in the corresponding topic.

Heading Hierarchy#

In article, the commonly used hierarchy levels are as follows:

\section{Research Background}
\subsection{Problem Definition}
\subsubsection{Terminology}

Headings are numbered automatically and included in the table of contents. article does not provide \chapter; when chapter-level structure is needed, choose report or book according to the document type.

When you don't want numbering but still want to display headings, use the asterisk version:

\section*{Acknowledgments}

Asterisk headings are not included in the table of contents by default. When you need to add one to the table of contents, write after it:

\addcontentsline{toc}{section}{Acknowledgments}

Table of Contents#

Use at the location where you want to display the table of contents:

\tableofcontents

Contents are generated from headings. After changes, compile in EasyLaTeX and wait for the entire job; the platform handles the required repeat passes. If page numbers are still incorrect, check the selected main file, that headings are inside the document body, and any compilation errors.

Unordered List#

itemize Used for items with no particular order:

\begin{itemize}
  \item Collect sources
  \item Prepare an outline
  \item Write the body
\end{itemize}

Each item begins with \item. Lists can continue to include nested lists, but there should not be too many levels, otherwise they will be difficult for readers to scan.

Ordered List#

enumerate Used for steps, priorities, or other ordered items:

\begin{enumerate}
  \item Create  `main.tex`.
  \item Select  pdfLaTeX  as the compiler.
  \item Compile and check  PDF.
\end{enumerate}

LaTeX automatically generates the numbering; there is no need to manually renumber the items after inserting or deleting one.

Common Misuses#

Indent paragraphs with spaces#

Consecutive ordinary spaces at the beginning of the source file are usually ignored by LaTeX. First-line indentation is controlled by the document class and paragraph settings and should not be simulated with spaces.

Using Bold Text to Fake Headings#

\textbf{Heading} only has a visual bold effect and will not generate numbering, table of contents entries, or referencable structure. When document structure is needed, use heading commands such as \section.

The table of contents contains headings only, no page numbers#

Contents are generated from headings. After changes, compile in EasyLaTeX and wait for the entire job; the platform handles the required repeat passes. If page numbers are still incorrect, check the selected main file, that headings are inside the document body, and any compilation errors.

Complete Example#

\documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{article}

\title{Short Report Example}
\author{Alex Taylor}
\date{\today}

\begin{document}
\maketitle
\tableofcontents

\section{Research Background}

This is the first paragraph. Separate paragraphs with blank lines.

This is the second paragraph.

\subsection{Workflow}

\begin{enumerate}
  \item Collect sources.
  \item Write a first draft.
  \item Check and compile the document.
\end{enumerate}

\section*{Acknowledgments}
\addcontentsline{toc}{section}{Acknowledgments}

Thank you to everyone who offered suggestions.

\end{document}