An Introduction to MS Word

Office Button Menu Options

The following options or commands are displayed when we click on the Office button:

o New: This option allows us to create a new, blank file in the corresponding Office program, such as MS
Word, MS Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
o Open: This option allows us to open an existing file from the local storage on our computer.
o Save: This option allows us to permanently save a temporary file to our computer after finishing the
work. Additionally, we can save the changes to the current file using this command.
o Save As: This option allows us to save a copy of the active file with the desired file name and file
extension to a desired location on the computer storage.
o Print: This option allows us to take a hard copy of the desired document on paper through a printer.
Alternately, the print option can help us save a copy of the active document to a PDF format.
o Prepare: This option allows us to prepare the active file for distribution. In particular, the prepare option
helps us view and modify the document properties accordingly. Furthermore, we can also inspect the
hidden metadata of a specific file using this option.
o Send: This option enables us to send or share the desired files directly through the opened Office
program with others. In particular, we may share active documents by e-mail, upload them to OneDrive,
or post to a specific blog. The send option is renamed as 'Save and Send' in Office Suite 2010.
o Publish: This option enables us to distribute the desired document to people. We can even create a
specific blog article with the content inside the file.
o Close: This option helps us to close an active document in a corresponding Office program.
Quick Access Toolbar

Quick Access Toolbar lies next to the Microsoft Office Button. It is a customizable toolbar that comes with a set
of independent commands. It gives you quick access to commonly used commands such as Save, Undo, Redo,
etc.

When you click the drop-down arrow next to toolbar it offers more commands. With a left click you can add any
of these commands to Quick Access Toolbar. You can also remove the commands added to the tool bar. The
indent, spacing values, individual styles and other features that appear on the ribbon cannot be added to quick
access toolbar. The following image is showing the menu of quick access toolbar.

Title Bar

It lies next to the Quick Access Toolbar. It displays the title of the currently open document or application. It is
present on almost all windows displayed on your computer. So, if there are several windows across the screen,
you can identify each window by looking at the title bar. In many graphical user interfaces, you can also move a
window by dragging the title bar.

Ribbon and Tabs

The Ribbon is a user interface element which was introduced by Microsoft in Microsoft Office 2007. It is located
below the Quick Access Toolbar and the Title Bar. It comprises seven tabs; Home, Insert, Page layout,
References, Mailing, Review and View. Each tab has specific groups of related commands. It gives you quick
access to the commonly used commands that you need to complete a task.
Home tab:

The Home tab is the default tab in Microsoft Word. It has five groups of related commands; Clipboard, Font,
Paragraph, Styles and Editing. It helps you change document settings like font size, adding bullets, adjusting
styles and many other common features. It also helps you to return to the home section of the document.

Insert tab:

Insert Tab is the second tab in the Ribbon. As the name suggests, it is used to insert or add extra features in your
document. It is commonly used to add tables, pictures, clip art, shapes, page number, etc. The Insert tab has
seven groups of related commands; Pages, Tables, Illustrations, Links, Header & Footer, Text and Symbols.

Page Layout tab:

It is the third tab in the Ribbon. This tab allows you to control the look and feel of your document, i.e. you can
change the page size, margins, line spacing, indentation, documentation orientation, etc. The Page Layout tab has
five groups of related commands; Themes, Page Setup, Page Background, Paragraph and Arrange.

References tab:

It is the fourth tab in the Ribbon. It allows you to enter document sources, citations, bibliography commands, etc.
It also offers commands to create a table of contents, an index, table of contents and table of authorities. The
References tab has six groups of related commands; Table of Contents, Footnotes, Citations & Bibliography,
Captions, Index and Table of Authorities.
Mailings tab:

It is the fifth tab in the ribbon. It is the least-often used tab of all the tabs available in the Ribbon. It allows you
merge emails, writing and inserting different fields, preview results and convert a file into a PDF format. The
Mailings tab has five groups of related commands; Create, Start Mail Merge, Write & Insert Fields, Preview
Results and Finish.

Review tab:

It is the sixth tab in the Ribbon. This tab offers you some important commands to modify your document. It helps
you proofread your content, to add or remove comments, track changes, etc. The Review tab has six groups of
related commands; Proofing, Comments, Tracking, Changes, Compare and Protect.

View tab:

The View tab is located next to the Review tab. This tab allows you to switch between Single Page and Two
Page views. It also enables you to control various layout tools like boundaries, guides, rulers. Its primary purpose
is to offers you different ways to view your document. The View tab has five groups of related commands;
Document Views, Show/Hide, Zoom, Window and Macros.

Ruler

The Ruler is located below the Ribbon around the edge of the document. It is used to change the format of the
document, i.e. it helps you align the text, tables, graphics and other elements of your document. It uses inches or
centimeters as the measurements unit and gives you an idea about the size of the document.
How to Insert Text in MS Word

The basic steps to insert text or to create a new document in Word are listed below;
o Go to the start menu and look for Microsoft Word icon
o Click the icon to open the Microsoft Word
o You will see a blinking cursor or insertion point in the text area below the ribbon
o Now, as you start typing, the words will appear on the screen in the text area
o To change the location of insertion point press spacebar, Enter or Tab keys

How to Delete Text in MS Word

You can easily delete the text in Word including characters, paragraphs or all of the content of your document.
Word offers you different methods to delete the text; some of the commonly used methods are given below;
o Place the cursor next to the text then press Backspace key
o Place the cursor to the left of the text then press Delete key
o Select the text and press the Backspace or Delete key
o Select the text and type over it the new text.
How to Select Text in MS Word

Place the cursor next to the text then left click the mouse and holding it down move it over the text then release
it. The text will be selected.

Some shortcuts for selecting text are:

o To select a single word double click within the word
o To select the entire paragraph triple click within the paragraph
o To select entire document, in Home tab, in Editing group click Select then choose Select All option or
press CTRL+A
o o Shift + Arrow; hold down the shift key then press the arrow key, the word will select the text in the
direction of the arrow key. There are three arrow keys, so you can select the text in three different
directions.

How to Copy and Paste Text in MS Word

Word offers different methods to copy and paste text. Some of the popular methods are given below;

Method 1;
o Select the text you want to copy
o Select the Home tab and click the Copy command
 o Place the cursor where you want to paste the text
o Click the Paste command in Home tab

Method 2;
o Select the text
o Place the cursor over the text and right click the mouse
o A menu will appear; with a left click select the "Copy" option
o Now, move the cursor to a desired location and right click the mouse
o A menu will appear; with a left click select the 'Paste" option.

How to Save the Document in MS Word

When you create a document it is important to save the document so that it can be viewed or reused later. The
basic steps to save a document are listed below;
o Click the Microsoft Office Button
o A list of different commands appears
o Click the 'Save As' command
o it displays 'Save As' Dialogue Box
o Save the document to desired location with a desired name

You can also choose 'Save' command from the list to save the document to its current location with same title. If
you are saving a fresh document it displays 'Save As' dialogue box.

The shortcut method to save a document is to press "Ctrl+S" keys. It opens the 'Save As' dialogue box where you
can name you document and save it to a desired location.
How to Correct Errors in Ms Word

When you type text in a document, by default the Word informs you if there is any contextual, spelling or
grammatical error. Word informs you in different ways for different errors;

If there is any contextual error in the document, it will underline the text with blue line.

If there is any spelling error in the document, it will underline the text with red line.

If there is any grammar error in the document, it will underline the text with green line.

Steps to correct errors:

o Place the cursor over the text that you want to correct
 o Right click the mouse
o A list of suggestions appears
o Choose the correct word with a left click

How to Change Font Size in MS Word

You can easily change the font size of your text in the document. The basic steps to change the Font size are
listed below;
o Select the text that you want to modify
o In Home tab locate the Font group
o In Font group click the drop-down arrow next to font size box
o Font size menu appears
o Select the desired font size with a left click
o Select the text and click the increase or decrease font size buttons

How to Change Font Style in MS Word

The basic steps to change the font of a text in a document are given below;
o Select the text you want to modify
o Select the Home tab and locate the Font group
o Click the drop-down arrow next to font style box
o Font style menu appears
o With a left click select the desired font style
o If you want to change the font to bold or italic, click the 'B' or 'I' icons on the format bar.

How to Format Font Color in MS Word

MS Word allows you to change the Font color of your text. If you want to emphasize a particular word or phrase,
you can change its font color. The basic steps to change the Font color are given below;
o Select the text you want to modify
o In Home tab locate the Font group
o Click the drop-down arrow next to Font color button
o Font color menu appears
o Select the desired font color with a left click
o Word will change the Font color of the selected text.

How to Change Text Case in MS Word

You can easily change the text case in your document by following the steps given below;
o Select the text you want to change
o In Home tab locate the Font group
o Click the drop-down arrow in 'Change Case' button
o It displays text case menu
o Select the desired case with a left click

The case menu offers four options;

Sentence case: It capitalizes the first letter of each sentence.
Lowercase: It changes the text from uppercase to lowercase.
Uppercase: It capitalizes all the all letters of your text.
Capitalize Each Word: It capitalizes the first letter of each word.
Toggle Case: It allows you to shift between two case views, e.g. to shift between Capitalize Each Word and
cAPITALIZE eACH wORD .

How to Change Text Alignment in MS Word

You can change the text alignment in your document to make it more presentable and readable. The basic steps
to change the text alignment are given below;
o Select the content you want to modify
o In Home tab locate the Paragraph group
o It has four alignment options ;

Align Text Left: Aligns the text towards left margin

Center: Brings the text at centre

Align Text Right: Aligns the text towards right margin

Justify: Aligns the text to both left and right margins

 o Select the desired alignment option with a left click

How to Insert a Text Box in MS Word

Text box allows you to control the position of a block of text in your document. You can also format them with
borders and shading. The two commonly used methods to insert Text Boxes are given below:

Method 1:
o Select the Insert tab
o Locate the Text group
o Click the Text Box button
o It displays Built-In text box menu and an option to draw table
o With a left click select the desired text box format from the menu

Method 2:
 Select 'Draw Text Box' option
 A cross shaped cursor appears
 Left click the mouse and holding it down drag it to draw the box of desired dimensions
Bold, Italic and Underline Commands in MS Word

These commands are given in the Font group in the Home tab. Their functions are given below;
o Bold: It allows you to Bold the text of your document
o Italic: It allows you to Italicize the text of your document
o Underline: It allows you to underline the text of your document

How to Create First Line Indent in MS Word

You can create indent within your paragraph by following these steps;
o Select the paragraph or place the cursor anywhere within the paragraph
o Select the Home tab
o Locate the Paragraph group and click the arrow at right bottom corner
 o 'Paragraph' dialog box appears
o In 'Indents and Spacing' section click the drop down arrow in 'Special' field
o Select the 'First Line' option
o Enter desired indent in 'By' field and click Ok

How to Apply Style in MS Word

You can create professional and presentable documents in MS Word by applying different styles. The basic steps
to apply a style in a document are listed below;
o Select the text to which you want to apply the style
o Select the Home tab
o In Styles group you will see different styles;

o To view more styles click the drop-down arrow

o It displays style menu
o Select the desired style with a left-click
How to Customize Style in MS Word

If you are looking for formatting options that are not given in the built-in styles, you can modify or customize an
existing style to fulfill your needs. The steps to customize a style are as follows;
o Select the style that you want to modify
o Right click the mouse
o It displays a list of different commands
o Select the 'Modify' option;

o 'Modify Style' dialogue box appears

 o Make the desired changes to formatting
o Click OK to apply the changes to style

How to Create New Style in MS Word

You can add new styles to your list of styles, i.e. Word allows you to set the styles for font, figure, paragraph,
etc. It helps you to keep consistency in all the documents of a topic or subject. The steps to create new styles are
given below;
o Select the Home tab
o In Styles group click the arrow at the right bottom corner of the group
o It displays the 'Styles' task pane;

In 'Styles' task pane click the 'New Style' button

It displays 'Create New Style from Formatting' dialogue box;

 o Enter the name for new style and make all the desired changes
o Click OK, the new style will be added to the list of styles
How to Change Page Orientation in MS Word

Page Orientation refers to the direction in which a document is displayed. It is of two types; portrait (vertical)
and landscape (horizontal). The default orientation is portrait; it can be changed to landscape by following these
steps;
o Select the Page Layout tab
o Locate the Page Setup group
o In Page Setup group click the Orientation command
o It displays two options, Portrait and Landscape
o Select the desired page orientation

How to Change Page Size in MS Word

The default paper size in Word is 8.5 x 11 inches which easily fits in printers. This size is not fixed; you can
change it if you want a document with different paper size. The steps to change the paper size are given below;
o Click the Page Layout tab
o In Page Setup group click the Size command
o Paper size menu will appear
o With a left click select the desired paper size

o To customize page size click the 'More Paper Sizes' option

How to Change Page Margins in MS Word

The margin is the space between the text and border of a document. By default, it is a one-inch space. Depending
on your needs, it can be changed by following the below-listed steps;
o Select the Page Layout tab
o In Page Setup group click the Margins command
o A list of Margins appears
o Select the desired Margin with a left click

To customize Margins select 'Custom Margins'. It displays a 'Page Setup' dialog box. Enter the desired margin
size and click Ok.
How to Insert Page Break in MS Word

Word inserts a page break at the end of each page. It also allows you to insert a page break at some other place in
the document. The steps to insert page break are given below;
o Place the cursor where you want to insert the break
o Select the Page Layout tab
o In Page Setup group click the 'Breaks' command
o A list of Page Breaks appears
o With a left click select the desired page break from the list

How to insert a header and footer in Microsoft Word document

In Microsoft Word, Headers and Footers are used to insert additional information such as title, file name, date,
page numbers, etc. The presence of both header and footer in the Word document makes your document more
professional and easier to read as well as understand.

Headers appear at the top margin of the Word document, while Footers appear at the bottom margin of the
Word document.

To insert a header and footer in Microsoft Word, follow the below given basic steps -

Step 1: Open the new or an existing Word document in which you want to insert header and footer.

Step 2: Go to the Insert tab at the top of the Ribbon.

Step 3: Click on either header or footer drop-down menu in the Header & Footer section.

Note: In our case, we are going to use Header drop-down option.

Step 4: A Header or Footer drop-down menu will display on the screen with a list of built-in Header or Footer
options. Select your desired option from the Built-in list.
Note: In our case, we select the Blank option.

Step 5: A Design tab with Header & Footer option will appear at the top of the document (on the Ribbon), as
shown in the below screenshot.
Step 6: Type your desired information into the header or footer section.

Step 7: Once you type your desired text in the Header section, click on Close Header and Footer under the
Design section on the Ribbon or press the Esc key from the keyboard to remove the dotted underline. Now, you
can see that the Header is inserted to the Word document.

Insert the Date or Time in a Header or Footer

To insert the Date or Time in a Header or Footer, follow the below instructions -

1. Go to the Insert tab on the Ribbon and click on the Date & Time option in the Text section.

2. A Date and Time dialog box will appear on the screen in which do the following -
 o Select Date format from the Available format.
o Select your desired language.
o Tick on the Update automatically checkbox.
o Click on the OK button at the bottom of the dialog box.

Now, you can see that your selected format will appear on the Word document.

Edit Header and Footer in Word document

Once you create Header and Footer in Word document, you can also edit it based on your requirement.

There are the following steps to edit Header and Footer in Word document.

Step 1: Go to the Insert tab on the Ribbon and click on either Header or Footer drop-down menu that you
want to Edit.
Note: In our case, we are going to edit a Header, so we select Header drop-down option.

Step 2: A Built-In Header option window will appear on the screen. Click on the Edit Header option.
Step 3: Edit Header based on your requirement. Once you edit Header, click on the Close Header and Footer
option at the top right corner of the document to disappear the blue dotted lines.

Now, you can see that Header is edit based on your requirement.

Delete Header and Footer from Word document

To Delete Header and Footer from Word document, follow the below steps -
1. Go to the Insert tab on the Ribbon and click on the Header & Footer option.
2. A Header or Footer dialog will appear on the screen. Click on the Remove Header or Remove Footer
option.
How to Insert Table in MS Word

Table is a versatile tool of MS Word. It allows you to organize your information, i.e. you can align text, present
numerical data and create forms and calendar. The steps to insert table are given below;
o Place the cursor where you want to insert the table
o Select the Insert tab
o In Tables group click the Table command
o It displays different options to insert the table
o Select the desired option to insert the table

To Convert Text to Table

o Select the text
o Select the Insert tab
o In Tables group click the Table command
o Select the 'Convert Text to Table' option;
 o It displays a dialog box
o In 'Separate text at' section select the desired option
o Click OK, the text will convert to a table

How to Add Row in Table

If you want to increase or add a new row in your table, you can follow the steps given below;
o Place the cursor in a row above or below which you want to add row
o Right click the mouse
o A menu appears
o Place the arrow over Insert option
o It will display a menu
o As required select 'Insert Rows Above' or 'Insert Rows Below'

See this images:

How to Add Column in Table

If you want to increase or add a new column in your table, you can follow these steps;
o Place the cursor in the column adjacent to which you want to add the column
 o Right click the mouse
o It displays a menu
o Place the arrow over Insert option
o It shows a list of commands
o As required select 'Insert Columns to the Right' or 'Insert Columns to the Left'

How to Delete Column or Row in Table

The table command also allows you to delete a column or row in your table. You can delete the unwanted
columns or rows by following these steps;
o Select the column or row of the table
o Right click the mouse
o A menu appears
o As required select 'Delete Columns' or 'Delete Rows'

How to Modify Table

Word allows you to customize tables as per your requirement. You can modify your table in different ways, i.e.
you can choose a table style, table design, draw borders. The steps to modify a table are given below;
o Select the table
o Two new tabs Design and Layout appear on the Ribbon
 o On Design tab you will see three groups of commands to modify table; Table Style Options, Table Styles
and Draw Borders;

o Layout tab has six groups of commands to format table;

How to Split Text to Columns

You can split your text to columns as shown in the image given below. It helps you make your text more
readable and presentable. The steps involved in this process are given below;
o Open the document
o Select the Page Layout tab
o In Page Setup group click the Columns command
o It displays a list of options to split text into columns
o Select the desired option

How to Insert Smart Art Graphics

You can insert Smart Art Graphics in your document to effectively communicate your message. You can insert a
process flow, a relationship or an organization hierarchy. The steps to insert smart art graphics are given below;
o Place the cursor in the document where you want to insert graphics
o Select the Insert tab
 o In Illustrations group select the 'Smart Art' command;

o On left side, a dialog box appears with list of categories

o In the center you will see the illustrations available in a category
o Select the desired illustration and click Ok

How to Add Text in Smart Art Graphics

Word also allows you to add text in Smart Art Graphics; you can add facts, figures and any other information.
The steps to add smart art graphics are given below;
o Select the graphic
o Task pane appears on the left side if it is not visible then click the arrow on left side of graphic
o Type the text in task pane fields it will appear in the graphic
o You can also directly type the text in the graphic in text area
o Close the task pane after entering the text and click outside the graphic
How to Insert Picture in Document

Pictures make our text more attractive and readable. You can insert relevant pictures in your text by following
these steps;
o Place the cursor where you want to insert the picture
o Select the Insert tab on Ribbon
o In Illustrations group click the Picture command;

o It displays 'Insert Picture' dialog box

o Select the desired image
o Click Insert to insert the picture
How to Insert Clip Art

Clip art refers to a graphic or a picture that you can insert in your document. It comes in different formats and
styles. It is used to enhance the appearance of a document. The steps to insert a clip art are given below;
o Place the cursor where you want to insert the clip art
o Select the Insert tab
o In Illustrations group click the Clip Art command;

o A task pane appears on the right side of document

o Enter the keyword in 'Search for' field and select the suitable option in 'Search in' and 'Results should be'
fields
o Click Go, clip art menu will appear
o Select the desired clip art with a left click
How to Format Picture or Clip Art

You can change the appearance of your picture or clip art to enhance its visual impact. The format tab offers you
various options for formatting pictures like contrast, changing color, line style, cropping, etc. The steps to format
picture or clip art are given below;
o Select the picture or clip art that you want to format
o Format tab appears in the Ribbon
o Click the Format tab
o It displays four groups of related commands to modify or format picture or clip art

How to Create Bulleted and Numbered Lists

Bullets and numbers are used to make a list more presentable and readable. A bulleted list attracts more than a
simple list. Word offers you various styles of bullets and numbers. The steps to create bulleted lists are given
below;
o Select the text you want to convert to bulleted or numbered list
o Select the Home tab
o In Paragraph group click the Bullets or Numbering command
o It displays Bullets or Numbering menu
o With a left click select the desired Bullet or Numbering style
o To increase the list place the cursor at the end of list and press Enter key
How to Use Symbols as Bullets

You can replace the bullets with symbols to make your lists more meaningful and attractive. The steps involved
in this process are given below;
o Select the text to convert to bulleted list
o Select the Home tab
o In Paragraph group click the Bullets command
o Click 'Define New Bullet' option
o 'Define New Bullet' dialog box appears;

o Click the Symbol command

o It displays 'Symbol' dialog box
o Select the desired symbol
o For more options click the drop down arrow next to Font field
How to Insert WordArt

Word Art is designed to allow you make your text more attractive; you can format your text to make it look like
a picture and enhance its appearance in different ways. The steps to insert WordArt are given below;
o Place the cursor where you want to insert WordArt
o Select the Insert tab
o In Text group click the 'WordArt' button
o WordArt menu appears;

o Select the desired WordArt style

o 'Edit WordArt Text' dialog box appears
o Type the text in text area and click OK
How to Format WordArt

Word also allows you to customize WordArt. You can change WordArt shapes, font face and size, and colors as
per your requirement. The steps to format WordArt are given below;
o Select the wordart in the document
o Format tab appears in the Ribbon
o It offers five groups of related commands
o Click the suitable command to make desired changes in wordart