Use italic font to show that special words are not part of the normal grammar of your sentence.

In the book Microsoft Excel, the first and only spreadsheet software you’ll ever use, First edition, it says that Excel can be customised with VB scripts.

What’s the title of the book?It’s difficult to tell because we can’t quickly see

where the title ends.

Better:

In the book Microsoft Excel, the first and only spreadsheet software you’ll ever use, First edition, it says that Excel can be customised with VB scripts.

Now it’s very clear where the title stops.

This is difficult to read:

I sometimes use the increase indent or decrease indent features in Excel.

Are increase and decrease

verbs or nouns?

This is better:

I sometimes use the increase indent or decrease indent features in Excel.

Now it’s clear that

they are not verbs.

Can I use "quotes" or underline?

Sometimes it’s appropriate to use quotes or to underline. But the paper may look messy if it has too many marks and lines.

Try all three ways and decide which one looks best.

Too much italics:

In this paper I will be writing about embedded systems. Embedded systems are electronic components that contain a microprocessor. Embedded systems are in all types of electronic devices including digital watches, televisions, and MP3 players. It’s important for software engineers to understand embedded systems even if they are not directly programming embedded software.

Too much italics:

If a word appears many times in the same paragraph you should not continue to write

it in italic type every time because it will make your paper look messy. Use an italic

font the first time you write it and then continue to write in the normal font.

Better:

In this paper I will be writing about embedded systems. Embedded systems are electronic components that contain a microprocessor. Embedded systems are in all types of electronic devices including digital watches, televisions, and MP3 players. It’s important for software engineers to understand embedded systems even if they are not directly programming embedded software.

About author

Hans Anderson 2007-Present: Lecturer at FPT

Greenwich Programmes, FPT University.

2007: M.S., Computational Mathematics, University of Minnesota

2001: B.A., Computer Science, Gustavus Adolphus College, Saint Peter, MN