MICROSOFT WORD

It is a Word processing program. It helps in creating professional-looking documents that

can be printed, e.g., letters, reports, memos, essays, projects, books, etc,.
More about Ms-Word.
Microsoft Word is one of the components of Microsoft Office. Microsoft Office is an
integrated software with a number of interrelated programs, which include; Microsoft Word,
Microsoft Excel (a spreadsheet), Microsoft Access (a database management system),
Microsoft PowerPoint (a presentation package), etc. Each program allows the user to solve a
variety of common computer related tasks.
Microsoft Office allows the user to work with programs that have the same basic structure
and interface. It also allows the users to share information quickly and easily between
different programs.
There are several versions of Microsoft Word, the most common being Word 97, Word 2000,
Word XP, and Word 2003. These versions of Microsoft Word are found in Microsoft Office 97,
2000, XP and 2003 suites respectively.
Getting information about your program and computer.
You can check which version of the Microsoft Office XP program is installed on your
computer, and determine the product ID number of your copy of the program.
You can also get system information and perform a test of your network connection.
1. On the Help menu, click About Microsoft <Program Name>.
2. Click the OK button.

Starting Microsoft Word.

There are a number of ways you can start Microsoft Word.
Method 1.
1. Click the Start button, point to Programs (or All Programs, if you are using Windows XP),
then click Microsoft Word from the programs menu.
Method 2.
Click on the Microsoft Word icon on the Microsoft Office Shortcut Bar, if it is displayed on
the desktop.
Parts of the Microsoft Word Screen.
Once you start Microsoft Word, it provides you with a blank document window where you can
create your document.
1. Title bar.
A Title is mostly a blue strip at the top of the window that displays the title of the
currently running application.
The Title bar also enables the user to move the window around the desktop. This can be
done by pointing to it, then drag using the mouse.
2. Resizing buttons.
They include; the Minimize, Restore/Maximize, and the Close button that are found on
the right of the Title bar.
The Minimize button - reduces a window to become a button on the taskbar.
The Maximize button – stretches the window to cover the entire desktop.
The Restore button - restores a window to its original size.
The Close button – is used to close and exit a window.
3. Menu bar.
Provides a drop down list of commands that one can use to perform a task. Examples are
File, Edit, Window and Help.
4. Document (Work) Area.
This is the working area where you can enter text or graphical objects.
5. Rulers.
Ms-Word provides the user with a Vertical & an Horizontal ruler that helps the user
position text or objects in the right position.
Horizontal ruler:
A bar marked off in units of measure (such as inches) that is displayed across the top of
the document window.
Uses of the Horizontal ruler.
(i). Setting tab stops.
(ii). Contain markers for paragraph indentation, e.g., First Line, Left indent & Hanging
indent.
(iii). Can be used to adjust the Left and Right page margins.
(iv). Can be used for adjusting the column widths of a table.
(v). Can be used to show column boundaries, and also adjust the size of text columns.
Vertical ruler:
A bar displayed along the left side of the document window. The vertical ruler can be
used to adjust the Top and Bottom page margins and the Row height in tables.
To Display the rulers.
1. Click the View menu, and then choose Ruler on the drop down menu that appears.
A checkmark or tick will appear next to it showing that the ruler is displayed on the
screen.
6. Text cursor (Insertion Point).
A Cursor is a blinking underscore ( __ ) or a vertical beam ( I ) that shows where the next
character to be typed will appear.
7. Scroll bars, Scroll boxes & Scroll arrows.
Scroll bars are horizontal & vertical bars on the borders of a window. They contain boxes
that the user can drag to scroll upward, downwards, to the right or to the left of the
document.
Scroll arrows are found at the end of the scroll bars, and the user can click on them.
8. View buttons.
They are found at the left hand corner of the Horizontal scroll bar.
9. Status bar.
This is an interactive bar or strip at the bottom of the screen that acts as a
communication link between the user and the program. It displays information about the
current condition of the program, such as saving operation, the name of the file in use,
the current page, cursor position, or information about the selected item.
Importance.
√ The Status bar helps the user to interact with the application because it displays the
processing status of the application.
10. Toolbars.
 These are rows of buttons or icons that represent commands.
 A Toolbar is a group of shortcut command icons arranged on a single graphical
structure.
A Toolbar contains buttons and options that you use to carry out commands. The
command buttons are shortcuts to the same commands you can access from the Menu
bar.
Examples of toolbars in Ms-Word include;
~ Standard. ~ Picture.
~ Formatting. ~ Tables and Borders.
~ Drawing. ~ Word Count.
~ Mail merge. ~ Word Art, etc.
To select the Toolbars you want to use.
1. To display a toolbar, click on the View menu, point to Toolbars.
2. Click on the toolbars you want to use, and make sure they have are checked (have
ticks or checkmarks next to them).
Alternatively, Right-click any toolbar, then select the toolbars required. You can
also deselect any toolbars that you do not require.
To Show or hide ScreenTips for the toolbar buttons.
2. On the Tools menu, click Customize, then click the Options tab.
3. Select or clear the Show ScreenTips on toolbars checkbox.
Customize the Toolbars.
Purpose.
√ Ms-Word buttons are automatically grouped into different toolbars depending on
their functionality. Ms-Word allows you to create your own toolbars where you can
combine your most frequently used commands.
1. On the View menu, point to Toolbars, then select Customize.
2. In the resulting dialog box, click New. In the Toolbar name box, type in a new name
for your new toolbar such as ‘My Own’, then click the OK button.
3. Click the Commands tab to allow you to select the buttons you need on the new
toolbar.
The left side of the dialog box are the categories of commands that you can select,
whereas on the right side are the commands.
4. Drag the desired buttons onto your new toolbar.
To remove a button from any toolbar, drag it off the toolbar and drop it onto the
Customize dialog box.
5. When you have finished adding buttons to your toolbar, click on the Close button.
Your new toolbar should now be complete with all the buttons you dragged onto it,
and the name of the toolbar should be visible.
6. You can drag or move your new toolbar to any convenient position on the screen.
Review Questions 1.1
1. (a). What is Microsoft Word?
(b). Under what category of applications does Microsoft Word fall in?
(c). Apart from Microsoft Word, name two other Word processing programs.
(d). What are the importance of Microsoft Word to the Market today?
(e). Name and explain any 5 parts of the Microsoft Word application window.
2. (a). What is a Toolbar?
(b). Give Four examples of Toolbars used in Microsoft Word application.
(b). What is the function of Status bar in a Microsoft Word application window?
3. Give FOUR uses of the horizontal ruler in Microsoft Word.
4. What is Word wrap?

Exercise (b).
1. (a). Give Two examples of modern Word processors.
(b). Give 2 advantages and 3 disadvantages of using Microsoft Word.
2. Explain the importance of the Status bar.
3. You have just started the Microsoft Word program and discovered that the Drawing
toolbar and the Ruler are not present. Describe how you would display them.

CREATING A DOCUMENT.
Document - Whatever you create with an application, including information you type, edit,
view or save.
Creating a document means typing text in a new document screen.

Creating a New Blank Document.

In case you are working in Ms-Word and you want to create another new document,
Method 1.
1. Click the New Blank Document button on the Standard toolbar (or press CTRL+N).
Method 2.
1. On the File menu, click New.
2. Click the General tab, and then double-click the Blank Document icon.

Creating documents using Templates.

 A Template is a file that contain the structure & tools for shaping elements such as the
style and page layout of finished files. It contains the standard text, graphics and
formatting for use in all documents of this type.
 A Template is a document that acts as a blueprint or outline for other documents of the
same type.
Purpose.
√ Using templates helps to save time & makes creating of new documents easy.
√ It also ensures that there is consistency between the documents being created.
To create a New Document from a template or wizard.
Wizard - A feature that asks questions and then creates an item, such as a form or Web
page, according to your answers. A Wizard lets you choose the formatting and content
options you want to apply.

Using Ms-Word 97 or 2000.

1. Create the document on which you will base other new documents.
• Insert all the text, graphics and formatting you want included.
• Set the Page margins and other print layout options.
2. On the File menu, choose Save As, then enter the filename.
3. In the Save as type box, select Document Template, then click Save.
Using Ms-Word 2002.
1. On the File menu, click New.
2. In the New Document task pane, under New from template, click General Templates.
3. Click the relevant tab depending on the type of document you want to create, then
double-click the icon for the template or wizard you want.

Examples of documents that can be created using templates.

 Blank Documents.  Web Pages.  E-Mail messages.
 Reports.  Memos.  Letters.
 Faxes.  Mailing labels.  Envelopes.
 Calendars.  Resumes (CV).
 Publications such as, Brochures, Manuals, Directories, Theses.
To create a letter,
1. Click the Letters & Faxes tab.
2. Double-click Letter Wizard, and then follow the instructions in the Letter Wizard.
Create a résumé,
1. Click the Other Documents tab.
2. Double-click Résumé Wizard, and then follow the steps in the wizard.
Create a calendar,
1. Click the Other Documents tab.
2. Double-click Calendar Wizard, and then follow the steps in the wizard.
Create a Web Page using the Web Page Wizard,
1. Click the Web Pages tab.
2. Double-click Web Page Wizard, and then follow the steps in the wizard, so as to provide
information like the title, pages, and even the visual theme for the web page.
3. Click on the Finish button.
After a few seconds, the template is presented complete with placeholders.
4. Click on the sample text and replace it with your own text.
Create a folded booklet,
To create a booklet, start with a new blank document so that you can control the placement
of text, graphics, and other elements.
1. On the File menu, click Page Setup, then click the Margins tab.
2. In the Multiple Pages list, select Book fold.
If your document is not set to landscape orientation, Ms-Word sets it to landscape.
3. In the Inside & Outside boxes, select the amount of space you want for the inside and
outside margins.
If you need more space along the fold to accommodate binding, select it in the Gutter
box.
4. In the Sheets per booklet list, select the no. of pages you want to include in a single
booklet.
If the no. of pages in the document exceeds those you select for a booklet, Word prints
the document as multiple booklets.
5. Select any other options you want in the Page Setup dialog box.
6. Add text, graphics, headers or footers, and other elements to your document as usual.
Note. When you select Book fold for your Page Setup, Word prints two pages on one side of
the paper. When you fold the paper, it opens like a book. This option is intended for
documents that have more than two pages.

Inserting Text into a document.

When you start Ms-Word, a blank document appears with a blinking vertical bar called the
Insertion point (or cursor), ready for you to start typing. The Insertion point indicates the
place where text and graphics will appear when typed or inserted.
1. When you get the Insertion point, start typing your text.
-OR-
2. Position the Insertion point where you want to begin typing, then type your text.

Starting a New Paragraph.

When typing text in paragraphs, you don’t have to start a new line when you reach the right
margin. Ms-Word wraps the text automatically to the next line when it reaches the right
margin. This facility is known as the Word Wrap.
Word Wrap:
 Moving a word to the beginning of a new line if it cannot fit at the end of the previous
line.

When you want to end a short sentence or start a new paragraph, or when you want to leave
a blank line between paragraphs, press the ENTER key.
Note. To move the cursor back to where it was before pressing the ENTER or to omit a space
created by the ENTER key, use Backspace or Delete.
A Paragraph is any amount of text that ends with a paragraph mark, which is created by
pressing the ENTER key.
CAPS Lock key.
(i). Used to switch between Uppercase & Lowercase. When pressed on, an indicator with a
green light appears on the top-right hand corner of the Keyboard, and all the text
typed will appear in capital letters. When pressed off, all the text typed will appear in
small letters.
SHIFT key.
(i). Used to get the Punctuation marks (comma, full-stop, etc) on top of the Number keys,
or symbols in certain keys.
Press & hold down the SHIFT key, then press the key for the letter.
(ii). To produce a single capital letter.
Hold down the SHIFT, then press the key for the letter you want to appear as capital.
TAB key.
It is used to move the text cursor or a certain text at set intervals on the same line to the
required position on the screen, e.g., 10mm, 20mm, etc.
Note. To move back the text or cursor after using the TAB, press SHIFT+TAB keys or press
BACKSPACE key.
SPACEBAR.
(i). Used to separate every two words or sentences from each other.
To leave a blank space between words, after a comma or a semi-colon; press the
Spacebar once. To leave a blank space between sentences; press the Spacebar twice.

Moving the Insertion point within a document.

To move the cursor press
 1 character to the left Left arrow
 1 character to the right Right arrow
 Down 1 line Down arrow.
 Up 1 line Up arrow.
 To the beginning of the current line HOME.
 To the end of the current line END.
 To the beginning of a document CTRL+Home
 To the end of a document CTRL+End
 To the page above the one displayed on the screen Page Up.
 To the next page (page below the one displayed) Page Down.

Scrolling through a document.

Scrolling:
 Scrolling is the movement of text document on the screen up, down, left and right.
 To move forward or backward through a no. of lines in a file being displayed on a CRT
screen.
Scrolling is done either using the Up or Down arrow keys, Page Up or Page Down keys, or
using the Mouse in Windows based word processors.
To scroll: Click.
Up 1 line Up scroll arrow.
Down 1 line Down scroll arrow.
Right Right scroll arrow.
Left Left scroll arrow.
Up 1 screen Above the scroll box.
Down 1 screen Below the scroll box.
To a specific page Drag the scroll box.
After scrolling, click where you want to start typing.
Tip. To scroll more slowly, use the Arrow keys, Page Up or Page Down on the Keyboard.

Correcting a document.
1. Use the Arrow keys to move the cursor to the position of the correction.
• If you had left out a character, type it. Ms-Word will insert the character to the
immediate right of the cursor.
• If you had typed a wrong character, you can delete it by positioning the cursor on the
immediate left of the character, then press the Delete key on the Keyboard.

VIEWING DOCUMENTS.
Ms-Word provides different ways to view your work, depending on the task at hand.
Normal view.
Normal view is convenient for most typing, editing and formatting tasks. It shows text
formatting and a simplified layout of the page so that you can type and edit quickly.
To switch to Normal view, click Normal on the View menu.
Print Layout View.
Displays how a document or other object will appear when printed. It shows how text,
graphics, headers, footnotes, columns, textboxes and other elements will be positioned on the
printed page.
This view is useful for editing headers and footers, for adjusting margins, and for working
with columns and drawing objects.
To switch to print layout view, click Print Layout on the View menu.
Print Preview.
A view of a document as it will appear when printed.
In this view, you can see page breaks & watermarks and you can make editing or formatting
changes before printing the document.
To switch to print preview, click Print Preview on the File menu.
Web layout view.
Shows how a document will appear in a Web browser. In Web layout view, the document
appears as one long page (without page breaks), while text and tables wrap to fit in the
window.
To switch to Web layout view, click Web Layout on the View menu.
Full Screen mode.
In this mode, Ms-Word removes distracting screen elements, such as toolbars and scroll bars
so that it displays as much of your document as possible on the screen.
To switch to full-screen mode, click Full Screen on the View menu.
Tips.
 To choose menu commands in full-screen mode, rest the pointer at the top of the screen.
The Menu bar will appear.
 To turn off full-screen mode and switch to the previous view, click Close Full Screen on
the Full Screen toolbar, or press ESC.

Zoom in or out of a document.

You can "zoom in" to get a close-up view of your document or "zoom out" to see more of the
page at a reduced size.
1. Click the arrow next to the Zoom box on the Standard toolbar (or click Zoom on the View
menu).
2. Click the zoom setting you want from the drop-down list.
SAVING DOCUMENTS.
Purpose.
√ You save a document in order to use it at a later time, perhaps a few hours or even years
later.
√ If done periodically, say after every 1 minute, saving helps to prevent data loss in case
of power failure.
Using the ‘Save’ command.
The Save command can be used when you are saving a new document for the first time or
when saving changes to an open document.
Using the ‘Save As…’ command.
Save As can be used if you want to:
 Name and save a new document or template.
 Save a document or template on a different disk drive or in a different folder.
 Make a copy of an existing document or template with a new name, leaving the original
document unchanged.
To name and save a new document for the first time.
1. On the File menu, select Save or Save As (or press CTRL+’S’) to display the Save As
dialog box.
2. In the File name box, type a name for the document.
3. To store the document in a different folder or drive, select a different location to save
in by clicking the down facing arrow next to the Save in list box.
4. To save the file in a different format or type, click the down arrow on the right of Save
as type list box, and choose a file type.
5. Click the Save button.
After you name and save a document once, the Save & Save As commands function
differently.
To save changes to an existing document.
1. Click Save on the Standard toolbar (or on the File menu or press CTRL+S).
Save a copy of a document with a new name or in a different location.
1. Open the document you want to make a copy of.
2. On the File menu, click Save As.
3. In the File name box, enter a new name for the file.
To save the copy in a different folder or drive, click a different location in the Save in
list.
4. Click on the Save button.
Note. Changing a document's name or location using Save As creates a new copy of the
document, so two copies of the same document exist: one with the old name or location and
one with the new. The copies are completely separate, and the work you do on one document
has no effect on the other.

Saving files automatically when you are working.

Purpose.
√ You can set up Ms-Word so that it saves your files at the frequency that you specify in
order to safeguard against accidental loss of a file due to power failure.
1. On the Tools menu, choose Options. In the resulting dialog box, click the Save tab, then
select the Save AutoRecover info every checkbox.
2. In the Minutes box, enter the interval for how often you want to save files.
The more frequently your files are saved, the more information is recovered if there is
a power failure or similar problem while a file is open.
Note. AutoRecover is not a replacement for regularly saving your files. If you don’t save
the recovery file after opening it, the file is deleted and your unsaved changes are lost.
Tip. You can speed up saving a file by turning on fast saves,
1. On the Tools menu, click Options, then click the Save tab.
2. Select the Allow fast saves checkbox, and then continue to save as you work on the
file.

Protecting a document using a Password.

 A Password is a secret word or phrase by which you protect or lock your document so that
no one will be able to open or print the file without knowing the password.
 A Password is a combination of characters that prevents other users from opening and
changing a document without permission.
Use of Passwords is a security method used to restrict access to computer systems and
sensitive files that may be confidential in nature. Otherwise, if a document is protected by
a password, only the person who knows the password can open the document or edit it.
For example, Passwords can be used to:
(i). Prevent unauthorized users from opening a document at all.
(ii). Allow other users to open the document but only make changes to it. If someone makes
changes to a password-protected document, that person can save the document only by
giving it a different file name.
- A password can contain any combination of letters, numerals, spaces, and symbols, and it
can be up to 15 characters long.
- As you type the password, Ms-Word displays an asterisk (*) for each character that you
type to ensure confidentiality.
1. Create or open the document you want to protect with a password.
2. On the File menu, click Save As to display the Save As dialog box.
3. Click the down arrow on the Tools button, click Security Options.
4. Under the File sharing options for this document section, type a password under
Password to open. This prompts the user to enter password when opening a document.
5. If you wish, type in another password under Password to modify. This prevents the user
from making changes to a document unless the user enters the correct password.
6. Click OK.
Ms-Word prompts you to confirm the password. Re-type the password again, then click
OK.
7. To save the document, choose OK.
Notes.
 After creating a password, write it down and keep it in a secure place. If the password is
lost, you cannot open or gain access to the password-protected file.
 If you protect a document with a password, you must provide the correct password each
time you open the file.
 Passwords are case-sensitive, so if you vary the capitalization when you assign the
password, then you must type the same capitalization when entering the password.

FILE PROPERTIES
Document properties are details about a file that help to identify it — e.g. a descriptive
title, the author name, the subject, and keywords that identify topics or other important
information in the file, such as file size and the dates when the files were created & last
modified.
Setting document properties for the active document,
1. On the File menu, click Properties.
2. Click on the Summary tab, then edit the values for standard properties, such as Title
and Author.
Note. If you want to be reminded to set document properties for every file you create, you
can have Ms-Word automatically display the Properties dialog box when you save files for
the first time.
1. On the Tools menu, choose Options, then click the Save tab.
2. Select or clear the Prompt for document properties checkbox.

Troubleshoot saving documents

 When I try to save a document, I get a message that my file is too large.
If a document is too large to save, divide it into smaller parts, i.e., cut part of the
document & paste it into a new document, then save each part individually.
 When I try to save changes to a document, I get a message that the document is read-
only.
You can't make changes to a read-only document. To save any changes made, save the
document with a new name or use the same name but save the document in a different
folder.
 When I save a document, the file is saved with an additional file name extension.
When you save a document with a file name extension other than the default extension
for that type of file, Ms-Word adds the default extension to your file name — e.g. an
Ms-Word document file name may appear as Budget.abc.doc.
The extension is used to identify the type of file and which program should be used to
open the file.
 The file I saved contains two periods in the file name.
When you save a document with a file name that ends with a period — e.g. Sales. — Ms-
Word adds a period and the default file name extension to your file name. E.g. a Word
document file name may appear as Sales..doc.
To save a document with the default extension for that file type, do not type the period
following the file name. The period is automatically added when you save the file.
 I saved changes by using AutoRecover, and I don't see them in the recovery file.
AutoRecover had not yet have saved the changes to the recovery file before Ms-Word
unexpectedly shut down.
The amount of new information that the recovery file contains depends on how
frequently Ms-Word saves the recovery file. E.g., if the recovery file is saved every 15
minutes, up to 15 minutes of work can be lost if a power failure or similar problem occurs.

Closing a document.
Closing a document means unloading the current active document from memory so that the
user can create or open another without necessarily exiting from Ms-Word.
1. On the File menu, click Close.

OPENING A SAVED DOCUMENT.

Purpose.
You open a saved document (i.e., a document stored on a floppy disk or on the hard disk of
the computer) if you want to:
√ Continue working on it, if it was saved before completion.
√ View the data it contains.
√ Update it, if the data it contains represents information that changes periodically.
E.g., a Weekly report.
√ Print the data it contains.
1. Click Open on the File menu or on the Standard toolbar (or press CTRL+O) to display the
Open dialog box.
2. In the Look in list, click the drive or folder where the document was saved.
3. Click the filename from the File list box, then click Open (or double-click the document
you want to open).
Tip. To open a document you’ve used recently, click the filename at the bottom of the File
menu. In case the list of recently used documents isn’t displayed, you can Show or hide it;
To Show or hide the list of recently used documents,
 On the Tools menu, click Options, then click the General tab.
 Select or clear the Recently used file list checkbox.

Exiting / Quitting from Microsoft Word.

√ When you have finished working with Microsoft Word, you exit from it.
To exit from Word, make sure all open documents are saved.
Method 1.
1. Click the Close button on the top right hand corner of the Title bar.
Method 2.
1. On the File menu, click Exit.
Method 3.
1. Press ALT+F4.
Method 4.
1. Double-click the Control Box of the Microsoft Word program.
Review Questions 1.1
(iv). Define the following terminologies as far as a Word Processor is concerned.
(i). Word wrap.
(ii). Scrolling.
(iii). Creating a document.
(iv). Document Template.
2. (a). What are the advantages of using a template to create a document?
(b). List 5 types of documents where you would use a template.
3. Explain the functions of the following keys in Word processing.
(i). End.
(ii). Home.
(iii). Tab.
(iv). Spacebar.
(v). Backspace.
4. Describe TWO procedures of creating a new document using Microsoft Word.
5. Explain the use of any THREE shortcut keys.
6. What keystrokes would you use to accomplish the following?
(i). Move your cursor to the beginning of a line.
(ii). Move your cursor to the end of your document.
Exercise (b).
1. Identify 2 uses of the SHIFT key in Word processing.
2. (a). Describe the use of each of the following commands in saving a document.
(i). Save.
(ii). Save As.
(b). Outline the steps followed when saving a new document in a 3.5-inch floppy disk.
3. Explain how you can protect a document from unauthorized opening or altering.
4. How can you save a document with a file type different from the one of your Word
processor.
5. Give Three reasons why you would open a saved document.
6. Briefly distinguish between the following:
(a). Full screen mode and Page Layout view.
(b). Status bar and Title bar.
7. What is the function of the following combination of keys in Microsoft Word?
(a). CTRL+Home.
(b). CTRL+Page Up.

EDITING A DOCUMENT
Editing refers to making any necessary changes to an already existing document.

Block Operations
Selecting (highlighting) a block of text.
Blocking of text refers to selecting a group of text e.g., a word, sentence or paragraph, in
order to work with it as a whole.
Importance.
√ The purpose of selecting text is to enable the user perform a number of editing or
formatting operations on the selected block of text.
Some of the operations that may need blocking include: moving, copying, deleting, inserting
and overtyping, formatting.
Ms-Word provides a number of ways of selecting a block of text. You can either select a
block of text using the Mouse or Keyboard.
Select text and graphics using the Mouse.
 To select a graphic, click the graphic.
 To select any amount of text, drag over the text.
 To select a word, Double-click the word.
 To select a line of text, move the pointer to the left of the line until it changes to a right
-pointing arrow, and then click.
 To select a sentence, hold down CTRL, then click anywhere in the sentence
 To select a paragraph, Triple-click anywhere inside the paragraph.
 To select multiple paragraphs, Triple-click anywhere in the paragraph, then drag up or
down.
 To select an entire document, on the Edit menu, click Select All.
 To select a vertical block of text, hold down ALT, then drag over the text.
Select text using the Keyboard.
1. Move the cursor to the start or end of the text, word, sentence or paragraph.
Press To select
SHIFT + Right arrow 1 character to the right
SHIFT + Left Arrow 1 character to the Left
SHIFT + CTRL+ Right arrow 1 word to the right
SHIFT + CTRL+ Left arrow 1 word to the left
SHIFT + HOME To the beginning of a line
SHIFT + END To the end of a line
SHIFT + Up arrow 1 line up
SHIFT + Down arrow 1 line down

SHIFT + Page Up 1 screen up

SHIFT + Page Down 1 screen down
SHIFT + CTRL+ Home To the beginning of a document
SHIFT + CTRL+ End To the end of a document
CTRL+A To select the entire document at once

DELETING TEXT.
BACKSPACE Key.
It has a backward arrow (←) marked on it.
 Used to erase characters to the left of the cursor.
When pressed, it makes the cursor move one space backwards and the immediate letter /
number is erased.
1. To delete a character from the right to the left, place the insertion point on the right of
the word, then press the Backspace key.
2. To erase one word to the left of the cursor, press CTRL+ Backspace.
DELETE Key.
 Erases characters to the right of the cursor.
1. To delete a character to the right of the cursor position, place the insertion point on the
left of the word, then press the Delete key.
To delete a block of text.
1. Highlight (select) the text to be deleted, then press the Delete key.
Restoring deleted text.
To restore text that has just been deleted, click Undo from the Edit menu (or on the
Standard toolbar).

TYPING OVER EXISTING TEXT.

Typing Modes.
There are 2 typing modes in a word processor that assist the user in typing or editing text
documents. These are;
(i). Insert mode.
(ii). Overtype (Type over) mode.

Insert mode
This is the default typing mode in most word processors. In Insert mode, Ms-Word inserts
characters as you type, and any new text you enter in the middle of a line is inserted
between existing texts, characters or words.
The Insert mode pushes existing text away as new characters are inserted at the location of
the cursor without replacing it.
Overtype mode
To Overtype is to replace existing characters as you type.
Therefore, if Overtype mode is turned on, tying new text between existing words or
characters automatically replaces the existing text by deleting it.
Overtype mode deletes the current text at the cursor position and replaces the existing
characters with new text.
Methods of switching between Overtype & Insert mode.
Method 1.
Double-click the OVR label on the Status bar to turn Overtype on or off.
Method 2.
Press the INSERT (Ins) key on the Keyboard to switch between Insert & Overtype mode.
Method 3.
On the Tools menu, click Options, then click the Edit tab. Select or clear the Overtype mode
checkbo,mx.

COPYING OF TEXT AND OBJECTS.

Copying text means making a duplicate of the text or object.
Importance.
√ Copying reduces the effort & time taken to repeat the same information in other parts
of the document.
If a section is repeated several times in the document, you can save time by copying the
first occurrence of the text rather than typing it over again.
√ If the section appears several times but with a few differences, you can copy it and then
make minor changes to each copy, rather than type everything all over again.
√ Facilitates the transfer of information between different Ms-Word files.
√ Facilitates the transfer of information between Ms-Word and other Windows applications.
1. Select the text or item you want to copy.
To copy multiple items that aren't next to each other; select one item, hold down CTRL,
then click the other items.
2. Click Copy on the Standard toolbar or Edit menu (or press CTRL+C).
Ms-Word places a copy of the selection in the Clipboard.
3. Click where you want the copy of the text to appear. To copy the item to another
document, switch or open the document.
4. Click Paste on the Standard toolbar or Edit menu (or press CTRL+V).

MOVING TEXT & GRAPHICS WITHIN A DOCUMENT.

Moving of text means relocating text from one place in a document to another (or changing
the position of text or an object in a document).
Purpose.
√ After typing in a document, you may need to shift some text or paragraphs to other
locations in the document in order for the document to be more logically organized.
Method 1: Drag-and-Drop editing.
1. Select the text you want to move.
2. Point to the selection, press & hold down the left mouse button.
3. While still holding down the left mouse button, move the mouse pointer to the required
location.
The dimmed insertion point that moves in the document shows you the position to which
the selected text will be transferred when you release the left mouse button.
4. Then release the mouse button.
Note. Drag-and-drop editing is suitable when you are moving text over a short distance,
e.g., within one page. It is clumsy to use when moving text across several pages.
Method 2: Cut and Paste.
To move text to a distant page, say from page 1 to page 50, use the Cut and Paste method.
1. Select the text you want to move.
2. Click Cut on the Standard toolbar or Edit menu (or press CTRL+X).
Ms-Word will place whatever you had selected into a temporary storage area within the
computer called the ‘Clipboard’ from where it is available to any application in Windows.
3. Click where you want the cut text to be placed. To move the item to another document,
open or switch to the document.
4. Click Paste on the Standard toolbar or Edit menu (or press CTRL+V).
Ms-Word inserts the contents of the clipboard at the position of the cursor.
Note. In Moving, all the selected text is transferred to a new location, while in Copying, the
original text is left intact.
Question. Explain how a paragraph can be moved from one place to another using a Word
processor.

FINDING & REPLACING TEXT IN A DOCUMENT.

The Find and Replace features are used to search for a specific word or phrase that you
want to review or edit and automatically replace with other text.
When you need to search for a word or phrase in a large document, use the Find command.
In case you wish to replace a word or phrase, use the Replace option.
Importance of using Find and Replace.
√ Enables you to change a particular word or phrase throughout a document.
E.g., an outdated product name in a brochure can be changed to its new name easily using
Find and Replace.
√ The Find and Replace feature is efficient and exact.
√ It is also easy to use and saves time compared to reading through the document (in
search of the text) and making the changes manually.
Search (Find) text.
1. On the Edit menu, click Find (or press CTRL+F).
2. In the Find what box, type the text that you want to search for. Select any other search
options that you want.
3. Click on the Find Next or Find All button.
This will start the search and the first occurrence of the word will be highlighted.
4. Click OK when a message appears telling you that Ms-Word has finished searching the
document. Click Cancel to close the dialog box.
You can click the More button to display and specify search options.
 Match case: Identifies only text that has the same case with that typed in the Find What
box, e.g., it will not find the word DEEN if you typed deen and selected the Match Case
option.
 Whole Word: Searches for a word or phrase that is whole. If it is part of another word, it
will not be found, e.g., the word ever will not be found in words like however, whenever,
etc during the search.
 Use wildcards: Wildcards are special symbols such as * and ? that are used to represent a
set of words that have some similar characteristics.
E.g., names like Jeff, Joe, Jane can be represented using a wildcard as J*, which means all
names starting with J.
 Like: Searches for words which are similar in pronunciation, e.g. Fare and Fair.

To Find and Replace text at the same time.

1. On the Edit menu, click Replace (or press CTRL+H).
2. In the Find what box, enter the text that you want to search for or replace.
3. In the Replace with box, enter the replacement text. Select any other options that you
want.
4. If you want to replace only some occurrences of the text, click on the Find Next button,
then click Replace. This changes the selected text in the Find What box, then finds the
next bnuoccurrence.
However, if you want to replace all occurrences of the text in the Find What box at once,
click the Replace All button.
Using the Go To feature.
This feature is used when you want to quickly go to a specific item in a document, e.g., page,
line, graphic, footnote, table, etc.
1. Click the Go To tab in the Find and Replace dialog box.
-OR-
On the Edit menu, click Go To (or press CTRL+G).
2. Under the Go to what section, specify the item you want to locate, e.g. Page.
Type the page number, or section number in the Enter box.
3. Click the Go To button.
4. Close the dialog box.

INSERTING SYMBOLS & SPECIAL CHARACTERS.

You can display on the screen, and also print Symbols and special characters that are not on
your Keyboard.
For example, you can insert symbols such as fractions (¼) and ©, special characters such as
an ellipsis (…), international characters such as (Ç, ë), and international monetary symbols
(£, ¥) depending on the available fonts.
1. Click where you want to insert the symbol or the special character.
2. On the Insert menu, click Symbol, then click the Symbols or the Special Characters tab.
3. In the Font box, click the font that you want.
4. Double-click the symbol or character that you want to insert, then click Close.
Note. To quickly insert a recently used symbol, in the Symbol dialog box, click a symbol in the
Recently used symbols list, then click Close.

INSERTING DATE & TIME.

Insert the current date and time in a document.
1. Click where you want to insert the date or time.
2. On the Insert menu, click Date and Time.
3. In the Available formats box, click a date or time format.
 To insert the date and time as a field that will automatically be updated when you
open or print the document, select the Update automatically checkbox.
 To insert a date or time that will remain as originally inserted, clear the Update
automatically checkbox.
Exercise (a).
1. What is meant by the term Editing a document?
2. Define the following terminologies as far as a Word Processor is concerned.
(i). Blocking text.
(ii). Overtype.
3. Give the sequence of commands to delete the following.
(i). A Word.
(ii). A Paragraph.
4. (a). Distinguish between copying and moving text.
(b). Briefly describe how you can move or copy a picture from MUTI.doc to
CHESTER.doc, giving the relevant precautions taken.
4. (a). What is the disadvantage of drag-and-drop editing?
(b). To overcome the disadvantage above, what feature in Ms-Word are you supposed to
use?
5. (a). When is the Find and Replace command used?
(b). What is a wildcard? How can it be used to search for a word that starts with the
letter
“O” in a document?
6. What is the purpose of the following keystrokes?
 Backspace and Delete.
 SHIFT+Arrow keys.
 CTRL+Arrow keys.
Exercise (b).
1. Give a brief description of each of the following terms as used in Word processing:
(i). Selecting text.
(ii). Shortcut menu.
2. Describe Four (4) ways of selecting text in Microsoft Word.
3. Explain the difference between Type over and Insert mode in word processing.
4. Name TWO keys used to delete a text in a document.
5. What is the function of the following combination of keys in Microsoft Word?
(a). Ctrl+Z. (b). Ctrl+Y.
(c). Ctrl+A. (d). Ctrl+P.
(e). CTRL+B. (f). CTRL+E.
6. Outline the steps you would follow to move a line of text from one paragraph to another
within a document in Microsoft Word.
7. You have a one-paragraph document that you would like to print three times on one page.
How would you achieve this efficiently?
PROOFREADING.
Proofreading refers to checking whether the document has typographical or grammar
errors.
Importance.
√ To remove mistakes and improve document wording selections.

Ms-Word provides the following tools for proofreading a prepared document; Spelling and
grammar checker, Thesaurus, AutoComplete and AutoCorrect.
CHECKING SPELLINGS & GRAMMAR IN A DOCUMENT.
Ms-Word has the ability to check spellings within your document as you type or edit the
document.
The Spelling and grammar checker is an inbuilt tool that helps the user to correct spelling
errors and incorrect grammar structures. The words you type in are compared to those in
its dictionary. However, the checker can only recognize errors of those words whose correct
spelling is in its dictionary. This implies that, a correctly spelt word used wrongly cannot be
detected.
For example; if you mistype a word but the result is not a misspelling (e.g., typing "from"
instead of "form" or "there" instead of "their"), the spelling checker will not mark the word.
To identify those types of problems, the document should be carefully proof-read just
before and after printing.
Importance.
√ The grammar checker provides a quick & convenient way to find many common
grammatical errors.
√ It also identifies mistakes in your document and offers suggestions that could be more
effective, and user-friendly. In some cases, the grammar checker offers suggestions on
how you can rewrite sentences.
Ms-Word uses wavy red underlines to indicate possible spelling mistakes & wavy green
underlines to indicate possible grammatical mistakes.
Check spelling & grammar automatically as you type.
1. Make sure automatic spelling and grammar checking are turned on.
2. Type in the document.
When the spelling checker encounters a word it doesn't recognize, it determines the
words in its dictionary that are similarly spelled and displays a list of those words with
the most likely match highlighted.
3. Right-click a word with a wavy red or green underline, to get a list of correct
alternative words to choose from.
4. From the list, click the correct command or the spelling alternative you want.
Turn on or off automatic spelling & grammar checking.
1. On the Tools menu, click Options, then click the Spelling & Grammar tab.
 To turn automatic spelling checking on or off, select or clear the Check spelling as
you type checkbox.
 To turn automatic grammar checking on or off, select or clear the Check grammar as
you type checkbox.
Check spelling & grammar all at once.
You can choose to check the spelling & grammatical errors at once, and then confirm each
correction. This option is useful if you want to proofread the whole document after you
have finished typing or editing it.
1. Click Spelling and Grammar button on the Standard toolbar (or Press F7).
-OR-
On the Tools menu, select Spelling and Grammar.
When Ms-Word finds a possible spelling or grammatical problem, it highlights it and then
displays a list of similarly spelled words.
2. Choose a button in the Spelling and Grammar dialog box to make your changes.
(a). Change - accepts the current selection in the Suggestions box.
When the selected error is a repeated word, this button changes to Delete so you
can easily remove the second instance of the word.
(b). Change All – corrects all the occurrences of the misspelled word.
(c). If the intended word is not in the Suggestions box, you can correct spelling and
grammar directly in the document while the Spelling and Grammar dialog box is
still displayed. Click in the document & type your correction, and then click
Resume to continue checking the spelling and grammar.
(d). Ignore Once - Leaves the highlighted error unchanged (if the highlighted word is a
valid word) & finds the next spelling or grammar error.
This button changes to Resume if you click in the document to make a change in the
document.
(e). Ignore All – retains all the occurrences of the same word or phrase in the document
from another language, e.g., a Kiswahili.
(f). Add - Adds the highlighted word in the Suggestions box to the Custom dictionary.
(g). Explain - gives a detailed explanation of a grammar flag.
(h). Ignore Rule –Leaves all instances of the highlighted error unchanged throughout
the document and continues to check the document.
3. When the Spelling and grammar check is complete, Ms-Word displays a message to that
effect. To return to your document when you finish checking on grammar, click OK.
Note. There are two types of dictionaries that are used by a spell checker program:
 Main (Standard) dictionary.
 Custom dictionary.

LOOKING UP FOR WORDS USING THESAURUS.

Purpose.
√ Thesaurus is an editing tool that provides the user with a list of synonyms (words that
have similar meaning) & sometimes antonyms (words that have opposite meaning) to the
selected word.
It also provides lists of related words and different forms of the selected word.
1. Select or type the word you want to look up.
2. On the Tools menu, choose Language, then click Thesaurus (or press SHIFT+F7).
The Thesaurus dialog box appears, and highlights the word that is closest to what you
have typed.
3. To replace the word with a synonym, click the replacement word from the list.
To replace a word or phrase with an antonym, select the word or phrase enclosed in
brackets.
4. Click the Replace button.
5. To look up alternatives for a particular word, click it in the Replace with synonyms box,
then click the Look Up button that will enable you search through a wide range of
synonyms and related words until you find exactly the word you want.
Note. It is not possible to replace all occurrences of a word using the Thesaurus. One would
have to select each word individually and choose a synonym for it.

AutoComplete feature.
The AutoComplete feature displays a complete word when the user types the first few
characters of the word.
This enables the user to type faster/quickly by completing a word that the user has
already started typing automatically.
To accept the suggested word (if indeed he/she intended to type it), simply press the
ENTER key and continue typing other words or phrases.
To turn AutoComplete on or off.
1. On the Insert menu, point to AutoText, then click AutoText from the dropdown list that
is displayed.
2. Select or clear the Show AutoComplete suggestions checkbox.
3. Type in an Auto text in the Enter AutoText entries here textbox, then click Add.
4. Click Close.

AutoCorrect feature
Importance.
√ The AutoCorrect feature can be used to automatically detect and correct wrongly
spelled words, and replace them with the correct ones as set by the user.
E.g. if you type teh plus a space, AutoCorrect replaces it with "the.", or if you type This
is t ouse plus a space, AutoCorrect replaces it with "This is the house."
√ AutoCorrect can also be used to quickly insert symbols that are included in the inbuilt
list of AutoCorrect entries. E.g., type (c) to insert ©.
√ AutoCorrect can automatically detect and correct incorrect capitalization. It can also
capitalize the first word in a sentence, the names of days of the week, the first letter of
text in a table cell, etc.
To automatically correct text as you type,
1. Turn on the AutoCorrect options you want.
To turn on or off the AutoCorrect options you want.
(i). On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect Options, then select or clear the Replace text
as you type checkbox.
(ii). To turn the spelling checker corrections on or off, select the Replace text as you
type checkbox, then select or clear the Automatically use suggestions from the
spelling checker checkbox.
(iii). Click OK to close the dialog box.
2. Type the text you want to correct, followed by a space or other punctuation.
Add an entry during a spelling check.
1. Right-click a word with a wavy red underline.
2. Point to AutoCorrect on the shortcut menu, then click the correction you want.

Question: Distinguish between the AutoComplete and the AutoCorrect feature in word
processing.
AutoComplete – helps a person to type quickly by completing a word that the user has
already started to be type automatically.
AutoCorrect – automatically replaces mistyped words with the correct ones as set by the
user.

UNDO, REDO AND REPEAT ACTIONS.

Purpose.
√ Undo is used to reverse changes you make in a document, such as editing, formatting,
checking spelling, inserting breaks, footnotes and tables.
This is useful when you make changes and then realize that these changes were a mistake.
Undo mistakes.
1. To quickly undo/reverse recent actions one at a time, click Undo on the Standard toolbar
or on the Edit menu (or press CTRL+Z).
To undo several actions at once, click the down arrow next to the Undo button on the
Standard toolbar, and select the actions you want to undo from the list. Ms-Word
reverses the selected action and all actions above it.
Note. If you later decide that you didn't want to undo an action, click the Redo button on
the Standard toolbar (or press CTRL+Y).
E.g., you can choose the Undo command to remove a bold formatting you had applied. To
reapply the bold formatting, choose the Redo command.
Repeat your last action.
1. On the Edit menu, click Repeat (or press CTRL+Y).
If the action cannot be repeated, the Repeat command changes to Can't Repeat.

WORD COUNT
Word Count assists a person to know how many words, pages, paragraphs, lines, no. of
characters, are in your document including spaces.
1. On the Tools menu, click Word Count.
If you want to recount as you make revisions without reopening the dialog box, click Show
Toolbar. The Word Count toolbar will open in your document. Click Recount (or press
ALT+C) at any time to update the count any time you want.
Note. You can also view the no. of words & lines in a document by clicking Properties on the
File menu, then click the Statistics tab.
Exercise.
1. (a). Explain the importance of proofreading a document.
(b). Give two methods of proofreading a prepared document.
2. Give two types of dictionaries that are used by the spell-checker program. Which one is
likely to have non-English words, and Why?
3. Name and explain the use of any FOUR buttons found in a Spell check dialog box.
4. Explain how to do Word Count.
5. Explain how you would look up for a word in your computer dictionary.
6. What is a Thesaurus?
7. Distinguish between the AutoComplete and the AutoCorrect feature in word processing.
8. Explain the use of Undo and Redo commands.
9. In Spelling and Grammar check, what do the following buttons do?
 Ignore All.
 Add.
 Change.

FORMATTING A DOCUMENT.
Formatting:
 Formatting refers to applying various styles or features to enhance the appearance of a
document.
 It can also mean making a document attractive or enhancing the appearance of a
document by bolding, italicizing, bordering, coloring, etc.
Importance.
√ To create professional documents by using different colours, and adding special effects
like dropped capitals, Superscripts and Subscripts.
√ To draw attention to important words or sentences by making them Bold, Italic or
Underlined.
√ To draw attention to titles and headings by making them larger and changing their font
type.
√ To draw attention to some important paragraphs and text by creating additional effects
with the text in a document.
√ To make the overall document appealing to the eye as you read through.
Note. Before you enhance a particular portion of a document, you must select the portion
first.

TEXT FORMATTING.
Text formatting refers to features such as changing font types & font style, changing size
of characters, changing text color, underlining, bolding, italicizing, text alignment, etc.
You can use the Formatting toolbar or the Format menu to change the format of a
given text.
Applying Bold, Italics, Underline, and changing the Font type, Font Size & Color of
text.
Bolding text: Bolding makes the selected text appear darker than the rest of the text.
Underline text: Underlining refers to placing a line at the base or bottom of a word or
phrase.
Italicizing text: To italicize is to make the text slant forward.
Font (also called typeface): A graphic design applied to numerals, symbols, & alphabetic
characters.
Changing the font color: Changing the color of the selected text from black to either blue,
green, etc.
Method 1. Using the Formatting toolbar.
1. Select the text you want to format.
2. On the Formatting toolbar,
 Click the Bold or Italic or Underline button to format selected text as bold, italics or
underlined.
 To change the font type, click the arrow next to the Font box, then click a font name.
 To change the size of text, type (or click) a size in the Font Size box. E.g., type 10.5.
 To change the text color, click the Font Color button. This applies the color appearing
on the Font Color button.
To apply a different color, click the arrow next to the Font Color button, then select
the color you want from the Color palette.
Method 2. Using the Format menu.
1. Select the text whose format you want to change.
2. On the Format menu, click Font, then click the Font tab.
 In the Font box, click a font type.
 In the Font Style box, click Bold, Italic or Bold Italic.
 To change the size of text, click a point size in the Font Size box.
 To change the text color, click the arrow next to the Font Color box, then select a color.
 In the Underline style list, click the style you want. In the Underline color list, click
the color you want.
When you select a formatting option, Ms-Word displays a preview of what you have
selected.
3. Click the OK button.
To ensure that any new document you open uses the font settings you have selected, click
the Default button, then choose Yes from the resulting prompt.
Apply Special text Effects such as embossed, engraved, outlined, or shadow
formatting to text.
1. Open the Font dialog box.
2. Under Effects, select the checkbox for the options you want, then click the OK button.
Applying Superscript, Subscript and Small Caps.
Superscript: - any text that is slightly higher than other text on a line, such as a footnote
reference mark.
Subscript: - any text that is slightly lower than other text on a line. Subscripts are often
used in scientific formulas.
‘Small caps’ formats any selected lowercase text as capital letters and reduces their size.
Small caps do not affect uppercase letters, numbers, punctuations, or non-alphabetic
characters.
1. Select the text to be formatted.
2. On the Format menu, click Font, then click the Font tab.
3. Under Effects, select the checkbox for Superscript, Subscript or Small Caps.
Superscript raises the selected text above the baseline, while Subscripts lower the
selected text below the baseline.
4. Click the OK button.

Animating text.
1. Select the text you want to animate.
2. On the Format menu, click Font, then click the Text Effects tab.
3. In the Animations box, click the effect you want.
Notes.
 You can apply only one animation effect at a time.
 Animated text effects are not printed. If text in your document is animated, it will print
with the underlying text formatting — such as bold or italic — but the animated effects
will not be printed.
Exercise (a).
1. (a). Explain the term document formatting.
(b). Give any five document formatting features.
2. Give at least four examples of fonts available in Microsoft Word.
3. Differentiate between superscript and subscript font.
4. In Microsoft Word, how do you do the following operations?
(a). Italicize a text on typing.
(b). Boldface and underline text after typing.
Exercise (b).
1. Given a block of text, outline the steps you would use to:
(i). Bold and italicize the text.
(ii). Double underline the text.
(iii). Change Font size and font name.
2. Clearly explain the meaning of the following terms as used in Microsoft Word.
(a). Saving.
(b). Formatting.
(c). Highlighting.
(d). Deleting.
(e). Aligning.