MS-Word Notes
MS-Word Notes
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.
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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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To select a vertical block of text, hold down ALT, then drag over the text.
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).
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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
checkbox.
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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.
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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?
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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).
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-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.
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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
theh 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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(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.
PARAGRAPH FORMATTING.
CAPITALIZATION OF TEXT.
You can capitalize letters by changing their case, or by creating a large letter at the beginning of
a paragraph.
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1. Click the first no. in the list & drag it to a new location. The entire list moves as you drag,
without changing the numbering levels in the list.
TEXT ALIGNMENT
Text Alignment refers to how text is positioned (lined up) in a paragraph relative to the left,
right, or centre of the page.
Types of text alignment.
There are 4 ways in which text can be aligned;
(a). Left alignment.
This is the default alignment.
Lines of text are lined up evenly along the left margin, but unevenly at the right margin.
E.g., in a left-aligned paragraph, the left edge of the paragraph is flush with the left margin.
(b). Right alignment.
Lines of text are lined up evenly along the right margin, but unevenly at the left margin.
(c). Center alignment.
The lines of text are centered unevenly between the left & right margins.
(d). Justification.
Lines of text are arranged evenly along the left & right margin.
The Justify option expands the spaces in each line so that the text is aligned evenly along
both the left & right margins.
Aligning text to the left, right, center or justification of the text.
Method 1.
1. Select the text (or paragraph) you want to align.
2. On the Formatting toolbar, click the;
• Align Left button - to align the text on the left.
• Align Right button - to align the text on the right.
• Center button - to align the text on the center.
• Justify button – to align the text on both the right & the left margins.
Method 2.
1. Select the text (or paragraph) you want to align.
2. On the Format menu, click Paragraph, then click the Indents and Spacing tab.
3. Under General, click the arrow in the Alignment box, then click Left, Right, Centered or
Justified.
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4. Click the OK button.
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Page margins determine the distance (or the space) between the text & the edge of the page,
while paragraph Indents and alignment determines the distance of the paragraph from either the
left or right margins.
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Tabs are used to indent the first line of a paragraph or to create columnar data.
Tab spacing: - is a short distance moved by the text cursor when the Tab key on the Keyboard is
pressed. It is used to align text on the page.
Tab stop: - is a location on the horizontal ruler that indicates how far a certain text is indented or
where to begin a column of text.
By default, the tab stop is set at 0.5 of an inch.
Importance.
√ Tab stops enable the user to line up text to the left, move the text to the right, or center it.
√ Tabs also allow easy entry of tabulated data.
√ The user can also automatically insert specific characters, such as periods or dashes, called
Tab leaders, before the tabs.
Tab leaders – are characters usually dots or hyphens, that fill the space between words
separated by tabs. They are intended to draw the reader’s eye across a line, as in Tables of
Contents.
There are 3 types of Tab leaders:
Solid leader lines (_______).
Dotted leader lines (.........…).
Dashed Leader lines (--------).
1. Select the paragraph in which you want to set a tab stop.
2. On the Format menu, click Tabs. This opens the Tabs dialog box.
3. In Tab stop position box, type the measurement for the tab stop.
4. Under Alignment, select where the text typed at the tab stop will be aligned; Left, Center or
Right.
5. To change the spacing between default tab stops, enter the amount of spacing you want in the
Default tab stops box.
6. If need be, specify the Tab leader option.
7. Click the Set button, then choose OK.
Once you no longer need the Tab stops, open the Tabs dialog box, then click the Clear All
button.
Setting tabs using the Horizontal Ruler.
The easiest way to set tabs is by using the ruler. On the left corner of the horizontal ruler (at the
point of intersection between the horizontal & vertical rulers) is a tab alignment button that lets
the user select the type of tab.
The table below shows various tab alignment buttons.
Button Name Purpose (explanation for each button)
∟ Left tab Text is left aligned
┴ Centre tab Text is centered
l Bar tab Inserts a vertical line at tab stop and align text to the right of the line
┘ Right tab Text is right aligned
HYPHENATION OF TEXT.
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If a certain word is too long to fit on the end of a line, Ms-Word moves the word to the beginning
of the next line. However, you can use the hyphenation feature to insert hyphens in order to:
√ Give your documents a polished and professional look.
√ You can also hyphenate text to eliminate gaps in justified text or to maintain even line lengths
especially when you have a document with narrow columns.
You can insert Optional hyphens or Non-breaking hyphens or you can let Ms-Word hyphenate all
or part of a document for you.
Optional hyphen – A hyphen that is used to control where a word or phrase breaks. An optional
hyphen breaks a word if it falls at the end of a line. If the word or phrase falls at the beginning or
middle of a line, the hyphen doesn’t appear in the printed document.
Non-breaking hyphens – A hyphen that is used to prevent a hyphenated word, number or
phrase from breaking if it falls at the end of a line. For example, you can prevent 555-0123 from
breaking; instead, the entire item moves to the beginning of the next line.
There are 2 ways of inserting hyphens into a document. You can;
Hyphenate text manually.
Hyphenate text automatically.
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A Break is used to identify where a section, a column or a page ends and the beginning of next.
This allows the user to apply more than one paragraph or page format in the same document
especially when it comes to page layout, size, different margins, etc.
A Section break is a mark that you insert to show the end of a section. Section breaks divide the
document into sections, and then each section is formatted as needed.
A Section is a portion of a document in which one can set certain page formatting options.
Types of formatting elements you can set for sections.
* Margins * Paper size or orientation * Page numbering
* Page borders * Vertical alignment. * Line numbering.
* Headers and footers. * Columns * Footnotes and endnotes
Types of section breaks.
(i). Continuous - inserts a section break & starts the new section on the same page.
(ii). Next page - inserts a section break & starts the new section on the next page.
(iii). Odd page section breaks.
Inserts a section break & starts the new section on the next odd-numbered page.
PAGE FORMATTING.
INSERTING PAGE BREAKS.
A Page break identifies the end of one page and the beginning of the next page.
When typing, the text cursor inserts a new page automatically when the current a page is full
with text or graphics during typing. Such a page break is referred to an "Automatic" (or Soft)
page break.
However, if the user wants a page to begin at a particular spot (even before the end of the page),
he/she can insert a page break manually. Such a page break is referred to as a "Manual" (or
Hard) page break.
When a manual page break is inserted, Ms-Word automatically adjusts the automatic page breaks
that follow.
In Normal view, a page break is indicated by a dashed line across the page from left to right.
Insert a Manual Page Break.
1. Click to position the Insertion point where you want to start a new page.
2. Press CTRL+ENTER.
-OR-
On the Insert menu, click Break.
3. From the Break dialog box, choose Page break, then click the OK button.
Ms-Word inserts a page break and adjusts the page numbers to accommodate the new page
break.
Note. The line indicating a manual page break has ‘Page break’ written on it, unlike that of an
automatic page break.
To Remove a Manually inserted Page break.
1. In Normal view, double-click the page break you want to delete, then press Delete.
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6. Click the OK button, then type your text.
Note. In Normal view, Ms-Word displays one column at a time. In Print Preview or Print
Layout view, the columns are displayed side by side (i.e. the text flows from one column to the
next on the same page).
Forcing the start of a new column.
1. Click where you want to start the new column.
2. Press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER.
-OR-
On the Insert menu, choose Break, then click Column break.
Ms-Word moves the text that follows the insertion point to the top of the next column.
Changing the Width of the text columns.
1. Drag the column markers on the horizontal ruler.
Note. To specify exact measurements for column widths and spacing, use the Columns
command (Format menu).
Creating a Heading that spans the columns / removing columns.
Method 1.
1. At the beginning of the leftmost column, type your heading text, press ENTER, then select
the heading text. If heading text already exists, select it.
2. Click the Columns button on the Standard toolbar, then drag to select a single column.
Method 2.
1. In Print layout view, select the heading text (or select the text you want to remove columns
from).
2. Open the Columns dialog box.
3. Under the Presets section or in the Number of columns box, select a single column.
4. Click the OK button.
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PAGE SETUP
Page setup has options that allow the user to specify the size of the margins, paper size, and
layout/appearance of a printed page.
Setting Page margins
Page margins are the visible blank spaces outside the printing area of a page. They mark the
distance that the text starts on a page away from the edge of the page.
Normally, text & graphics are inserted in the printable area inside the margins. However, items
such as headers, footers, and page numbers can be positioned in the margins.
Importance of setting page margins.
Adjusting Page margins provides additional space for binding, punching or stapling.
Setting the margins helps when printing a document on pre-printed stationery such as a
Letterhead. It ensures that, your text does not overwrite the pre-printed parts of the stationery.
E.g., to print on a Letterhead, change the top margin so that it is slightly larger than the pre-
printed part of the letterhead.
To set margins for a page;
1. Switch to Print Layout view.
2. Click on File, choose Page Setup, then click the Margins tab.
3. Under Margins, type or select the values for the Top, Bottom, Left & Right margins in the
respective boxes.
4. Click the OK button.
Types of page margins in Ms-Word.
1). Gutter margins
They are used to add extra space to the left or top margin of a document you want to bind. It
ensures that the printed text is not hidden by the binding.
To set Gutter margins for documents that requires binding;
1. Click on File, choose Page Setup, then click the Margins tab.
2. In the Gutter box, enter a value for the gutter margin.
3. In the Gutter position box, click Left or Top.
2). Mirror margins
They are used to set up facing pages for double-sided documents, such as a book or
magazine.
In this case, the inside margins of the left & right page are the same width, while the outside
margins are the same width.
To set Mirror margins for facing pages;
1. Click on File, choose Page Setup, then click the Margins tab.
2. In the Multiple pages list, select Mirror margins.
3. In the Inside and Outside boxes, enter values for the mirror margins.
3). Book fold option
It is used to create a menu, event program, or any other type of document that uses a single
center fold.
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Removing Page numbers.
1. Click on View, then choose Header and Footer.
2. Select the page number, then press the Delete key.
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A watermark adds interest or identifies the document status, such as marking a document as a
"Draft" or “Confidential”.
1. Click on Format, point to Background, then click Printed Watermark.
2. To insert a text watermark, click Text Watermark. In the Text box, type your own text, or
click the arrow & then select one of the in-built texts.
To change text settings, such as font, size, color and layout, select the options you want.
3. To insert a picture as a watermark, click Picture Watermark, then click Select Picture.
Select the picture you want, then click Insert.
To change picture settings, under Picture watermark, select the options you want.
4. Click the Apply button.
To view a watermark as it will appear on the printed page, use Print layout view.
To remove a Watermark;
Click on Format, point to Background, then click Printed Watermark. In the resulting dialog
box, click No watermark.
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In the printed document, Footnotes appear at the bottom of each page, while Endnotes appear at
the end of the document or section. However, you can change the placement of footnotes or
endnotes.
1. Click on Insert, point to Reference, then click Footnote.
2. Under Location, select Footnotes or Endnotes.
3. In the Footnotes or Endnotes box, click the option to indicate where you want to place them,
then click the Apply button.
Viewing Footnotes & Endnotes in an Ms-Word document.
1. In Print Layout view, rest the pointer on the note reference mark. The note text appears above
the mark in a ScreenTip.
Deleting a Footnote or an Endnote.
1. In the document, select the reference mark of the footnote or endnote you want to delete,
then press DELETE key.
Review Questions
1. Explain the meaning of the following terms as used in Word processing.
(i). Page margin.
(ii). Header.
(iii). Footer.
2. Name and describe the TWO types of paper orientation in Word processing.
3. Why is it necessary to specify the correct paper size before printing a document?
4. How would you insert Footer to your document?
5. (a). Explain the importance of page numbers in a document.
(b). How can you insert page numbers in a multipage document when working with
Microsoft Word?
6. Explain how you would achieve the following:
(a). Increase or reduce the margins of a document.
(b). Change the paper orientation of your document from Portrait to Landscape.
Method 3: Using the Draw Table tool for creating more complex tables.
1. Click on Table, then choose Draw Table.
The Tables and Borders toolbar appears, and the Mouse pointer changes to a Pencil.
2. Drag the pointer to draw the outline of the table. E.g., to define the outer boundaries for the
table, draw a rectangle.
3. Draw the column and row lines inside the rectangle.
After creating the table, click in a cell and start typing text.
To move the text cursor from one cell to the next in the same row, press the TAB key.
To move text cursor one column to the left in the same row (to move to the previous cell),
press SHIFT + TAB.
Inserting text before a table.
1. If you had already inserted the table, click in the upper-left cell in the first row of the table.
2. Press the ENTER key.
Selecting parts of a Table.
To select:
A cell - point to the left edge of the cell, and then click.
A row - click to the left of the row.
A column - click the column's top border.
Multiple cells, rows, or columns - drag across the cell, row, or column.
The entire table - click the table move handle.
Text in the next cell - press TAB key.
Text in the previous cell - press SHIFT+TAB keys.
Note. To select a cell, row, column or the entire table;
1. Click in the cell, row, column or table.
2. Click on Table, point to Select, then click Table, Column, Row or Cell.
Changing the width of a Column in a Table.
Change the width of a column enhances the appearance of the table, e.g., if the cells are wider
than the text they contain.
1. Point on the boundary of the column whose width you want to change until the pointer
becomes a double-headed arrow.
2. Drag the boundary to the right or left until the column is the width you want.
Making the columns in a table automatically fit the contents.
1. Click in the table.
2. Click on Table, point to AutoFit, then click AutoFit to Contents.
Changing the Height of a Row in a table.
In Ms-Word documents, the height of each row in a table depends on the contents of the cells in
that row and the paragraph spacing before or after text.
In addition, pressing the ENTER key when the text cursor is in a cell will increase the height of
the row.
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1. Point on the boundary of the row whose height you want to change until the pointer becomes
a double-headed arrow, and then drag the boundary.
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2. Click on Table, then choose Split Cells.
3. In the resulting dialog box, specify the no. of Rows and/or Columns that the selected cells
will be split into.
4. Click the OK button.
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1. Click in the cell in which you want the result to be placed.
2. Click on Table, then choose Formula. A formula dialog box is displayed.
3. If Ms-Word proposes a formula that you do not want to use, delete it from the Formula box,
making sure that you don’t delete the equal sign.
4. In the Paste function box, click a function. A Function is a mathematical formula that
accomplishes calculations in a table.
E.g., to add numbers, click SUM.
5. To refer to the contents of a cell in the formula, type the cell references in the parentheses.
Use a Comma to separate references to individual cells, or a Colon to separate the first & the
last cells in a selected range.
Examples;
To add the numbers in cells A1, A3 & C2, type: =SUM(a1, a3,c2)
To find the average of values in cells A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 & C2, type: =Average(a1:c2)
6. In the Number format box, enter a format for the numbers, e.g., to display the numbers as a
decimal percentage, click 0.00%.
7. Click the OK button.
Sorting in tables.
Sorting refers to arranging of text, numbers or data in a list or table according to some
predetermined sequence.
1. Click on any cell in the table you want to sort.
2. Click on Table, then choose Sort. The entire table is automatically selected, and the Sort
dialog box appears.
3. Select the type of data to be used when sorting, i.e., Text, Number or Date.
4. Under Sort By, select the column number corresponding to the column you want to use as
the basis for sorting.
5. Select the Ascending or Descending option button.
Ascending will sort in increasing order (lowest to highest or A–Z); Descending will sort in
decreasing order (highest to lowest or Z–A).
6. If you want to use additional columns for sorting, enter the column in the Then by boxes.
7. Click the OK button.
Review questions
1. Define a Cell, Row and Column while working with tables?
2. Identify two importances of creating tables in Microsoft Word.
3. Differentiate between:
a). Drawing and inserting a table in a document.
b). Deleting a table and Clearing a table.
4. What would happen to the cursor in a table when the following actions are done:
(a).Pressing the TAB key.
(b).Pressing the SHIFT+TAB key.
(c). Pressing the ENTER key.
5. (a). Define the term “Merging of cells” as used in tables.
(b). Give a reason why it may be necessary to merge cells in a table.
6. Describe how would you do the following:
(a). Insert a blank row in your table.
(b). Insert borders around your table.
(c). Delete two rows from your table.
7. Explain how you can convert some typed text into a table using Microsoft Word.
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8. What is a Function when working with calculations in word processing?
9. Define the term sorting text.
MAIL MERGING
Mail merging is the process of generating personalized letters or documents by combining a
standard document, e.g., a letter, with a list of addresses, and producing several copies of the
standard document, but addressed to different recipients.
The standard document (letter) is referred to as the ‘Main Document’ and the list of addresses is
referred to as the ‘Data Source’.
Importance of mail merging.
√ Mail merge enables the user to send out the same document to several recipients at once.
√ Combining of letters saves time when printing.
√ The mailing list used in a Mail merge can be re-used on another document (unlike Copy &
Pasting).
The Mail merge process.
The Mail merge process consists of 4 main steps:
1. Create the Main document or Open an existing Main document.
Main document is the common document or letter that is to be sent to all the people on the
mailing list. It is sometimes known as the Form letter.
The Main document contains the text & graphics that are the same for each version of the
merged document, e.g., the return address or salutation.
2. Create the Data source or Open an existing Data source, with individual recipient
information.
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Data source (or Addresses file) is a file of data records of the people that will receive the
form letter.
The Data source contains the information or data that varies in each copy of a merged
document. E.g., the list of names & addresses you want to use in a mail merge.
3. Add Merge fields in the main document.
Merge field is a placeholder that you insert in the main document. It helps Ms-Word insert
the name or information that is stored in a particular data field.
4. Merge or combine data from the Data source with the Main document to create a new,
merged document.
Therefore, in a mail merge, there are three files created:
1. The primary file (Main document).
2. The secondary file (Data source).
3. Merged file.
Creating & printing of Form letters using Word 97/2000.
Creating the Main document.
1. Retrieve or type the letter that you want to use as the main document.
2. Click on Tools, then choose Mail Merge. The Mail Merge Helper dialog box appears.
3. Under Main document, click the Create button, then select the type of document needed,
e.g., Form letter
4. To use the on-screen document as your main document, click Active Window.
Creating a Data source.
5. Under Data source, click Get Data.
6. To use an existing list of names and addresses, click the Open Data Source button, select the
file that contains your data source, then click OK.
To create a new list of names & addresses, click Create Data Source, then choose the
required fields from the Create data source box.
To rearrange the field names, select a field name, then click the Move arrows (or)
until the field name is in the correct position.
To delete a field name that you don’t require in your data source, click the field name,
then choose Remove Field Name.
To add a new field name to the data source, type the new field in Field Name box, then
click Add Field Name.
7. When you finish, click the OK button, then save the record structure of the new data source.
8. In the Save As dialog box, type a name for the data source, then click OK.
9. In the message box that appears, click Edit Data Source, then type the names & addresses of
the recipients in the Data Form dialog box.
To add a new address, click the Add New button after each full entry. When you finish
adding the required information, click OK.
10. If a message is displayed, click Edit Main Document. In the Main document, type the text
you want to appear in every form letter.
Inserting Merge fields into the Main document.
11. In the Main document, place the text cursor where you want to insert the merge fields (i.e.,
the information from the data source).
12. On the Mail Merge toolbar, click the Insert Merge Field button, then select the merge fields
that you want to insert.
13. After you have inserted all of the merge fields, save the Main Document.
Merging the Data source with the Main document.
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After inserting merge fields from the data source into the main document, you can now merge
them.
There are 4 ways of merging a document with its data source:
Merge to new document.
Merge to Printer.
Merge to E-mail.
Merge to Fax.
(a). To merge to a new document;
Click the Merge to new document button on the Mail Merge toolbar.
(b). To merge to Printer;
Click the Merge to Printer button. The Printer option sends the resulting merged
documents directly to the Printer.
Note. Before you merge to a printer, you can preview the appearance of the merged
documents (i.e., display the merged data in the main document)
1. With the main document displayed, click the View Merged Data (ABC) button on the
Mail Merge toolbar.
2. Click the Arrow buttons to move from one data record to the other.
(c). Send merged documents by E-mail or by Fax;
1. Click the Merge button on the Mail Merge toolbar.
2. In the Merge to: box, select E-mail or Fax.
3. Click the Setup button to specify the e-mail addresses or faxing number.
4. Then click on the Merge button.
The Internet Connection wizard starts, and if your computer is properly configured, the
mail merged document will be sent.
Creating & printing of Form letters using Word 2002.
Creating the Main document.
1. Open or type the document that you want to use as the main document.
2. Click on Tools, point to Letters and Mailings, then click Mail Merge Wizard.
3. Under Select Document type, click Letters.
4. Under Select document, click Use the current document, if you want to use the open
document as your main document.
Creating a Data source.
5. Under Select Recipients, choose Type a new list, then click Create. This will display the
New Address List dialog box where you can create a new list of names & addresses.
To add a new address, click the New Entry button after each full entry.
6. When you finish, click the Close button, and then save the new data source.
7. On the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box, click Edit, make changes to your addresses, then
click OK.
Inserting Merge Fields into the main document.
8. In the Main document, click where you want to insert the information from the data source.
9. On the Mail Merge toolbar, click the Insert Merge Field button, then select the merge fields
that you want to insert.
10. After you have inserted all of the merge fields, click the Close button, then save the Main
Document.
Merging the Data Source with the main document.
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11. On the Mail Merge toolbar, click Merge to Printer, Merge to New Document, Merge to
Email or Merge to Fax.
12. Click Merge.
If you choose Merge to Printer, Ms-Word displays the Merge to Printer dialog box. Select
the records to be printed, then click the OK button. This takes you to the Print dialog box,
where you can select the printing options that your printer will use.
Review questions.
1. Describe the procedure of creating an envelope heading. Show how you can make it bold &
size 12.
2. (a). What is the meaning of the word Mail merging?
(b). Give two advantages of Mail merging.
3. Define each of the following:
(i). Main document / Form letter.
(ii). A Data source.
4. Explain the THREE basic steps required to Mail merge a document.
5. List four ways of merging a document with its data source.
Types of Graphics.
There are 3 basic types of graphics that you can use to enhance your Ms-Word documents:
1. Drawing objects
2. Pictures
3. Charts
Drawing objects.
A Drawing object is any graphic that is drawn or inserted into a document, and can be changed
or improved.
Drawing objects include AutoShapes and WordArt.
AutoShapes is a group of ready-made graphic images or shapes. AutoShapes usually have
predefined shapes, and the user can draw by selecting it, then dragging its size on the screen.
Examples of AutoShapes are; rectangles, circles, Lines, Connectors, Block arrows, Flowchart
symbols, Stars, etc.
Pictures.
A Picture is a graphic that was created from another file. They include Photographs, Scanned
pictures, Bitmaps, and ClipArt.
A Bitmap is a picture made from a series of small dots. When stored as files, bitmaps usually
have the extension “.bmp”.
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Chart.
A Chart is a graphical presentation of data in a table. Charts are used to summarize data in a
document in a pictorial way.
Changing the text direction in a drawing object, Text Box or table cell.
This makes the text to be displayed vertically or horizontally.
1. Click the drawing object or table cell that contains the text you want to change.
2. Click on Format, choose Text Direction, then click the required orientation.
Aligning text in an AutoShape or Text Box.
1. Click the AutoShape or Text Box that contains text you want to align.
2. On the Formatting toolbar, click Align Left, Center, Align Right, or Justify button.
Moving a drawing object in front of or behind text.
1. Select the picture, or drawing object.
2. On the Drawing toolbar, click Draw, point to Order, then click Bring in Front of Text or
Send Behind Text.
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Gradient is a gradual progression of colors and shades, usually from one color to another
color, or from one shade to another shade of the same color.
5. Click the OK button.
To remove a graphic color or fill, click the arrow next to Fill Color, then click No Fill.
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Inserting a clip from the Clip Organizer.
A Clip is a single media file including art, sound, animation, or movies.
1. Position the insertion point where you want your clip to be inserted.
2. Click on Insert, point to Picture, then click Clip Art.
3. At the bottom of the Insert Clip Art task pane, click Clip Organizer. Use the Clip
Organizer to browse through Microsoft Office clip collections.
4. Click the Pictures tab. In the Categories list box, select the category of Clip Art pictures
you want, e.g., Plants. A preview of images appears for that category.
5. In the Results box, click the media clip you want to insert, then drag it into your open
document.
INSERTING AN IMAGE FROM A SCANNER.
A Scanner is a data capture device that transforms a hardcopy or real graphical object into digital
form.
To scan an object;
1. The computer must be connected to a Scanner.
2. Position the insertion point where you want your picture to appear.
3. Click on Insert, point to Picture, then click From Scanner or Camera.
4. To scan, follow the instructions that come with your scanner.
5. When the image appears on the screen, edit or format it as required the same way you would
with a ClipArt.
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1. Select the drawing object you want to rotate.
2. To rotate the object to any angle, drag the Rotate handle () on the object in the direction
you want to rotate it, then click outside the object to set the rotation.
3. To rotate the object 900 to the left or the right,
On the Drawing toolbar, click Draw, point to Rotate or Flip, then click Rotate Left or
Rotate Right.
Deleting a drawing object, Text Box or WordArt.
1. Click to select the object you want to delete, then press the Delete key.
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PRINTING A DOCUMENT
Previewing a document (Display each page as it will look when printed).
Before you print a document, it is important to make sure that it will be printed the way you want
it.
Previewing a document enables you to see exactly the way the pages will appear when printed,
and where necessary, make any changes to the document.
Advantages of previewing a document before printing.
To confirm that no details are outside the printable area, and that the page layout is okay.
To go through the document before printing.
To save printing papers & printer toner because; errors on printouts that may require reprints
will be minimal.
1. Click on File, then choose Print Preview (or, click the Print Preview button on the
Standard toolbar). The mouse pointer changes into a symbol that resembles a magnifying
glass.
2. Click inside the document to increase or reduce the size of the view.
3. Use the buttons on the Print Preview toolbar to look over the page or make adjustments
before printing.
To: Do this:
Display one page at a time Click the One Page button.
Display two or more pages at a time Click the Multiple Pages button, then drag
over the grid to select the number &
configuration of pages.
Magnify an area of a given page Point to the location you want to view, and
then click the Magnifier button. To return to
the original magnification, click the mouse
button again.
Reduce or enlarge the page(s) displayed Click the down arrow next to the Zoom box,
then select a magnification.
Hide all screen elements except the Click the Full Screen button. To return the
displayed page(s) & the Print Preview hidden elements to the screen, click the
toolbar. Mouse button again, or press ESC.
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Method 2:
1. Click on File, choose Print (or, press CTRL+P).
This opens the Print dialog box in which you can set the printing options, such as;
(a). The type of the printer installed in your computer.
(b). Whether to print the whole document or a range.
(c). Number of copies to print per page.
To print a range of pages.
1. Under Page range, click an option to specify what you want to print, e.g., All or Current
page.
To print a portion of the document, select the portion, then click the Selection
checkbox.
To print specific pages;
1. Under Page range, click the Pages checkbox.
2. In the Pages box, enter the page numbers or ranges you want to include.
Example
To print Noncontiguous pages, type the page nos. with commas between them. Use
a hyphen to separate the starting and ending numbers in the range. E.g. to print
pages 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8; type 2, 4 – 6, 8
To print only odd or even pages.
1. In the Print box, click either Odd pages or Even pages.
Printing more than one copy at a time.
1. In the Number of copies box, enter the no. of copies you want to print per page.
2. Select the Collate checkbox, if you want a complete copy of the document to be printed
before the first page of the next copy is printed
If you want to print all copies of the first page and then print all copies of subsequent
pages, clear the checkbox.
Specifying the Print quality, Paper orientation, Paper Type or Paper Size that your
printer will use.
1. In the Print dialog box, click the Properties button.
Under Print Quality, select the Normal, Best, or FastDraft.
Note. When you print a document in draft quality, Ms-Word does not print
formatting or most graphics. This makes the document print faster.
Under Orientation, select the Portrait, or Landscape.
Under Paper Type, select the Plain/inkjet, Transparency or Photo Paper.
Click the arrow next to the Paper Size box, then a paper size.
2. Click OK to take you back to the Print dialog box.
Printing a folded booklet.
1. Set up your document as a booklet.
2. Click on File, click Print, then set options for printing on both sides of the paper.
If you're using a duplex printer (one that automatically prints on both sides of the
paper),
1. Click the Properties button, set the page orientation to Landscape.
2. Set the duplex options, and flip the document on the short edge or side.
If you are not using a duplex printer,
1. In the Print dialog box, select the Manual duplex checkbox.
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Ms-Word will print all the pages that appear on one side of the paper, and then prompt
you to turn the stack over and feed the pages again.
3. Select the page range you want to print.
If you click Current page or Pages, Word prints the page you indicate, plus the three other
pages that belong on the same sheet of paper.
Review questions
1. Give two advantages of previewing a document before printing.
2. Explain the difference between printing of multiple pages and printing of multiple copies.
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To know more about an option in a dialog box, click the question mark in the dialog box,
then click the option.
To see the name of a toolbar button, or to view information about items such as comments,
hyperlinks in Ms-Word, rest the pointer over the item.
Show or hide ScreenTips.
1. On the Tools menu, click Options, then click the View tab.
2. Under Show, select or clear the ScreenTips checkbox.
To turn the Office Assistant off.
1. On the Options tab, clear the Use the Office Assistant checkbox.
Select a different Office Assistant.
1. Click the Office Assistant, choose Options, then click the Gallery tab.
2. Click the Back or Next button until you see the Assistant you want, then click OK button.
Turn the Office Assistant sound on or off.
To hear sound from the Office Assistant, you must have a sound card installed on your computer.
1. On the Options tab, select or clear the Make sounds check box.
Note. The Assistant is shared by all Office programs. Therefore, any options you change will
also apply to the Assistant in your other Office programs.
Using the Help menu.
1. On the Help menu, click Microsoft Word Help (or press F1).
Click the Contents tab, and then scroll to view the table of contents for Help. Click on
the topic you need information on.
-OR-
Click the Index tab to search for specific words or phrases, or choose from a list of
keywords. Type the words you want to search for, and click the Search button.
Review Questions
1. List three ways in which one can invoke the Help facility in Ms-Word.
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