Microsoft Word User's Manual/Course 1/Part 1
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<< Back to Contents - Course One: The Basics
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To enter text in Microsoft Word, first make sure you can open the program.
Contents |
[edit] Starting Microsoft Word
To open Microsoft Word: First click on your "Start" button. Once the menu appears, put your mouse on the word "Programs". From here, look through the list of programs to find your version of Microsoft Word, and click on it - this will start the program.
Alternatively, look on you Desktop for an icon shortcut to Word, click this (or if this doesn't work, double-click).
Once the program opens, you will see a blinking black line. At this point you are free to begin typing.
[edit] Basic Rules for formatting text
To change the formatting of text that has been entered, highlight the text you wish to change and change the formatting.
- Place the cursor at either the beginning or end of the text you wish to highlight.
- To highlight a selection with the mouse:
- click at one end and drag to the other end of the desired selection.
- with the cursor already at one end of the selection, press and hold SHIFT and left click at the end of your selection.
- To highlight text with the keyboard, hold SHIFT and using the cursor keys move the cursor to the other end of the selection, release SHIFT
The text should be highlighted in a contrasting color.
To change the formatting, including the font size, font, color, and many other properties.
- right click on the selection and choose what you'd like to change
- use the toolbars or
- Select the options on the Format Menu to change
If you change the formatting options without any text being selected, then these options will apply to any further text entered after that point in the document.
[edit] Parts of Word Screen
| Parts | Function |
|---|---|
| Title Bar | Displays the program name, and the name of current document displayed or being edited. |
| Menu Bar | Contains the names of the command menus currently available. |
| Standard Toolbar | Contain buttons that provide shortcuts for the most commonly used Word Features, such as opening and printing document. |
| Formatting Toolbar | Contains buttons and drop-down lists that you use to modify the appearance of selected text. |
| Ruler | It shows the width of your text, as well as any indents or tabs. |
| Document Window | Displays the documents you create and edit. |
| Insertion Point | It is blinking vertical line at the upper left corner of a new document. |
| Endmark | It indicates the end of the document. |
| Scroll Bars | It is one of the main ways to navigate through a document. Appear along the right side and bottom edges of the document window. Each scroll bar contains two scroll arrows and scroll box, which you can use to move vertically and horizontally through a document. |
| Status Bar | Displays the necessary information about the active document such as page. |
| Minimize Button | It is used to temporary hide word (to shrink it to an icon on the taskbar). |
| Maximize Button | It is used to enlarge MS-Word to full screen. |
| Close Button | It is used to exit or quit MS-Word. |
[edit] Entering Text
When you start MS-Word for Windows, you see a blank work area. (This blank area is called a Normal Template). To work effectively with Word, you must understand that every Word Document is based on template. As the name suggest, a template is model for document. The blank area contains only two items:
- The Blinking Vertical Line that marks the insertion point, the location where text you type will be inserted into the document and where certain editing actions will occur.
- The horizontal line is the end-of-document marker.
There are a number of different views available for working on the text, available on the View menu. The simplest is the 'Normal' view, while the most complex view, but the best for working on heavily formated pages is the 'Print layout' view.
[edit] Menu Structure
When you work with MS-Word for Windows, you give it commands to instruct the program to carry out the desired tasks. Commands are usually entered by means of menus. MS-Word for Windows has three types of menus:
- The Main Menu is displayed in the menu bar, on the second line of the screen.
- A Pull-down Menu is a list of commands associated with each choice on the main menu. When you choose a command on the main menu, its pull-down menu is displayed.
- A Context Sensitive Menu is pop-up screen when you right-click the mouse. Wherein it shows a list of commands to work with.
[edit] Dialog Boxes
When MS-Word for Windows needs additional information to carry out a command, it displays a dialog box. Dialog boxes contain a number of components, but mainly contain only some of these components.
[edit] Components of Dialog Box
- A dotted outline or highlight bar indicate the current dialog box item.
- The title bar gives the name of the dialog box, which is the command used to display the dialog box.
- A text box is used to enter and edit text information.
- A list box displays a list of items from which you can choose. If the list is too big to display at one time, a vertical scroll bar lets you scroll up or down the list.
- The command buttons to either confirm or cancel the dialog box.
[edit] Working With A Document
MS-Word is used by people with widely varying levels of skill and experience, and there are often several different ways to do some tasks. Most commands are available through the Menu and sub menus. For frequently used commands, there are often iconic shortcut buttons on the Tool bars that can be selected with the mouse. For people with better keyboard skills or experience, there are keyboard shortcuts, often using the Control (CTRL), Shift (SHFT) or Alternate (ALT) keys on the PC and Command or Option keys of the Macintosh.
[edit] Create a New Document
- Choose File ➪ New from the menu bar.
- This may ask you to select which document template to use for the new document.
- Click the New Blank Document button of the tool bar.
- Press CTRL + N on the keyboard. (Depress and hold CTRL, Press and release 'N')
[edit] Open an Existing Document
- Choose File ➪ Open from the menu bar.
- Click the Open button on the toolbar.
- Press CTRL + O on the keyboard.
NOTE: Each method will show the Open dialog box. Select the drive the file was saved on, choose the file, and click the Open button.
[edit] Save a Document
- Select File ➪ Save from the menu bar.
- Click the Save button on the toolbar.
- Press CTRL + S on the keyboard.
Navigate to the location where you would like to save the document. Make a note of the drive where the document is saved for future reference. To save an existing open document under a different name, select 'File ➪ Save As'.
[edit] Renaming a Document
To rename an existing, but not open, Word document while using the program,
- Select File ➪ Open (or press CTRL + O on the keyboard) and find the file you want to rename.
- Right-click on the document name with the mouse and select Rename form the shortcut menu.
- Type the new name for the file and press the ENTER key.
[edit] Working with Multiple Documents
Several documents can be opened simultaneously if you are typing or editing multiple documents at once. All open documents are listed under the Windows menu. The current document has checkmark beside the filename. Select another name to view another open document or click the button on the Windows taskbar at the bottom of the screen.
[edit] Closing a Document
- Selecting File ➪ Close from the menu bar
- Click the close window icon if it’s visible on the menu bar
- Press CTRL + W or CTRL + F4 on the keyboard.
[edit] Exiting MS-Word for Windows
- Choose the File ➪ Exit on the menu bar.
- Click the Close button align with the title bar.
- Press ALT + F4 on the Keyboard.
