1. What is Microsoft Word?

Microsoft Word is a word processor program developed

by Microsoft.

It was first released on October 25, 1983, under the

name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems. Subsequent
versions were later written for several other platforms
including: IBM PCs running DOS (1983), Apple Macintosh running the Classic Mac OS (1985), AT&T UNIX
PC (1985), Atari ST (1988), OS/2 (1989), Microsoft Windows (1989), SCO
Unix (1990), macOS (2001), Web browsers (2010), iOS (2014) and Android (2015).

Commercial versions of Word are licensed as a standalone product or as a component of Microsoft

365 suite of software, which can be purchased either with a perpetual license or as part of a Microsoft
365 subscription, respectively.

2. What is the Purpose of learning Microsoft Word (e.g., for school projects, professional
documents).

Microsoft Word (simply referred to as Word) is a sophisticated word processing application

program/package specially designed for performing various word processing tasks, such as typing,
editing and printing out of textual information. It allows adequate control over the creation and
presentation of the typographic work. Microsoft Word also offers facilities for basic graphic design,
statistical report of a document, spelling and grammar checking tasks, etc. These and numerous
other features and facilities Word offers make it stand out among word processing programs, as
well as make the difference between it and other mechanical devices for word processing (e.g.
typewriter).

Importance of Microsoft Word

 Microsoft Word is an effective tool for creating all kinds of documents like letters, memos, reports,
term papers, and typesetting novels and magazines, etc.
 Microsoft Word offers you specialized tools for formatting your document in various ways; perform
spelling and grammar check to produce standard and error-free documents; in-built thesaurus for
finding appropriate synonyms to replace repetitive words/phrases; word count feature for a
statistical report of your document; drawing and graphics editing tools to add a touch of graphics or
images to go with your documents; sounds and video handling tools to add multimedia feature to a
document; numerous wizards and tools for creating and distributing merged faxes, form letters,
labels and envelopes, etc.
 Microsoft Word is highly useful for creating text of large volume.
 You can easily create and maintain mailing lists, create personalized documents and create
newsletters in Word.
 It also helps you send documents to a group of people for feedback.
 Word provides customized assistance in many ways.
 With Word, you can import files or objects from other programs and use them in your documents.
 Word also offers facilities for exporting documents to other packages, e.g. Lotus Notes,
WordPerfect, etc.
The significance of Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is a useful program for creating a wide variety of documents, including letters, reports, research
projects, updates, typesetting books and periodicals, and more.
Microsoft Word provides you with specialized tools for designing your document in various ways, performing spelling
and grammar checks to produce a standard and error-free document, using an integrated thesaurus to replace
repetitive words and phrases with appropriate alternatives, tracking word counts for statistical reports of your
document, adding a touch of visuals to your document, dealing with sounds and video, and more.
 When creating content with a large volume, Microsoft Word is quite helpful.

 Without a question, Word allows you to create customized documents, newsletters, and mailing lists.

 It enables you to send documents to a group of people for feedback.

 Word provides customized assistance in a number of ways.

 You can utilize files imported from other programs in Word to create archives.

Why You Should Use Microsoft Word

A graphical word processing program with keyboard input is called Microsoft. Microsoft, a computer company,
created it. The users’ ability to type and save documents is the goal of MS Word. Similar to other word processors, it
provides capabilities to help create documents. Microsoft Word usually referred to as word, has many advantages.
We should quickly get into greater depth about it.
It is the word processor that is most often used globally. Its accessibility stands out as one of the most evident
benefits. The Microsoft Suite must be installed on any computer that runs Windows.
It can be accessed and used on any typical computer. Using Microsoft Word, documents are saved. The document
can be copied on a flash drive, which serves as your computer’s external memory. This enables you to utilize the
document that has been saved for you wherever you are.
Utilizing Microsoft Word gives customers the vital advantage of being able to create unique formats in line with
requirements and importance. In addition to making it possible for you to produce basic documents for business
correspondence, it greatly encourages you to build and design business cards, new letters, and a variety of other
things that are necessary. The use of text styles, shapes, clip art, and charts also has a purpose and value of its own.

There are instances when users must integrate Microsoft Word with additional products, such as using Excel tables,
lines, and columns. For instance, let’s say you created a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel and you need to display it on
your necessary document for a certain cause. By pasting the saved worksheet onto the document, you can
accomplish this efficiently. In essence, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint can be used together for certain reasons.
Smaller versions of the slides, known as thumbnails, are displayed when working in PowerPoint’s slide sorter
perspective. A slide or picture that has been scaled down is referred to as a thumbnail. A PowerPoint presentation
can easily be converted into a word report in this way. As a result, you can provide the audience with handouts that
include introductions.

Although it would seem that the word can’t help you to fix every single grammatical problem and there are still things
that should be seen as dependent on grammar and syntax, it is still worth using as far as verifying the spelling and
paying attention to punctuation. You are encouraged to repair any misspelled words in your manuscript by using the
built-in spell check in Microsoft Word. Additionally, you can fix the punctuation issues. At this point, it is crucial to note
that occasionally it is advised to use a different grammatical structure than what is required for your paper. In this
regard, it is crucial to give your decision careful thought before accepting the suggested structure or punctuation for
your work.
Microsoft Word’s Navigation sheet feature is one of its most crucial components and is incredibly beneficial for a
variety of reasons. It depicts a wide range of activities. It is a place where you can select from a range of features
according to your needs and use them efficiently.
Microsoft Word should be used in almost every industry worldwide. People who utilize Microsoft Word will typically
find it easier than others who struggle with this issue. It greatly cuts down on users’ time, effort, and energy while
meeting all professional requirements related to business correspondence.

The Parts & Functions of Microsoft Word

Date: December 9, 2017Author: Comp21010 Comments

1. Ribbon
The Ribbon is the strip of buttons and icons located above the work area in Word 2007. The Ribbon replaces the
menus and toolbars found in earlier versions of Word. Each ribbon contains groups of command buttons with
common purpose. Each ribbon contains 7 tabs.

2. Office Button
Click the Office Button to find a drop-down menu containing options, such as: open, save, and print. Also shows
previously opened files, which you may choose to “pin” them to make them “permanent” choices.

3. Rulers
Gives you an idea of where you are on the page

4. Tab Selector Button

You can easily set tab stops by clicking on the desired position on the ruler. This buttonallows you to determine which
type of tab will be set left aligned, right aligned , center aligned or decimal tab . Clicking on this button will allow you
to change the tab style.

5. Document
This is what you are typing/what will print out.

6. Status Bar
This row can be customized by right-clicking and selecting desired options. Desired options may include page
number/number of total page, word count, insert/overtype mode, caps lock, and zoom slide.

7. View Shortcuts
These four buttons allow you to change the way you view your document on the screen. From left to right they are:
print layout, full screen reading, web layout and draft. These can be added/removed by right clicking anywhere on the
status bar and checking/unchecking View shortcuts.

8. Task Bar
Shows open programs.
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9. Zoom Slide
Allows you to increase/decrease the amount of the document you see on the screen.

10. View Ruler Button

Allows you to view/hide the rulers.

11. Screen Split Button

At the top of the vertical scroll bar is a new button. Just below the double arrow is a tiny button that looks like a minus
sign that lets you split your screen in two when double-clicked. Double-clicking it a second time will unsplit your
screen.
12. Scroll Bars
Allows you to view entire workbook by moving it up, down (vertical scroll bar), left or right (horizontal scroll bar).

13. Right Indent

Slide this triangle to the left of the margin to limit the right side of a paragraph to that point. Move the triangle to the
right of the margin to allow the right side of the paragraph to extend beyond the margin. The triangle at the margin
will keep the right side of the paragraph with the margin.

14. Group
Command buttons with a common purpose are clustered together. Each ribbon contains
several groups.Some groups, but not all, contain a quick launch bar (dialogue box launcher) in the bottom right hand
corner.

15. Quick Launch Bar/Dialogue Box Launcher

It is the arrow in the bottom right hand corner of some groups. When clicked, it will bring up a dialog box where
additional options/changes can be entered.

16. Title Bar

Shows name of program and open document. Also contains minimize, maximize and close buttons.

17. Quick Access Toolbar

This customizable toolbar allows you to add frequently used commands. Click on the down arrow at the end of the
toolbar to add/remove command buttons – or – right-click on any command button and choose Add to Quick Access
Toolbar.

18. Tab
The ribbon is broken down into 7 tabs. Each tab has a common purpose and consists of several groups. To select a
tab, simply click on it and the appropriate groups will be displayed.

19. First Line Indent

This triangle controls where the first line of a paragraph begins. Moved to the left of the margin, will allow the first
paragraph to be in the left margin. Can be moved to the right of the margin to indent your paragraph.

20. Hanging Indent

The opposite of a first line indent. It is often moved to the right of the first line indent, which allows the remaining lines
of a paragraph to be indented according to placement of the triangle.
Microsoft Word: Formatting Paragraphs

A paragraph in Word is any text that ends with a hard return. You insert a hard return anytime you press
the Enter key. Paragraph formatting lets you control the appearance if individual paragraphs. For example, you can
change the alignment of text from left to center or the spacing between lines form single to double. You can indent
paragraphs, number them, or add borders and shading to them.
Paragraph formatting is applied to an entire paragraph. All formatting for a paragraph is stored in the paragraph mark
and carried to the next paragraph when you press the Enter key. You can copy paragraph formats from paragraph to
paragraph and view formats through task panes.
Paragraph Alignment
Paragraph alignment determines how the lines in a paragraph appear in relation to the left and right margins. The
margin is the blank space between the edge of the paper and where the text.

The easiest way to change paragraph alignment is to use the alignment buttons on the Formatting toolbar.

You can also use keyboard shortcuts. Ctrl+L= Left Align; Ctrl+R= Right Align; Ctrl+E= Center; Ctrl+J= Justify.

Line and Paragraph Spacing

Line space is the amount of vertical space between lines of text in a paragraph. Line spacing is typically based on the
height of the characters, but you can change it to a specific value. For example, some paragraphs may be single
spaced and some double-spaced. Single-spacing is Word’s default setting.

Paragraph space is the amount of space above or below a paragraph. Instead of pressing Enter multiple times to
increase space between paragraphs, you can set a specific amount of space before or after paragraphs.

1. With the insertion point in the same paragraph, click the down arrow to the right of the Line Spacing button
on the formatting toolbar. Choose 2.0 for double-spacing. Choose 1.0 to restore the single-spacing to the
paragraph.
2. Right-click the first paragraph and choose Paragraph from the shortcut menu. (You can also open this
menu by selecting Paragraph from the Format menu).
3. Click the down arrow to open the line spacing drop-down list and choose Double. You can see the change
in the preview box.
 4. With the dialog box still open, select Single from the line spacing drop down menu. Notice the change in the
preview pane.
5. Choose Multiple from the Line Spacing drop-down list. In the At box, key 1.25 (highlight the text in the box
and type over it). Press Tab to see the change in the preview pane.
6. Click OK. Notice that Word has added an extra quarter-line of space between lines in the paragraph.

Exercise:

Changing Paragraph Spacing

You use the Paragraph dialog box to set the space between paragraphs. Paragraph spacing is set in points. If a
document has 12-point text, then one line space equals 12-points, one-half line space equals 6-points, double-
spacing equals 24-points.

Paragraph Indents

An indent increases the distance between the side of a paragraph and the left or right margin. Indented paragraphs
appear to have different margin settings. Word provides a variety of indents to emphasize paragraphs in a document.

Using Tabs in Microsoft Word

Setting Tabs

Tabs are a paragraph-formatting feature used to align

text. When you press the Tab key, Word inserts a tab
character and moves the insertion point to the tab
setting, called the tab stop. You can set custom tabs or use Word’s default tab settings.

Tabs are set to distribute text evenly between the left and right margins. Word’s default tabs are set every half-inch.
These tabs are indicated at the bottom of the horizontal ruler by tiny tick marks.

If you don’t want to use the default tabs that are set at half-inch tabs, you have two choices. Change the distance
between the default/existing tabs or create custom tabs.
The four most common types of custom tabs are left-aligned, centered, right-aligned, and decimal-aligned. Custom
tab settings are indicated on the horizontal ruler by tab markers.

There are two ways to set tabs. By either using the Tabs Dialog Box or using the ruler.

Setting tabs by using the ruler is an easy, two-step process. Click the Tab Alignment button on the left of the ruler to
choose the type of alignment and then click the position on the ruler to set the tab.

Microsoft Word: Page Breaks

Just as text wraps automatically from the end of one line to the beginning of the next line, text flows automatically
from the end of one page to the beginning of the next page. This process is called pagination, and there are
techniques for controlling where page break, particularly in long documents.

Hard and Soft Page Breaks

As you work on a document, Word is constantly calculating the amount of space available on the page. Page length
is determined by the size of the paper and the top and bottom margins. For example, using standard-size paper and
default margins, page length is nine inches. When a document exceeds this length, Word creates a soft page break.
Word adjusts this automatic page break as you add or delete text. A soft page break appears as a horizontal dotted
line on the screen in Normal view. In print Layout view, you see the actual page break-the bottom of one page and
the top of the next.

Microsoft Word: Page Breaks

Just as text wraps automatically from the end of one line to the beginning of the next line, text flows automatically
from the end of one page to the beginning of the next page. This process is called pagination, and there are
techniques for controlling where page break, particularly in long documents.
Hard and Soft Page Breaks

As you work on a document, Word is constantly calculating the amount of space available on the page. Page length
is determined by the size of the paper and the top and bottom margins. For example, using standard-size paper and
default margins, page length is nine inches. When a document exceeds this length, Word creates a soft page break.
Word adjusts this automatic page break as you add or delete text. A soft page break appears as a horizontal dotted
line on the screen in Normal view. In print Layout view, you see the actual page break-the bottom of one page and
the top of the next.

Microsoft Word: Tables & Columns

A table is a grid of rows and columns that intersect to form cells. The lines that mark the cell boundaries are called
gridlines. It’s often easier to read or present information in table format than in paragraph format. Using Word’s table
feature, you can create a table and insert text, pictures, or another table into the table’s cells.

Creating a Table

There are two ways to create a table:

1. Insert a table by using the Insert Table dialog box or the Insert Table button on the Standard Toolbar.

2. Draw a table by using the Tables and Borders Toolbar.

Columns, Rows and Cells in a Table

Note: You can apply formatting options to tables, such as borders and shading, or display a table with or without
gridlines.

Keying and Editing Text in Tables

Keying and editing text in tables is similar to working with text in paragraphs. The Insert and Delete keys work the
same way. But if you key text in a cell and press Enter, a new paragraph is created within the same cell. The first row
of a table is often called the header row, in which each cell contains a heading for the column of text below it.
Shortcuts for Moving Between Cells
To move to Press
Next Cell Tab
Previous Cell Shift + Tab
First Cell in the Current Row Alt + Home
Last Cell in the Current Row Alt + End
Top Cell in the Current Column Alt + PgUp
Last Cell in the Current
Alt + PgDn
Column

Line spacing

Line spacing is the space between each line in a paragraph. Word allows you to customize the line spacing to
be single spaced (one line high), double spaced (two lines high), or any other amount you want. The default
spacing in Word is 1.08 lines, which is slightly larger than single spaced.