Move the insertion point
When you open Word, the insertion point is at the top of the document. You can start typing at the very top of the document, or you can move the insertion point before you start to type:
- Press ENTER to move the insertion point down one line at a time.
- Press the TAB key to move the insertion point in one-half inch increments to the right.
Click Show/Hide
on the Standard toolbar to turn paragraph marks on so that you can see the paragraph marks and spaces in your document. That way you can tell where you have extra lines and extra spaces in your document when it's time to tidy your document up before you print it or hand it off to someone else.
Save your document early
To keep your work, you have to save it, and it's never to early to do that.
- To save your document for the first time, either click
on the Standard toolbar, click the Save As command on the File menu at the top of the window, or press CTRL+S.
- In the Save As dialog box, in the Save in list, choose a location to save your document in. My Documents is a common location.
- Enter a name for the document in the File name box.
- The Save as type box should say Word Documents. Then click Save.
Once you save your document for the first time, click Save on the Standard toolbar every so often as you work to save your changes.
Tips
- You can create a copy of a document by saving it with another name. You click Save As on the File menu, and then type a new name in the File name box. Then you have two copies; your original, and the copy with the new name.
For example, if a document is a completed letter to your uncle, about your vacation plans, but you want to send it your sister with an additional paragraph to her, you might save it with the same name, but with a "2" added to it, or with your sister's name.
- At the bottom of the File menu is a list of the documents you've most recently worked on. Click any document in the list to open it.
Change page margins
On the File menu, click Page Setup. Then click the Margins tab. Enter settings in the Top, Bottom, Left, or Right boxes.
Move around the document and select text
Here are some of the ways to move around a document:
| Press |
To: |
|
CTRL+HOME
|
move to the top of the document |
|
CTRL+DOWN ARROW
|
move down, one paragraph at a time |
|
END, HOME |
move to the end of a line, moves to the beginning of a line |
|
CTRL+SHIFT+DOWN
|
select a paragraph |
|
CTRL+SHIFT+RIGHT
|
select a sentence |
| Mouse click |
To select a: |
| Double-click |
word |
| Click in the left margin, once |
line |
| Double-click in the left margin |
paragraph |
| Tripple-click in a paragraph |
paragraph |
| Press CTRL, click in a sentence |
sentence |
|
|
|
Read the help topics Keyboard shortcuts and Select text.
When you want to know what's going on in the document window, or if you want to know how to do something, ask what you want to know in the Type a question for help box in the upper right corner of the document window.
Cut, Copy and Paste text
To copy text, select the text, click Copy
on the Standard toobar, or press CTRL+C.
To move text, or to delete text, select the text. Then click Cut
on the Standard toolbar, or press CTRL+X. To paste the text in another location, place the insertion point where you want the text to go, then click Paste
on the Standard toolbar, or press CTRL+V.
To undo an action, click Undo
on the Standard toolbar, or press CTRL+Z.
To redo an action, click Redo
on the Standard toolbar, or press CTRL+Y.
Add basic formatting
To add bold, italic, or underline formatting, select the text, then on the Formatting toolbar, click Bold
(or press CTRL+B), Italic
(or press CTRL+I), or Underline
(or press CTRL+U) buttons. To undo the formatting, select the text, and click the button, or press the keyboard shortcuts again.
Use a style to format
Select text, or click in the text. Then click in the Style box 
in the upper left corner of the document window and select the style. For example, select Heading 1 or Heading 2 to apply a Heading style. You can also use the Styles and Formatting task pane to apply the style. On the View menu, click Task Pane, or press CTRL+F1. Then click the arrow to open the menu of task panes.
Change line spacing
To change a document from single spacing to some other line spacing, such as 1.5 or double spacing, place the insertion point beside a paragraph, or in a paragraph, or press CTRL+A to select an entire document. Then, on the Formatting toolbar, point to Line Spacing
, click the arrow, and select the number that you want.
Tip If you end up with too much space between paragraphs, look for extra paragraph marks in between the paragraphs. Delete the extra paragraph marks to get rid of the extra space.
Change fonts
Select the text whose font you want to change. Click a font name in the Font box 
on the Formatting toolbar. Or on the Format menu, click Font. Then you can change the font, font size, and even font color all at the same time.
Create a list
Create lists as you type
To start a numbered list as you enter text, type 1, a period (.), and press the spacebar to enter a space. To type a bulleted list, type * (asterisk), and press the spacebar to enter a space. Then type the text you want, and press ENTER to add the next list item.
Word automatically inserts the next number or bullet. To end the list, you press ENTER twice, or press BACKSPACE to delete the last number or bullet in the list.
Create lists with existing text
Select the text you want to add numbering or bullets to. On the Formatting toolbar, click Numbering
or Bullets
.
Turn AutoComplete on or off
When the AutoComplete feature is turned on, Word will display a ScreenTip when you begin to type certain entries, such as the current date, at which point you can insert the entry or continue typing.
On the Insert menu, point to AutoText, and then click AutoText.
Select or clear the Show AutoComplete suggestions check box, and click OK.
About automatic corrections
Sometimes Word automatically capitalizes the first letter in the word at the start of a sentence, or automatically corrects typos.
If you don't want the revision, such as an automatic capitalization, move the pointer over the revision. A small, blue box appears when you rest the pointer near the revised text. The box changes to a button icon when you point to it.
That's the AutoCorrect Options button 
. Click it. Then click Undo Automatic Capitalization.
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