An Introduction to Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is a proprietary word processor designed by Microsoft that can be used to create various types of documents from letters and memos to calendars and lists. Documents can be created, saved, and edited at the desire of the creator from a blank document or via one of the many Wizards included with Word.

Microsoft Word was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS, the Apple Macintosh, the AT&T Unix PC, Atari ST, SCO UNIX, OS/2, and Microsoft Windows.

It is a component of the Microsoft Office software system; it is also sold as a standalone product and included in Microsoft Works Suite. The current versions are Microsoft Office Word 2010 for Windows and Microsoft Office Word 2011 for Mac.

Different Versions of MS Word

Microsoft Word is 29 years old. It was first released upon an unsuspecting public on 25 October 1983.

MS Word reached up to version 14 but not that there have been 14 versions. There were early numbering inconsistencies (versions 1, 2 and then 6 in the 1980s and 1990s). More recently, it seems that Microsoft is a superstitious: it skipped from 12 (Word 2007) to 14 (Word 2010).

Word versions come in pairs. Word 97 represented a big change. Word 2000 consolidated on that change and Word 2000 was reliable, solid and widely used. Word 2002 represented a big change. Word 2003 fixed many of those problems and again became a much-used, reliable version. Word 2007 gave us the biggest change in the user interface since the invention of the toolbar and the mouse. It’s a big jump from Word 2003. Word 2010 builds on Word 2007, fixes a lot of bugs, and introduces a few new features. Word 2010 makes lots of tiny refinements to the user interface. For my money, it’s a generally more pleasant experience than Word 2007. [Source: Sauna Kelly]

MS Word interface as well as features are greatly improved over these different versions. Click here to see how the screen of MS Word used to look like. Similarly, you can find the collection of splash screens and icons of MS Word over the years on that page.

Below is the complete version history as presented by Wikipedia:

Year Released	Name	Version	Comments
1989	Word for Windows 1.0
1990	Word for Windows 1.1	1.1	Code-named Bill the Cat
1990	Word for Windows 1.1a	1.1a	For Windows 3.1
1991	Word for Windows 2.0	2.0	Code-named Spaceman Spiff
1993	Word for Windows 6.0	6.0	Code-named T3 (renumbered 6 to bring Windows version numbering in line with that of DOS version, Macintosh version and also WordPerfect, the main competing word processor at the time; also a 32-bit version for Windows NT only)
1995	Word 95	7.0	Included in Office 95
1997	Word 97	8.0	Included in Office 97
1998	Word 98	8.5	Only sold as part of Office 97 Powered By Word 98, which was only available in Japan and Korea.
1999	Word 2000	9.0	Included in Office 2000
2001	Word 2002	10.0	Included in Office XP
2003	Office Word 2003	11.0	Included in Office 2003
2006	Office Word 2007	12.0	Included in Office 2007; released to businesses on November 30, 2006, released worldwide to consumers on January 30, 2007
2010	Word 2010	14.0	Included in Office 2010

Please click here to go to Wikipedia if you are interested to get complete version information of Word for DOS, Windows, Mac OS, OS/2 and Atari St.

Screen Elements of MS Word

As we’ve just talked, MS Word evolved in different versions and in each version it was more refined and improved with new features. I will be referring to Word 2003 and Word 2007 or 2010. This is because many exam boards such as Public Service Commission has not left Word 2003 for questions yet. Word 2007 and 2010 are already much popular and is going to be included in syllabus very soon. So, it is better to keep an eye on both of these versions.

Menu Bar and Tool Bars

MS Word 2003 contained a set of pull down menu at the top just below the title bar. You could click on the menu to pull down different options available and click on any command to issue. File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, Tools, Table and Help are the menu by default.

The image above shows the menu bar and two toolbars. Notice the underlined character on menu names. They are the access keys – that means you can press the keyboard key with Alt to access those menu. For example Alt+F will open File menu and Alt+A will open Table menu.

Tool bars are the collection of frequently required commands. It contains buttons (short-cut to the commands) that helps you perform actions mostly with one click. Standard, Formatting and Drawing are the most frequently used toolbar. MS Word has many other toolbars such as Picture, Autotext, Mail Merge etc. MS Word also lets you to create your own custom toolbar too!

To turn on and off the toolbars, right click on any of the toolbar or menu bar then click the name of toolbar you want to turn it on or off.

Ribbons and Ribbon Tabs

Menu bars and tool bars are replaced in Word 2007 and 2010 by ribbons and ribbon tabs.

Microsoft Office 2010 displays commands in a series of icons stored on different tabs. This combination of icons and tabs is known as the Ribbon interface, which appears in Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, and Access.

Ribbons are different and more useful than toolbars in many respects such as:

• Ribbons are two dimensional in contrast to one dimensional arrangement of toolbars. Larger buttons are placed horizontally and you can find many smaller buttons arranged vertically.
• The Ribbon has many different kinds of buttons and knobs and dials
• The Ribbon is divided into tabs allowing more commands to fit within the same area on screen.
• Extra “Contextual” tabs appear on special occasions. Get the commands only when they are needed.
• Tabs are divided into groups. Find commands easily!
• The Ribbon expands and contracts to fit the available space. Smart enough to make best use of limited space of screen.

Scroll Bars

A vertical scroll bar placed at the right edge of MS Word screen lets you scroll your document up or down. Depending upon the width of page and zoom level you can see a horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of Word Screen. Horizontal scroll bar helps you to display the left or right portion of your page.

Ruler

MS Word has a horizontal and a vertical ruler. It can be used as a guide to layout different objects on page. To turn on/off rulers choose “Ruler” option from View menu in Word 2003. Similarly you can mark or clear ‘Ruler’ check box on View tab of Word 2007 or Word 2010 ribbon to display or hide the ruler.

MS Word ruler contain different components such as margin indicator, tab stop box, indent markers (first line indent, left indent, hanging indent and right indent). You can open different dialog boxes by double clicking on different parts of ruler such as double clicking on margin area opens Page Setup dialog box. Double click on indent markers to open Paragraph dialog box.

Thus, horizontal ruler in Word can be used for:

• Setting and changing Margins
• Setting and changing tab stop positions
• Increase / Decrease column/cell width and spacing

The Status Bar

Horizontal bar at the bottom of MS Word window that display description of currently selected command, current status of MS Word, and the state of different indicators. The status bar on MS Word will display:

• Current cursor position (lines, columns, distance from top edge of page, current page, total number of pages etc.)
• State of MS Word such as Macro recording (REC), type over mode (OVR), Track Change (TRK) etc.
• Description of currently highlighted menu
• Word 2007 and 2010 status bar contains view buttons and zoom slider too!

Note: You can double click on the different indicators to open related dialog box. For example double click on Col, At, Ln or Page to open Goto Dialog box. Double click on OVR indicator to turn type over mode on/off.

Note: Word 2007 and Word 2010 does not display all the items of status by default. You can show or hide any of the status bar items by right clicking on status bar and selecting the required item.

Available Views in MS Word 2003

MS Word provides different views so that you can work with it efficiently. Following are the different views MS Word 2003 supports:

• Normal View
• Print Layout View (formerly known as page layout view)
• Outline View
• Web Layout View

Each view is better suited for one type of task, such as, normal view is good for entering text, Print Layout view is good for formatting and layout designing. Outline view is used to set document outline, promote or demote heading levels, move chapters up and down etc. Web layout view is used to create web pages or blog posts.

Normal View

Normal view shows text formatting but simplifies the layout of the page so that you can type and edit quickly. In normal view, not all data is displayed (i.e. headers and footers, page numbering).

Web Layout View

Work in Web layout view when you are creating a Web page or a document that is viewed on the screen. In Web layout view, you can see backgrounds, text is wrapped to fit the window, and graphics are positioned just as they are in a Web browser.

Print Layout View

Work in print layout view to see how text, graphics, 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.” It is the default view.

Outline View

Work in outline view to look at the structure of a document and to move, copy, and reorganize text by dragging headings. In outline view, you can collapse a document to see only the main headings, or you can expand it to see all headings and even body text. In outline view, page boundaries, headers and footers, graphics, and backgrounds do not appear.

Office button

Word 2007 replaced control box used in Word 2003 with Office button. It is a circular button with Office logo inside. When you click on office button it opens the Office menu, from which you can open, save, print, and start new document.

Document Views in Word 2007 / 2010

In Microsoft Word there are a number of ways that you can view your document. To see the views available, click the View Tab on the Ribbon. By default, you will probably work in Print Layout View.

Print Layout View

This shows the document as it will look when it prints. This is a What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get, or WYSIWYG view of your document. Within Print Layout View you can hide the white space at the top of the page if desired. Hold your mouse pointer over the top of the page until the double-headed mouse pointer appears. Double-click to hide the white space and to gain more work area in your Word Window. Double-click in the same position to reveal the white space again.

You can make the document larger or smaller using the Zoom Indicator locator at the bottom right of the screen. Click the Plus indicator to increase the size of your document and the Minus indicator to decrease the size of the document. You can read the percentage Zoom level that you’re looking at the document at from the indicator to the immediate left.

Full Screen reading View

If you want to read a document rather than work on it, use Full Screen Reading View. Click ‘Full Screen Reading View‘ and a document will open at Full Screen view. This is not the same as Editing View, although it is possible to edit the document in this view. The idea of this view is to give you an easy way to read a document on the screen.

The View Options in the top right corner of the screen offer you things like the ability to increase or decrease the text size. This is just for viewing purposes and it doesn’t change the size of the font in your document.

You can also choose to Show One Page or Two Pages at a time. You can select Allow Typing so you can edit the document as you read it.

Show Printed Page shows the document as it will look if it’s printed, so this is sort of like Print Layout View but with a larger screen.

The options that are highlighted in this list are the ones that are selected at the moment. If you don’t want to show the printed Page, for example, click Show Printed Page when it’s enabled to disable it. There are also options in the top left of the screen for working with the document, such as saving it, or printing it. There are tools for highlighting text and for adding comments.

At the foot of each page you’ll see Navigation buttons. These take you forward and backward through the document. When you’ve finished working in Reading View, click the Close button to return to the original Document View.

Web Layout View

Web Layout View allows you to view the document as it would look if it were saved to the Web and viewed in a Web Browser. You would use Web Layout View if you’re creating an E-mail message or a Web Page from a document.

Outline View

Outline View is a special view that shows you the document as an Outline without Outline Tools in place. Outlining is a special view which is useful if you’re using Outline Styles to number your document.

Draft View

Draft View is a very plain view of your document. It shows text but no other items, such as Headers or Footers and you can see that our image has disappeared. The purpose of Draft View is to help you work on your text without having to worry about other objects on the page.

Print Layout View

The Views that you’re most likely to use the most often are Print Layout View, which is where most people spend their time editing a document and Full Screen Reading View if you’re reviewing someone else’s work.

The buttons up on the View Tab are duplicated down on status bar. From left to right these are: Print Layout, Full Screen Reading, Web Layout, Outline View and Draft View. These work exactly the same way as the buttons on the View Tab. The advantage of these ones, though, is that they’re always visible no matter what Tab you have selected.

[Ref: VTC Word 2010 Tutorial]

Limitations of Microsoft Word

Number of column in table	1 to 63
Number of rows in table	1 to 32676
Zoom	10% to 500%
Font size	1 to 1638 points
Number of newspaper style columns	1 to 45 columns
Paragraph space, character space	0 to 1584 points
Left/right Indent	-22 to 22 inches
First Line/Hanging Indent	0 to 22 inches
Character Scaling	1% to 600%
Headings	9 levels
Minimum page width/height	0.1″
Maximum paper size	22″
Recent file list	0 to 9 files
Number of copies to print	1 to 32767
Maximum number of bookmarks	2,147,483,647 (office 2007/2010)16,380 (compatibility mode)
(Style Definition) maximum number of styles	4,079 (office 2007/2010)4,079 (compatibility mode)
Maximum number of comments	2,147,483,647 (office 2007/2010)16,380 (compatibility mode)
Maximum number of fields	2,147,483,647 (office 2007/2010)2,147,483,647 (compatibility mode)
Number of subdocuments in a master document	255 (office 2007/2010)255 (compatibility mode)
Maximum number of moves	2,147,483,647 (office 2007/2010)32,752 (compatibility mode)
(Range Permission) maximum number allowed	2,147,483,647 (office 2007/2010)32,752 (compatibility mode)
Size of file Word can open	512 MB (office 2007/2010)512 MB (compatibility mode)
Maximum number of records to display in recipients list dialog	10000 (office 2007/2010)10000 (compatibility mode)
Maximum size of text in document	32 MB (total document text only and does not include graphics, regardless of how the graphics image is inserted)

Cursor Movement Keys in MS Word

Left Arrow Key	One character left
Right Arrow Key	One character right
Up Arrow Key	One line up
Down Arrow Key	One line down
Ctrl + Left Arrow Key	One word left
Ctrl + Right Arrow Key	One word right
Ctrl + Up Arrow Key	Beginning of previous paragraph
Ctrl + Down Arrow Key	Beginning of next paragraph
Home	Beginning of current line
End	End of current line
PgUp	Previous screen (one screen up)
PgDn	Next screen (one screen down)
Ctrl + Home	Beginning of document
Ctrl + End	End of document
Ctrl + PgUp	Beginning of previous page
Ctrl + PgDn	Beginning of next page

Selecting Text Using Keyboard

You can use cursor movement keys holding Shift key to select. For example Shift + Left/Right Arrow keys will select one character on the left or right of insertion point. Shift+Ctrl+Home selects the text up to the beginning from current insertion point position.

Short Cut Keys for MS Office Word

The keyboard shortcuts that are described here refer to the U.S. keyboard layout.

For keyboard shortcuts in which you press two or more keys simultaneously, the keys to press are separated by a plus sign ( + ). For keyboard shortcuts in which you press one key immediately followed by another key, the keys to press are separated by a comma (,).

Display And Use Windows

Switch to the next window. ALT + TAB

Switch to the previous window. ALT + SHIFT + TAB

Close the active window. CTRL + W or CTRL + F4

Restore the size of the active window after you maximize it. ALT + F5

Move to a task pane from another pane in the program window (clockwise direction). You may need to press F6 more than once. F6

Move to a task pane from another pane in the program window (counterclockwise direction). SHIFT + F6

When more than one window is open, switch to the next window. CTRL + F6

Switch to the previous window. CTRL + SHIFT + F6

Maximize or restore a selected window. CTRL + F10

Copy a picture of the screen to the Clipboard. PRINT SCREEN

Copy a picture of the selected window to the Clipboard. ALT + PRINT SCREEN

Use dialog boxes

Move from an open dialog box back to the document, for dialog boxes such as Find and Replace that support this behavior. ALT + F6

Move to the next option or option group. TAB

Move to the previous option or option group. SHIFT + TAB

Switch to the next tab in a dialog box. CTRL + TAB

Switch to the previous tab in a dialog box. CTRL + SHIFT + TAB

Move between options in an open drop-down list, or between options in a group of options. Arrow keys

Perform the action assigned to the selected button; select or clear the selected check box. SPACEBAR

Select an option; select or clear a check box. ALT + the letter underlined in an option

Open a selected drop-down list. ALT + DOWN ARROW

Select an option from a drop-down list. First letter of an option in a drop-down list

Close a selected drop-down list; cancel a command and close a dialog box. ESC

Run the selected command. ENTER

Use Edit Boxes Within Dialog Boxes

An edit box is a blank in which you type or paste an entry, such as your user name or the path to a folder.

Move to the beginning of the entry. HOME

Move to the end of the entry. END

Move one character to the left or right. LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW

Move one word to the left. CTRL + LEFT ARROW

Move one word to the right. CTRL + RIGHT ARROW

Select or unselect one character to the left. SHIFT + LEFT ARROW

Select or unselect one character to the right. SHIFT + RIGHT ARROW

Select or unselect one word to the left. CTRL + SHIFT + LEFT ARROW

Select or unselect one word to the right. CTRL + SHIFT + RIGHT ARROW

Select from the insertion point to the beginning of the entry. SHIFT + HOME

Select from the insertion point to the end of the entry. SHIFT + END

Use The Open And Save As Dialog Boxes

Display the Open dialog box. CTRL + F12 or CTRL + O

Display the Save As dialog box. F12

Go to the previous folder. ALT + 1

Up One Level button: Open the folder one level above the open folder. ALT + 2

Delete button: Delete the selected folder or file. DELETE

Create New Folder button: Create a new folder. ALT + 4

Views button: Switch among available folder views. ALT + 5

Display a shortcut menu for a selected item such as a folder or file. SHIFT + F10

Move between options or areas in the dialog box. TAB

Open the Look in list. F4 or ALT + I

Update the file list. F5

Undo And Redo Actions

Cancel an action. ESC

Undo an action. CTRL + Z

Redo or repeat an action. CTRL + Y

Access And Use Task Panes And Galleries

Move to a task pane from another pane in the program window. (You may need to press F6 more than once.) F6

When a menu is active, move to a task pane. (You may need to press CTRL + TAB more than once.) CTRL + TAB

When a task pane is active, select the next or previous option in the task pane. TAB or SHIFT + TAB

Display the full set of commands on the task pane menu. CTRL + SPACEBAR

Perform the action assigned to the selected button. SPACEBAR or ENTER

Open a drop-down menu for the selected gallery item. SHIFT + F10

Select the first or last item in a gallery. HOME or END

Scroll up or down in the selected gallery list. PAGE UP or PAGE DOWN

Close A Task Pane

Press F6 to move to the task pane, if necessary.

Press CTRL + SPACEBAR.

Use the arrow keys to select Close, and then press ENTER.

Access And Use Smart Tags

Display the shortcut menu for the selected item. SHIFT + F10

Display the menu or message for a smart tag or for the AutoCorrect Options button or the Paste options button. If more than one smart tag is present, switch to the next smart tag and display its menu or message. ALT + SHIFT + F10

Select the next item on a smart tag menu. DOWN ARROW

Select the previous item on a smart tag menu. UP ARROW

Perform the action for the selected item on a smart tag menu. ENTER

Close the smart tag menu or message. ESC

 

Navigating The Ribbon User Interface

Access any command with a few keystrokes.

Access keys provide a way to quickly use a command by pressing a few keys, no matter where you are in the program. Every command in Office Word 2007 can be accessed by using an access key. You can get to most commands by using two to five keystrokes. To use an access key:

Press ALT.

The KeyTips are displayed over each feature that is available in the current view.

Press the letter shown in the KeyTip over the feature that you want to use.

Depending on which letter you press, you may be shown additional KeyTips. For example, if the Home tab is active and you press I, the Insert tab is displayed, along with the KeyTips for the groups on that tab.

Continue pressing letters until you press the letter of the command or control that you want to use. In some cases, you must first press the letter of the group that contains the command.

Note: To cancel the action that you are taking and hide the KeyTips, press ALT.

Change The Keyboard Focus Without Using The Mouse

Another way to use the keyboard to work with Ribbon programs is to move the focus among the tabs and commands until you find the feature that you want to use. The following table lists some ways to move the keyboard focus without using the mouse.

Select the active tab of the Ribbon and activate the access keys. ALT or F10. Press either of these keys again to move back to the document and cancel the access keys.

Move to another tab of the Ribbon. F10 to select the active tab, and then LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW

Hide or show the Ribbon. CTRL + F1

Display the shortcut menu for the selected command. SHIFT + F10

Move the focus to select each of the following areas of the window:

Active tab of the Ribbon, Any open task panes, Toolbar at the bottom of the window Your document F6

Move the focus to each command on the Ribbon, forward or backward, respectively. TAB or SHIFT + TAB

Move down, up, left, or right, respectively, among the items on the Ribbon. DOWN ARROW, UP ARROW, LEFT ARROW, or RIGHT ARROW

Activate the selected command or control on the Ribbon. SPACEBAR or ENTER

Open the selected menu or gallery on the Ribbon. SPACEBAR or ENTER

Activate a command or control on the Ribbon so you can modify a value. ENTER

Finish modifying a value in a control on the Ribbon, and move focus back to the document. ENTER

Get help on the selected command or control on the Ribbon. (If no Help topic is associated with the selected command, a general Help topic about the program is shown instead.) F1

QUICK REFERENCE FOR MICROSOFT OFFICE WORD

Common Tasks In Microsoft Office Word

Create a nonbreaking space. CTRL + SHIFT + SPACEBAR

Create a nonbreaking hyphen. CTRL + HYPHEN

Make letters bold. CTRL + B

Make letters italic. CTRL + I

Make letters underline. CTRL + U

Decrease font size one value. CTRL + SHIFT + <

Increase font size one value. CTRL + SHIFT + >

Decrease font size 1 point. CTRL + [

Increase font size 1 point. CTRL + ]

Remove paragraph or character formatting. CTRL + SPACEBAR

Copy the selected text or object. CTRL + C

Cut the selected text or object. CTRL + X

Paste text or an object. CTRL + V

Paste special CTRL + ALT + V

Paste formatting only CTRL + SHIFT + V

Undo the last action. CTRL + Z

Redo the last action. CTRL + Y

Open the Word Count dialog box. CTRL + SHIFT + G

WORKING WITH DOCUMENTS AND WEB PAGES

Create, View, And Save Documents

Create a new document of the same type as the current or most recent document. CTRL + N

Open a document. CTRL + O

Close a document. CTRL + W

Split the document window. ALT + CTRL + S

Remove the document window split. ALT + SHIFT + C

Save a document. CTRL + S

Find, Replace, And Browse Through Text

Find text, formatting, and special items. CTRL + F

Repeat find (after closing Find and Replace window). ALT + CTRL + Y

Replace text, specific formatting, and special items. CTRL + H

Go to a page, bookmark, footnote, table, comment, graphic, or other location. CTRL + G

Switch between the last four places that you have edited. ALT + CTRL + Z

Open a list of browse options. Press the arrow keys to select an option, and then press ENTER to browse through a document by using the selected option. ALT + CTRL + HOME

Move to the previous edit location. CTRL + PAGE UP

Move to the next edit location. CTRL + PAGE DOWN

Switch To Another View

Switch to Print Layout view. ALT + CTRL + P

Switch to Outline view. ALT + CTRL + O

Switch to Draft view. ALT + CTRL + N

Outline View

Promote a paragraph. ALT + SHIFT + LEFT ARROW

Demote a paragraph. ALT + SHIFT + RIGHT ARROW

Demote to body text. CTRL + SHIFT + N

Move selected paragraphs up. ALT + SHIFT + UP ARROW

Move selected paragraphs down. ALT + SHIFT + DOWN ARROW

Expand text under a heading. ALT + SHIFT + PLUS SIGN

Collapse text under a heading. ALT + SHIFT + MINUS SIGN

Expand or collapse all text or headings. ALT + SHIFT + A

Hide or display character formatting. The slash (/) key on the numeric keypad

Show the first line of body text or all body text. ALT + SHIFT + L

Show all headings with the Heading 1 style. ALT + SHIFT + 1

Show all headings up to Heading n. ALT + SHIFT + n

Insert a tab character. CTRL + TAB

Print And Preview Documents

Print a document. CTRL + P

Switch in or out of print preview. ALT + CTRL + I

Move around the preview page when zoomed in. Arrow keys

Move by one preview page when zoomed out. PAGE UP or PAGE DOWN

Move to the first preview page when zoomed out. CTRL + HOME

Move to the last preview page when zoomed out. CTRL + END

Review Documents

Insert a comment. ALT + CTRL + M

Turn change tracking on or off. CTRL + SHIFT + E

Close the Reviewing Pane if it is open. ALT + SHIFT + C

Full Screen Reading View

Note: Some screen readers may not be compatible with Full Screen Reading view.

Go to beginning of document. HOME

Go to end of document. END

Go to page n. n, ENTER

Exit reading layout view. ESC

References, Footnotes, And Endnotes

Mark a table of contents entry. ALT + SHIFT + O

Mark a table of authorities entry (citation). ALT + SHIFT + I

Mark an index entry. ALT + SHIFT + X

Insert a footnote. ALT + CTRL + F

Insert an endnote. ALT + CTRL + D

Work With Web Pages

Insert a hyperlink. CTRL + K

Go back one page. ALT + LEFT ARROW

Go forward one page. ALT + RIGHT ARROW

Refresh. F9

EDIT AND MOVE TEXT AND GRAPHICS

Delete Text And Graphics

Delete one character to the left. BACKSPACE

Delete one word to the left. CTRL + BACKSPACE

Delete one character to the right. DELETE

Delete one word to the right. CTRL + DELETE

Cut selected text to the Office Clipboard. CTRL + X

Undo the last action. CTRL + Z

Cut to the Spike. CTRL + F3

Copy And Move Text And Graphics

Open the Office Clipboard Press ALT + H to move to the Home tab, and then press F,O.

Copy selected text or graphics to the Office Clipboard. CTRL + C

Cut selected text or graphics to the Office Clipboard. CTRL + X

Paste the most recent addition to the Office Clipboard. CTRL + V

Move text or graphics once. F2 (then move the cursor and press ENTER)

Copy text or graphics once. SHIFT + F2 (then move the cursor and press ENTER)

When text or an object is selected, open the Create New Building Block dialog box. ALT + F3

When the building block — for example, a SmartArt graphic — is selected, display the shortcut menu that is associated with it. SHIFT + F10

Cut to the Spike. CTRL + F3

Paste the Spike contents. CTRL + SHIFT + F3

Copy the header or footer used in the previous section of the document. ALT + SHIFT + R

Insert Special Characters

A field CTRL + F9

A line break SHIFT + ENTER

A page break CTRL + ENTER

A column break CTRL + SHIFT + ENTER

An em dash ALT + CTRL + MINUS SIGN

An en dash CTRL + MINUS SIGN

An optional hyphen CTRL + HYPHEN

A nonbreaking hyphen CTRL + SHIFT + HYPHEN

A nonbreaking space CTRL + SHIFT + SPACEBAR

The copyright symbol ALT + CTRL + C

The registered trademark symbol ALT + CTRL + R

The trademark symbol ALT + CTRL + T

An ellipsis ALT + CTRL + PERIOD

A single opening quotation mark CTRL + `(single quotation mark), `(single quotation mark)

A single closing quotation mark CTRL + ‘ (single quotation mark), ‘ (single quotation mark)

Double opening quotation marks CTRL + ` (single quotation mark), SHIFT + ‘ (single quotation mark)

Double closing quotation marks CTRL + ‘ (single quotation mark), SHIFT + ‘ (single quotation mark)

An AutoText entry ENTER (after you type the first few characters of the AutoText entry name and when the ScreenTip appears)

Insert Characters By Using Character Codes

Insert the Unicode character for the specified Unicode (hexadecimal) character code. For example, to insert the euro currency symbol ( ), type 20AC, and then hold down ALT and press X. The character code, ALT + X

Find out the Unicode character code for the selected character ALT + X

Insert the ANSI character for the specified ANSI (decimal) character code. For example, to insert the euro currency symbol, hold down ALT and press 0128 on the numeric keypad. ALT + the character code (on the numeric keypad)

SELECT TEXT AND GRAPHICS

Select text by holding down SHIFT and using the arrow keys to move the cursor.

Extend A Selection

Turn extend mode on. F8

Select the nearest character. F8, and then press LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW

Increase the size of a selection. F8 (press once to select a word, twice to select a sentence, and so on)

Reduce the size of a selection. SHIFT + F8

Turn extend mode off. ESC

Extend a selection one character to the right. SHIFT + RIGHT ARROW

Extend a selection one character to the left. SHIFT + LEFT ARROW

Extend a selection to the end of a word. CTRL + SHIFT + RIGHT ARROW

Extend a selection to the beginning of a word. CTRL + SHIFT + LEFT ARROW

Extend a selection to the end of a line. SHIFT + END

Extend a selection to the beginning of a line. SHIFT + HOME

Extend a selection one line down. SHIFT + DOWN ARROW

Extend a selection one line up. SHIFT + UP ARROW

Extend a selection to the end of a paragraph. CTRL + SHIFT + DOWN ARROW

Extend a selection to the beginning of a paragraph. CTRL + SHIFT + UP ARROW

Extend a selection one screen down. SHIFT + PAGE DOWN

Extend a selection one screen up. SHIFT + PAGE UP

Extend a selection to the beginning of a document. CTRL + SHIFT + HOME

Extend a selection to the end of a document. CTRL + SHIFT + END

Extend a selection to the end of a window. ALT + CTRL + SHIFT + PAGE DOWN

Extend a selection to include the entire document. CTRL + A

Select a vertical block of text. CTRL + SHIFT + F8, and then use the arrow keys; press ESC to cancel selection mode

Extend a selection to a specific location in a document. F8 + arrow keys; press ESC to cancel selection mode

Select Text And Graphics In A Table

Select the next cell’s contents. TAB

Select the preceding cell’s contents. SHIFT + TAB

Extend a selection to adjacent cells. Hold down SHIFT and press an arrow key repeatedly

Select a column. Use the arrow keys to move to the column’s top or bottom cell, and then do one of the following:

Press SHIFT + ALT + PAGE DOWN to select the column from top to bottom.

Press SHIFT + ALT + PAGE UP to select the column from bottom to top.

Extend a selection (or block). CTRL + SHIFT + F8, and then use the arrow keys; press ESC to cancel selection mode

Select an entire table. ALT + 5 on the numeric keypad (with NUM LOCK off)

Move Through Your Document

One character to the left LEFT ARROW

One character to the right RIGHT ARROW

One word to the left CTRL + LEFT ARROW

One word to the right CTRL + RIGHT ARROW

One paragraph up CTRL + UP ARROW

One paragraph down CTRL + DOWN ARROW

One cell to the left (in a table) SHIFT + TAB

One cell to the right (in a table) TAB

Up one line UP ARROW

Down one line DOWN ARROW

To the end of a line END

To the beginning of a line HOME

To the top of the window ALT + CTRL + PAGE UP

To the end of the window ALT + CTRL + PAGE DOWN

Up one screen (scrolling) PAGE UP

Down one screen (scrolling) PAGE DOWN

To the top of the next page CTRL + PAGE DOWN

To the top of the previous page CTRL + PAGE UP

To the end of a document CTRL + END

To the beginning of a document CTRL + HOME

To a previous revision SHIFT + F5

After opening a document, to the location you were working in when the document was last closed SHIFT + F5

Move Around In A Table

To the next cell in a row TAB

To the previous cell in a row SHIFT + TAB

To the first cell in a row ALT + HOME

To the last cell in a row ALT + END

To the first cell in a column ALT + PAGE UP

To the last cell in a column ALT + PAGE DOWN

To the previous row UP ARROW

To the next row DOWN ARROW

One row up ALT + SHIFT + UP ARROW

One row down ALT + SHIFT + DOWN ARROW

Insert Paragraphs And Tab Characters In A Table

New paragraphs in a cell ENTER

Tab characters in a cell CTRL + TAB

Character and paragraph formatting

Copy Formatting

Copy formatting from text. CTRL + SHIFT + C

Apply copied formatting to text. CTRL + SHIFT + V

Change Or Resize The Font

Note: The following keyboard shortcuts do not work in Full Screen Reading mode.

Open the Font dialog box to change the font. CTRL + SHIFT + F

Increase the font size. CTRL + SHIFT + >

Decrease the font size. CTRL + SHIFT + <

Increase the font size by 1 point. CTRL + ]

Decrease the font size by 1 point. CTRL + [

Apply Character Formats

Open the Font dialog box to change the formatting of characters. CTRL + D

Change the case of letters. SHIFT + F3

Format all letters as capitals. CTRL + SHIFT + A

Apply bold formatting. CTRL + B

Apply an underline. CTRL + U

Underline words but not spaces. CTRL + SHIFT + W

Double-underline text. CTRL + SHIFT + D

Apply hidden text formatting. CTRL + SHIFT + H

Apply italic formatting. CTRL + I

Format letters as small capitals. CTRL + SHIFT + K

Apply subscript formatting (automatic spacing). CTRL + EQUAL SIGN

Apply superscript formatting (automatic spacing). CTRL + SHIFT + PLUS SIGN

Remove manual character formatting. CTRL + SPACEBAR

Change the selection to the Symbol font. CTRL + SHIFT + Q

View And Copy Text Formats

Display nonprinting characters. CTRL + SHIFT + * (asterisk on numeric keypad does not work)

Review text formatting. SHIFT + F1 (then click the text with the formatting you want to review)

Copy formats. CTRL + SHIFT + C

Paste formats. CTRL + SHIFT + V

Set The Line Spacing

Single-space lines. CTRL + 1

Double-space lines. CTRL + 2

Set 1.5-line spacing. CTRL + 5

Add or remove one line space preceding a paragraph. CTRL + 0 (zero)

Align Paragraphs

Switch a paragraph between centered and left-aligned. CTRL + E

Switch a paragraph between justified and left-aligned. CTRL + J

Switch a paragraph between right-aligned and left-aligned. CTRL + R

Left align a paragraph. CTRL + L

Indent a paragraph from the left. CTRL + M

Remove a paragraph indent from the left. CTRL + SHIFT + M

Create a hanging indent. CTRL + T

Reduce a hanging indent. CTRL + SHIFT + T

Remove paragraph formatting. CTRL + Q

Apply Paragraph Styles

Open Apply Styles task pane. CTRL + SHIFT + S

Open Styles task pane. ALT + CTRL + SHIFT + S

Start AutoFormat. ALT + CTRL + K

Apply the Normal style. CTRL + SHIFT + N

Apply the Heading 1 style. ALT + CTRL + 1

Apply the Heading 2 style. ALT + CTRL + 2

Apply the Heading 3 style. ALT + CTRL + 3

Close The Styles Task Pane

If the Styles task pane is not selected, press F6 to select it.

Press CTRL + SPACEBAR.

Use the arrow keys to select Close, and then press ENTER.

INSERT AND EDIT OBJECTS

Insert An Object

Press ALT, N, J, and then J to open the Object dialog box.

Do one of the following.

Press DOWN ARROW to select an object type, and then press ENTER to create an object.

Press CTRL + TAB to switch to the Create from File tab, and then type the file name of the object that you want to insert or browse to the file.

Edit An Object

With the cursor positioned to the left of the object in your document, select the object by pressing SHIFT + RIGHT ARROW.

Press SHIFT + F10.

Press the TAB key to get to Object name Object, press ENTER, and then press ENTER again.

Insert Smartart Graphics

Press and release ALT, N, and then M to select SmartArt.

Press the arrow keys to select the type of graphic that you want.

Press TAB, and then press the arrow keys to select the graphic that you want to insert.

Press ENTER.

Insert Wordart

Press and release ALT, N, and then W to select WordArt.

Press the arrow keys to select the WordArt style that you want, and then press ENTER.

Type the text that you want.

Press TAB, and then press ENTER.

MAIL MERGE AND FIELDS

Perform A Mail Merge

Note: You must be on the Mailings tab to use these keyboard shortcuts.

Preview a mail merge. ALT + SHIFT + K

Merge a document. ALT + SHIFT + N

Print the merged document. ALT + SHIFT + M

Edit a mail-merge data document. ALT + SHIFT + E

Insert a merge field. ALT + SHIFT + F

Work With Fields

Insert a DATE field. ALT + SHIFT + D

Insert a LISTNUM field. ALT + CTRL + L

Insert a PAGE field. ALT + SHIFT + P

Insert a TIME field. ALT + SHIFT + T

Insert an empty field. CTRL + F9

Update linked information in a Microsoft Office Word source document. CTRL + SHIFT + F7

Update selected fields. F9

Unlink a field. CTRL + SHIFT + F9

Switch between a selected field code and its result. SHIFT + F9

Switch between all field codes and their results. ALT + F9

Run GOTOBUTTON or MACROBUTTON from the field that displays the field results. ALT + SHIFT + F9

Go to the next field. F11

Go to the previous field. SHIFT + F11

Lock a field. CTRL + F11

Unlock a field. CTRL + SHIFT + F11

LANGUAGE BAR

Handwriting Recognition

Switch between languages or keyboard layouts. Left ALT + SHIFT

Display a list of correction alternatives. Windows Key + C

Turn handwriting on or off. Windows Key + H

Turn Japanese Input Method Editor (IME) on 101 keyboard on or off. ALT + ~

Turn Korean IME on 101 keyboard on or off. Right ALT

Turn Chinese IME on 101 keyboard on or off. CTRL + SPACEBAR

FUNCTION KEY REFERENCE

Function Keys

Get Help or visit Microsoft Office Online. F1

Move text or graphics. F2

Repeat the last action. F4

Choose the Go To command (Home tab). F5

Go to the next pane or frame. F6

Choose the Spelling command (Review tab). F7

Extend a selection. F8

Update the selected fields. F9

Show KeyTips. F10

Go to the next field. F11

Choose the Save As command (Microsoft Office Button). F12

SHIFT + Function key

Start context-sensitive Help or reveal formatting. SHIFT + F1

Copy text. SHIFT + F2

Change the case of letters. SHIFT + F3

Repeat a Find or Go To action. SHIFT + F4

Move to the last change. SHIFT + F5

Go to the previous pane or frame (after pressing F6). SHIFT + F6

Choose the Thesaurus command (Review tab, Proofing group). SHIFT + F7

Shrink a selection. SHIFT + F8

Switch between a field code and its result. SHIFT + F9

Display a shortcut menu. SHIFT + F10

Go to the previous field. SHIFT + F11

Choose the Save command (Microsoft Office Button). SHIFT + F12

Ctrl + Function Key

Choose the Print Preview command (Microsoft Office Button). CTRL + F2

Cut to the Spike. CTRL + F3

Close the window. CTRL + F4

Go to the next window. CTRL + F6

Insert an empty field. CTRL + F9

Maximize the document window. CTRL + F10

Lock a field. CTRL + F11

Choose the Open command (Microsoft Office Button). CTRL + F12

Ctrl + Shift + Function Key

Insert the contents of the Spike. CTRL + SHIFT + F3

Edit a bookmark. CTRL + SHIFT + F5

Go to the previous window. CTRL + SHIFT + F6

Update linked information in an Office Word 2007 source document. CTRL + SHIFT + F7

Extend a selection or block. CTRL + SHIFT + F8, and then press an arrow key

Unlink a field. CTRL + SHIFT + F9

Unlock a field. CTRL + SHIFT + F11

Choose the Print command (Microsoft Office Button). CTRL + SHIFT + F12

Alt + Function Key

Go to the next field. ALT + F1

Create a new Building Block. ALT + F3

Exit Office Word 2007. ALT + F4

Restore the program window size. ALT + F5

Move from an open dialog box back to the document, for dialog boxes such as Find and Replace that support this behavior. ALT + F6

Find the next misspelling or grammatical error. ALT + F7

Run a macro. ALT + F8

Switch between all field codes and their results. ALT + F9

Maximize the program window. ALT + F10

Display Microsoft Visual Basic code. ALT + F11

Alt + Shift + Function Key

Go to the previous field. ALT + SHIFT + F1

Choose the Save command (Microsoft Office Button). ALT + SHIFT + F2

Display the Research task pane. ALT + SHIFT + F7

Run GOTOBUTTON or MACROBUTTON from the field that displays the field results. ALT + SHIFT + F9

Display a menu or message for a smart tag. ALT + SHIFT + F10

Ctrl + Alt + Function Key

Display Microsoft System Information. CTRL + ALT + F1

Choose the Open command (Microsoft Office Button). CTRL + ALT + F2

KEYSTROKES FOR MS WORD 2007 RIBBONS

Home Ribbon – ALT + H

Home Ribbon Commands

Cut – X

Copy – C

Paste – V

Paste Formatting – F, P

Clipboard – F, O

Font Format – F, F

Font Size – F, S

Font Grow – F, G

Font Shrink – F, K

Font Clear Formatting – E

Bold – 1

Italiac – 2

Underline – 3

Strikethrough – 4

Subscript – 5

Superscript – 6

Change Capitalization – 7

Font Highlight Text Color – I

Font Color – F, C

Font – F, N

Paragraph Bullets – U

Paragraph Numbering – N

Paragraph Outline – M

Paragraph Indent – A, O

Paragraph Hanging Indent – A, I

Paragraph Sort – S, O

Show Paragraph Marks – 8

Paragraph Align Left – A, L

Paragraph Align Center – A, C

Paragarph Align Right – A, R

Paragarph Line Spacking – K

Paragrahp Shading – H

Paragraph Bottom Border – B

Paragraph Dialog – P, G

Styles – L

Change Styles – G

Styles Dialog – F, Y

Find – F, D

Replace – R

Select – S, L

 

Insert Ribbon – ALT + N

Insert Ribbon Commands

Cover Page – V

Blank Page – N, P

Page Break – B

Table – T

Picture – P

Clip Art – F

Shapes – S, H

Smart Art – M

Chart – C

Hyperlink – I

Bookmark – I

Cross Reference – R, F

Header – H

Footer – O

Page Number – N, U

Text Box – X

Quick Parts – Q

Word Art – W

Drop Cap – R, C

Date & Time – D

Object – J

Equation – E

Symbol – U

 

Page Layout Ribbon – ALT + P

Page Layout Ribbon Commands

Themes – T, H

Theme Color – T, C

Theme Font – T, F

Theme Effects – T, E

Margins – M

Page Orientation – O

Page Size – S, Z

Columns – J

Page Breaks – B

Line Numbers – L, N

Hypenation – H

Page Setup Dialog – S, P

Watermark – P, W

Page Color – P, C

Page Borders – P, B

Indent Left – I, L

Indent Right – I, R

Paragarph Spacing Before – S, B

Paragraph Spacing After – S, A

Paragraph Dialog – P, G

Arrange Position – P, O

Arrange Bring to Front – A, F

Arrange Bring to Back – A, B

Text Wrapping – T, W

Arrange Align – A, A

Arrange Group – A, G

Arrange Rotate – A, Y

 

Refereces Ribbon – ALT + S

References Ribbon Commands

Table of Contents – T

Add Text – A

Update Table – U

FootnotesInsert – F

FootnotesInsert Endnote – E

Footnotes Next footnote – O

Footnotes Show Notes – H

Footnotes Dialog – Q

Insert Citation – C

Manage Sources – M

Citation and Bibliography Style – L

Bibliography – B

Captions Insert Caption – P

Captions Insert Table of Figures – G

Captions Update Table – V

Captions Cross Reference – R, F

Index Mark Entry – N

Index Insert Index – X

Index Update Index – D

Table of Authorities Mark Citation – I

Table of Authorities Insert Table of Authroities – R, T

Table of Authorities Update Table of Authorities – R, U

 

Mailings Ribbon – ALT + M

Mailings Ribbon Commands

Create Envelopes – E

Create Labels – L

Start Mail Merge – S

Select Receipents – R

Edit Receiptnt List – D

Write & Insert Fields Highlight Merge Fields – H

Write & Insert Fields Addres Block – A

Write & Insert Fields Greeting Line – G

Write & Insert Fields Insert Merge Field – I

Write & Insert Fields Rules – U

Write & Insert Fields Matc Fields – T

Write & Insert Fields Update Labels – B

Preview Results – P

Preview Results First Record – O

Preview Results Previous Record – M

Preview Results Go to Record – W

Preview Results Next Record – X

Preview Results Last Record – V

Preview Results Find Receipent – J

Preview Results Auto Check for Errors – K

Finish Merge – F

 

Review Ribbon – ALT + R

Review Ribbon Commands

Spelling and Grammar – S

Research – R

Thesaurus – E

Proffing – L

Translation Screen Tip – P, T

Set Language – U

Word Count – W

New Comment – C

Delete Comment – D

Previous Comment – V

Next Comment – N

Track Changes – G

Track Balloons – T, B

Strack Show Final Showing Markup – T, D

Tracking Show Markup – T, M

Tracking Reviewing Pane – T, P

Changes Accept – A

Changes Reject – R

Changes Previous – F

Changes Next – H

Compare – M

Compare Show Source Documents – O

Protect Document – P, R

 

View Ribbon – ALT + W

View Ribbon Commands

Document Views Print Layout – P

Document Views Full Screen Reading – F

Document Views Web Layout – L

Document Views Outline – U

Document Views Draft – E

Show/Hide Ruler – R

Show/Hide Gridlines – G

Show/Hide Message Bar – D

Show/Hide Document Map – V, M

Show/Hide Thumbnails – H

Zoom – Q

Zoom 100% – J

Zoom One Page – 1

Zoom Two Pages – 2

Zoom Page Width – 3

Window New Window – N

Window Arrange All – A

Window Split – S

Window Side by Side – B

Window Syncronisis Scrolling – Y, S

Window Reset Window Position – T

Switch Windows – W

Macros – M

 

Add-Ins Ribbon – ALT + X

Add-Ins Ribbon Commands

The Add-Ins Ribbon appears only if programs that interact with MS Office 2007 have been installed. For example, on the computer that is document was created on, the Word 2007 contained an Add-Ins Ribbon for Openbook. The Scan Using OpenBook command is the letter K. Another computer I looked at had an Add-Ins Ribbon for Adobe PDF Creation. For these, it will be necessary to rely on JAWS to announce the commands and then record them into this document for future reference as needed.

 

Microsoft Office Button – ALT + F

New – W

Open – O

Save – S

Save As Sub Menu – A

Word Document – W

Word Template – T

Word 97-2003 – 9

Find add-ins for other file formats – F

Other Formats – O

Print Sub Menu– P

Print – P

Quick Print – Q

Print Preview – V

Prepare Sub Menu – E

Properties – P

Inspect Document – I

Encrypt Document – E

Restrict Permission Sub Menu – R

Unrestricted Access – U

Restricted Access – R

Manage Credentials – M

Add a Digital Signature – S

Mark as Final – F

Run Compatibility Checker – C

Send Sub Menu – D

E-mail – E

Bluetooth …

Internet Fax – X

Publish Sub Menu – U

Blog – B

Document Management Server – D

Create Document Workspace – C

Close – C

Word Options – I

Exit Word – X

Recommended Reading

1. Difference of View Menu between Word 2003, Word 2007 and Word 2010

References:

1. Montclair State University – http://www.montclair.edu/ – Microsoft Word Screen Elements.pdf
2. Operator Guru, Er. Chhatra Bhattarai
3. Microsoft Support – http://support.microsoft.com

Points to Remember

• Microsoft Word was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems.
• There exists different versions of MS Word that were written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS, the Apple Macintosh, the AT&T Unix PC, Atari ST, SCO UNIX, OS/2, and Microsoft Windows.
• MS Word is available as standalone product and also as a component of Microsoft Office Suite.
• Microsoft Word was first released upon an unsuspecting public on 25 October 1983.
• File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, Tools, Table and Help are the menu available in Word 2003.
• Microsoft Office 2007 / 2010 displays commands in a series of icons stored on different tabs. This combination of icons and tabs is known as the Ribbon interface.
• A vertical scroll bar placed at the right edge of MS Word screen lets you scroll your document up or down.
• Horizontal scroll bar might not be visible all the time but rather only when it is required.
• MS Word has a horizontal and a vertical ruler. It can be used as a guide to layout different objects on page.
• To turn on/off rulers choose “Ruler” option from View menu in Word 2003. Similarly you can mark or clear ‘Ruler’ check box on View tab of Word 2007 or Word 2010 ribbon to display or hide the ruler.
• horizontal ruler in Word can be used for: Setting and changing Margins, Setting and changing tab stop positions, Increase / Decrease column/cell width and spacing.
• Horizontal bar at the bottom of MS Word window that display description of currently selected command, current status of MS Word, and the state of different indicators.
• MS Word 2003 supports:
  • Normal View
  • Print Layout View (formerly known as page layout view)
  • Outline View
  • Web Layout View
• Word 2007 has following document views:
  • Print Layout
  • Full Screen Reading View
  • Web Layout View
  • Outline View
  • Draft View
  • Print Layout View