Microsoft Word Basics Tutorial

Get Started with creating and editing your documents with our Microsoft Word Basics Tutorial.

For a more detailed tutorial, see this Microsoft Office 2007 Tutorial.

Microsoft Word Interface

• The toolbars at the top of the screen consist of buttons to assist you to select often-used commands.
• The status bar is at the bottom of the screen and contains information about document displayed on your screen
• The small flashing vertical line indicates where typed text will appear.

Start a New Document

When you start Word, a new document automatically opens. If you want to start a new document and keep your current document open, click the 'New' button on your top toolbar.

Open an Existing Document

• On the Standard toolbar, click 'Open'. This will open the folder icon.
• Select the folder and drive containing the document you wish to open.
• Click 'Open'.

Enter Text

Word automatically starts a new line of text so there is no need to stop at the end of the line you are typing on the screen. Press 'Enter' or 'Return' when you need to start a new line or paragraph.

Save a Document

• On your top toolbar, click the 'Save' button.
• Word will prompt you to save your document by opening the 'Save As' dialog box.
• In the 'Save In drop-down list' choose the drive and folder location.
• Type the name of your file at the bottom of the dialog box.
• Click 'Save'.

After naming and saving your document, click on 'Save' to save your most recent changes.

To save a document in a new location or under a new name:

• Select 'File' then 'Save As' and follow the same instructions for saving a document (as above).

Print a Document

Before you print your document, you can preview your document by clicking the 'Print Preview' button on the Standard top toolbar. When you have finished previewing your document, click 'Close' on the toolbar.

To print the document using the current defaults:

• Click 'Print' on the toolbar.
• To make adjustments, choose File Print. The Print dialog box appears
• Select your print options.

Select Text

To select your text, click on the text to highlight it and drag the mouse cursor across the text. Alternatively you can double click on a word to select it.

Deleting Text

Select the text (as above) and click 'Delete' on your keyboard.

Edit Text

To edit existing text, select the text (as above) you want to edit and type the new text.

Copy Text

When you copy text from one place to another, the text remains in the first location and is duplicated in the new location.

• Select the text.
• Right-click with your mouse and choose 'Copy' button.
• Using your cursor, click the new location for the text.
• Right-click with your mouse and click 'Paste' button.

Move Text

Select text (as above) and drag the text with your cursor to the new location

• Select the text.
• Right-click with your mouse and choose 'Cut' button.
• Using your cursor, click the new location for the text.
• Right-click and select the 'Paste' button.

Format Text

To change the appearance of selected text to bold or italic, select the text and click the 'Bold' or the 'Italic' button on the Formatting toolbar. Alternatively, use your keyboard and type 'Control+b' or 'Control+I'.

To change the font or size of your text, select the text and select a font or size from the standard toolbar.

Centre Text

To centre your text, select the text and click the Centre button on the toolbar.

Undo commands

On the top toolbar, click the 'Undo' button to undo latest changes. Alternatively, using your keyboard, type 'Control+z' (holding down the 'Control' button and typing 'z').

Spelling and Grammar

Word will automatically underline spelling mistakes in red and grammar errors in green.

To correct an error:

Move the mouse cursor over the error and right-click the mouse button.
• Click one of the suggested options.
• You can choose 'Ignore' if the word is spelled correctly.

Close a Document

Select 'File' then 'Close'. The document will be removed from your screen. If you have more than one document open, the second last document you were workingn on will appear. Word will prompt you to save any changes if necessary before you close the document.

Exit Word

• Save all documents before exiting (although Word will automatically prompt you to save any changes).
• Click the X in the upper right corner of the Word window.

If you have any questions about our Microsoft Word Basics Tutorial or would like to know about other tutorials we have, please get in touch. Our team are more than happy to answer any queries you may have.

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