Basic Microsoft Word Features

Microsoft Word Beginner/Intermediate Applications

To continue working on a file you previously saved, you must open the file. To open the file:

Bold, Underline, and Italicize

You can bold, underline, or italicize when using Word. You also can combine these features -- in other words -- you can bold, underline, and italicize a single piece of text. First highlight the text you wish to format, the click the appropriate formatting button on the format toolbar.

- Bold button
- Italicize button
- Underline

Highlighting Text

Highlighting is useful when wanting to emphasize important information. Word provides a button on the Formatting toolbar that lets you highlight text in a document using the mouse. With this highlighting feature, you can select and highlight specific text in a document with a variety of colors. To use this feature:

Click the Highlight button

on the Formatting toolbar.

Select the text you want to change the color of.

Click the Text button

on the Formatting toolbar.

Cut and Paste

You can cut (delete) text from one area of the document and save that text so it can be pasted elsewhere in the document. When you cut text, it is stored on the Clipboard. Information stored on the Clipboard stays there until new information is either cut or copied. Each time you execute Cut or Copy, you replace the old information on the Clipboard with whatever you just cut or copied. You can paste Clipboard information as often as you like.

Cutting and Pasting by Using the Standard Toolbar:

Highlight the text you wish to cut or copy.
Click on Edit, then select cut or copy.
Click on Edit, and then select paste.

Cutting by Using the Icon:

Highlight text you want to cut.
Click on the Cut icon .
The text is now on the clipboard.

Coping by Using the Icon:

Highlight the text you want to copy.
Click on the Copy icon .

Pasting by Using the Icon:

Place the cursor where you want to paste the text.
Click on the Paste icon .

Using AutoText Cut and Copy:

Using AutoText Cut and Copy both store information on the Clipboard. Each time you store new information on the Clipboard, the old information is lost. If you wish to store text permanently so you can use it repeatedly, use AutoText.

Type the text you wish to permanently store.
Highlight the text you typed in to store.
Click on Insert. Highlight AutoText.
Highlight New. Create AutoText dialog box appears. Microsoft Word suggests a name. The suggestion is displayed on the screen. Change the name or keep the suggested name by clicking on OK.
If you type a shortcut key (example if I typed Janann Nicholson as the text, and jn as the name, when I type jn and hit the F3 key, Janann Nicholson will appear).
If you choose the whole name (example, if I typed Janann Nicholson as the text, and saved it as Janann Nicholson, when I begin typing my name, it will guess that is what you are typing. It will display the name above the typing. To automatically insert it without finishing the actual typing, click the enter key).
Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.
Note: Whenever you need the text, use the F3 or Enter key.

Inserting Text

To insert text, you must be in the Insert mode. To check to see whether you are in the Insert mode, look at the Status bar, located at the very bottom of the screen. Look at the right side of the Status bar. If the letters "OVR" are gray, you are in the Insert mode. If the letters "OVR" are black, you are in the Overtype mode.

To change to the Insert mode:

Double click on the letters "OVR." The letters "OVR" should now be gray.
Alternative Method:
- Go to the Menu bar.
- Click on Tools. Highlight Options at the bottom of on the drop-down menu.
- Press Enter.
- Click on the Edit tab. The Overtype Mode box should be blank. If the box is blank, click on OK.
- If the Overtype Mode box is not blank, click on the box to remove the checkmark.
- Then click on OK.

To Overtype:

You can type over the current text (replace the current text with new text). However, you must be in the Overtype mode. Do the following to change to the Overtype mode.

Double-click on "OVR" on the Status bar.
The letters "OVR" should now be black.