2/25/25, 11:21 PM Objective 7: Set and Modify Tab Stops

Objective 7: Set and

Modify Tab Stops
Tab stops mark specific locations on a line of text. Use tab stops to indent and
align text and use the key to move to tab stops. You can set tab stops that
align text on the left or right based on the tab stop position, or centered around a
tab stop position. You can also set a decimal tab stop that aligns a column of
numbers at the decimal point.

Word 1: GO! Learn How Video, Objective 7

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Activity 1.25:IVSetting Tab
ATE USE OF W Stops
1. Scroll to view the lower part of Page 2 so that the bulleted list under the

Upcoming Internship Livestreams heading displays. By using the

pointer at the left of the first item, select all the items in the bulleted list.
Notice that there is a tab mark between the name of the meeting and the
date.

The arrow that indicates a tab is a nonprinting formatting mark.

2. To the left of the horizontal ruler, point to Tab Alignment to display

the Left Tab ScreenTip, and then compare your screen with Figure 1.42.

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2/25/25, 11:21 PM Objective 7: Set and Modify Tab Stops

Mac Tip
The Tab Alignment buttons display differently on a Mac but are in the same
location as indicated in Figure 1.42.

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Figure 1.42

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3. Click Tab Alignment several times to view the tab alignment options
shown in the table in Figure 1.43.
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Figure 1.43 PR WI
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4. Display the Left Tab . Along the lower edge of the horizontal ruler,
point to and then click at 3.5 inches on the horizontal ruler. Notice that all
of the dates left align at the new tab stop location, and the right edge of the
column is uneven.

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2/25/25, 11:21 PM Objective 7: Set and Modify Tab Stops

5. Compare your screen with Figure 1.44, and then Save your document.

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Figure 1.44

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Activity 1.26: Modifying Tab Stops

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Tab stops are a form of paragraph formatting. Therefore, the information about
tab stops is stored in the paragraph mark in the paragraphs to which they were
applied. ISP
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1. With the bulleted list still selected, on the ruler, point to the new tab
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marker at 3.5 inches on the horizontal ruler, and then when the Left Tab
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F the horizontal ruler.
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ScreenTip displays,
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In all of the selected lines, the U at the tab stop left aligns at 4 inches.

2. On the ruler, point to the tab marker that you moved to display the Left

Tab ScreenTip, and then double-click to display the Tabs dialog box.

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2/25/25, 11:21 PM Objective 7: Set and Modify Tab Stops

Another Way
On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the Dialog Box Launcher. At the
bottom of the Paragraph dialog box, click the Tabs button.

3. In the Tabs dialog box, under Tab stop position, if necessary, select 4",

and then type 6

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At the bottom of the Tabs dialog box, click Clear All. In the Tab stops box type

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6. Under Alignment, click Right. Under Leader, click the option that is a series of
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dots, and then skip to step 6.

4. Under Alignment, click the Right option button. Under Leader, click the 2
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option button. Near the bottom of the Tabs dialog box, click Set.
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Because the Right tab will be used to align the items in the list, the tab
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stop at 4" is E
no longer necessary.
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5. In the Tabs dialog box, in the Tab stop position box, click 4" to select this

tab stop, and then in the lower portion of the Tabs dialog box, click the
Clear button to delete this tab stop, which is no longer necessary. Compare
your screen with Figure 1.45.

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Figure 1.45

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2/25/25, 11:21 PM Objective 7: Set and Modify Tab Stops

6. Click OK. On the ruler, notice that the left tab marker at 4" no longer

displays, a right tab marker displays at 6", and a series of dots—a dot
leader—displays between the columns of the list. Notice also that the right
edge of the column is even. Compare your screen with Figure 1.46.

A leader character creates a solid, dotted, or dashed line that fills the
space to the left of a tab character and draws the reader’s eyes across
the page from one item to the next. When the character used for the
leader is a dot, it is commonly referred to as a dot leader.

Figure 1.46

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7. In the bulleted list that uses dot leaders, locate the Social Media Integration
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meeting, and then
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IVA to create a newF blank
line, after 6:00 p.m. Press
T E US E O
8. Type Media Production Services and press . Notice that a dot leader
fills the space to the tab marker location.

9. Type October 20, 7:00 p.m. and notice that the text moves to the left to

maintain the right alignment of the tab stop.

10. Save your document.

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