loop to display posts in categories

independent of the theme, a query and loop for what you want, would be something like:

https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Class_Reference/WP_Query

<?php $args = array(
'posts_per_page' =>4,
'cat' => 4,
'order' => 'DESC',
'orderby' => 'date'
);
$loop = new WP_Query( $args );
if( $loop->have_posts() ) :
single_cat_title();
while( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post();
the_title();
endwhile;
endif;
wp_reset_postdata(); ?>

(no html included, not tested)

display in two columns is more a CSS problem.

didn’t work

do i need to do this?

/* Include the Post-Format-specific template for the content.
					 * If you want to overload this in a child theme then include a file
					 * called content-___.php (where ___ is the Post Format name) and that will be used instead.
					 */

i pasted your loop code in index.php inplace of

/* Include the Post-Format-specific template for the content.
					 * If you want to overload this in a child theme then include a file
					 * called content-___.php (where ___ is the Post Format name) and that will be used instead.
					 */
					get_template_part( 'content-list, get_post_format() );
				?>

			<?php endwhile; ?>

P.S. i only want posts listed by categories on the front page.

in my themes expound folder i made another folder called expound-child in it is a file content_list.php with the code of

/*
Theme Name: Expound
Author: Konstantin Kovshenin
Author URI: https://kovshenin.com
Description: An awesome magazine theme for your WordPress site. Responsive layout, post thumbnails support, featured posts, an easy-to-use social menu and much more.
Version: 2.0.1
License: GNU General Public License
License URI: license.txt
Tags: black, blue, white, light, one-column, two-columns, right-sidebar, editor-style, responsive-layout, custom-header, flexible-header, custom-background, featured-images, custom-menu, post-formats, sticky-post, threaded-comments, translation-ready, full-width-template, buddypress

This theme, like WordPress, is licensed under the GPL.

Expound is based on Underscores https://underscores.me/, (C) 2012-2013 Automattic, Inc.
*/

/* =Imports styles from the parent theme
----------------------------------------------------*/
@import url(‘https://www.ivykennedy.com/home2/wp-content/themes/expound/expound-child/content-list.php')

/* =Theme customization starts here
<?php $args = array(
'posts_per_page' =>4,
'cat' => 4,
'order' => 'DESC',
'orderby' => 'date'
);
$loop = new WP_Query( $args );
if( $loop->have_posts() ) :
single_cat_title();
while( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post();
the_title();
endwhile;
endif;
wp_reset_postdata(); ?><?php $args = array(
'posts_per_page' =>4,
'cat' => 4,
'order' => 'DESC',
'orderby' => 'date'
);
$loop = new WP_Query( $args );
if( $loop->have_posts() ) :
single_cat_title();
while( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post();
the_title();
endwhile;
endif;
wp_reset_postdata(); ?>

with this code:

<?php if ( have_posts() ) : ?>

			<?php /* Start the Loop */ ?>
			<?php while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); ?>

				<?php

					get_template_part( 'content_list.php', get_post_format() );
				?>

			<?php endwhile; ?>

it’s blank to the left of the sidebar now.
before it continued to list my posts.
it’s also blank when i click on a category under my banner. before it was listing posts.
i’m switching it back for now.

am i on the right track?
i created a custom page template, i’m planing to add the loop code to this template, then set the this page as my static home page.

done.

used WEN’s Responsive Column Layout Shortcodes
and
List category posts

https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/featured-categories-widget?replies=2