Intro duction to msword for beginners

1. Tech Femi Olabanjo(MDLC, CCNA, Bsc.) Page 1
INTRODUCTION TO MS WORD (MICROSOFT WORD)
A. DEFINITION
A word processor is a program that enables you to perform word processing
functions. Word processors use a computer to create, edit and print documents of all
computer applications, word processors are the most common.
To perform word processing, you need a computer, the word processing software
(word processor), and a printer. A word processor enables you to create a document, store it
electronically on a disk, display it on a screen, modify it by entering commands and
characters from the keyboard, and print it on a computer.
A short definition of Microsoft Word is that, it is an application software that enables
users to opening of files, saving, editing, printing of documents.
ADVANTAGES OF MS-WORD
 It has more simplicity than any other word processing software.
 The formatting procedure is easier
 Changes can be made without retyping the whole document unlike a typewriter.
 Printing is made possible after correcting the mistakes
STARTING MICROSOFT WORD
The following steps can be used to start your Microsoft word
 Boot up you PC
 Click the start button
 Select programs
 Select Microsoft Office
 Select Microsoft Word, click or press enter key OR
 Double click on the Microsoft Word icon on the desktop
OR
 Right click on the icon
 Select open and click or press enter key
You can now create your document on the document screen and perform several activities
using the menu options displayed.
THE MICROSOFT WORD WINDOW
The window environment of Microsoft word has similar features just like other
windows. There is need for us understanding these features. The following are the things
you see.
1. Minimize button
2. Maximize button
3. Cancel button
4. Restore
5. Control menu box
6. Task Bar
7. Title Bar
8. Menu Bar
9. Scroll Bars
10. Standard Tools Bar

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11. Status Bar
1. Maximize Button: This is situated at the topmost right corner and is square like shape.
It is between the minimize and cancel buttons. This is used to enlarge the windows so
that it covers the full computer screen.
2. Minimize Button: This is located before the maximize button at the top most right
corner. It is shaped like minus. When used it will reduce the application to icon size
and it can be seen at the bottom of the screen.
3. Cancel Button: It is used to close or quit an existing window application. It is situated
at the top most right corner after the maximize button with an X sign.
4. Control menu Box: It is situated at the top most left corner. It is sometimes referred to
as sizing box. Whenever this box is clicked, it will display a list of options choose
from such as minimize, maximize, close etc.
5. Task Bar: It is situated at the bottom of the window. It displays the start-up button, the
current application you are working on, and other unclosed application.
6. Title Bar: This appears between the control menu box and the sizing buttons. It will
display the name of application or file or document you are currently working on.
7. Menu Bar: It appears at the button of the title bar. It displays a list of commands to
choose from e.g File, Edit, ----- Help.
8. Scroll Bars: This is sub-divided into the horizontal and vertical scroll bars. The
vertical scroll bar appears at the right hand side of the screen with two arrows
pointing up and down. The horizontal scroll bar appears at the bottom of the
application with two arrows pointing right and left.
In between the vertical and horizontal scroll bars there is what we call the
scroll box which is moveable. The scroll bars can be used to scroll object on the
screen either to the right, left, up or down.
9. Standard Tools Bar: It comes below the menu bar. You can use it carry out commands
with a single click. It is a short cut to some command in the menu bar.
10. Status Bar: It appears below the horizontal scroll bar. It is sometimes referred to as
message bar. It displays the full meaning of the menu bar.
UNDERSTANDING THE KEYBOARD KEYS
As discussed in an input device that allow you enter data (text) into the PC. The
keyboard itself has several functions and several signs, most of them are abbreviated. e.g
A. ESC – This means to escape from a present dialog box.
B. F1 – F2 – these are called functional keys.
C. TAB – This is used in indenting your work while typing
D. Numerical Keys: These keys are required when entering datas that has to do with
numbers.
E. Shift + Numerical and Alphabetical keys means you want the second product of those
keys.
F. Alt – means Alternate
Ctrl – means control key
Enter key – means you are done and ok
Del – means to delete
G. Alphabet keys – These are keys that really help in entering text data into the
computer.
H. Page up, and page down – This means to scroll the page you are working on either up
or down

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I.
These are direction keys. They help in moving your cursor up, down,
left, right
J. Num Lock – means number locking
Caps lock – means to lock capital letters (characters)
Scroll Lock – means to lock your scroll keys.
K.  - This key helps in entering the start menu when there is no mouse. Then enter key
becomes your click.
- This key helps in right clicking any programs, files, documents you wish to
work on.
- This is called the space key, it helps in giving gaps in-between word you are
typing.
OPENING, SETTING UP A PAGE, SAVING, CLOSING
Files: This option allows you to open a new or an existing document, print, setting up a page,
saving, closing document.
To Open
 Click on file
 Select New and click for a new document
 Select open and click for an existing document
To set up a page
 Click on file
 Select and click page setup (then a dialog box is displayed)
 Set the margins of your page to your taste either in portrait or landscape
Page Setup
Select File/page setup from the menu bar to format the page, set margins, and add
headers and footers.
 The dialog box displayed will sow the margins, paper and layout
1. Margins setup helps you to set your paper’s margins, top, bottom, left, and right to
your taste. Then also the orientation whether to portrait or landscape. There you see
pages, you can set how you want your pages to be.
The default will help you to have a default or original setting of your margins.
2. Paper setting helps you to set the width and height of your paper and then default
remains the in-build settings.
3. Layout helps you to set your line numbers and boarders as well as the default remains
the same.
SAVE AND SAVE AS
Document can be saved while working, whether it is new or an exiting document.
There are several ways that the save option can be used.
i. Save a new, unnamed document
ii. Save a existing document
iii. Save all open documents at the same time.

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i. Save a New document: (save as is mostly used here)
Step 1: Click save (icon) or Pres F12, or go to file/save as
Step 2: Specify the destination of what you are saving
Step 3: Type the file name (word allow up to 255 character for filename)
ii. Save an existing document
Steps: click save icon or select save from file menu or Ctrl + S
iii. Save All Open File at the same time
Step 1: Hold down SHIFT and click save all on the file open
CLOSING
After you might have saved your document and all open programs
 Click one of the control button that has X sign
Or
 Press Alt + F4
USING THE TYPING TUTOR
Typing tutor is an application software designed so that you may get visual training
on how you may master your keyboard while typing.
SELECT, COPY, CUT AND PASTE (Editing Option)
The editing option allows you to perform correction on your document, copy files,
move files, and also delete files, e.t.c
Copy and paste
This allows you to duplicate your text at any point on your document
Step 1: Highlight the document to be duplicated
2: Select copy from, the edit menu
3: Position your cursor to where you want the document to be retrieved
4: Select paste, from the edit menu.
Copy and paste icon can also be sued to perform the action also.
Cut and Paste
This allows you to move your text from a particular location to another.
Step 1: Highlight the document to be moved
2: Select cut from the edit menu; choose the cut icon
3: Position your cursor where you want the document to be retrieved
4: Select paste, to retrieve
The scissors icon performs the same option after highlighting
Clear or Delete
The option allows you to delete any unwanted text at any point in your document.
Step 1: If not all text, select the portion to be deleted or (highlight your text)
2: Select clear or del. from the edit menu.
Using the keyboard to perform the same option
Backspace : Delete character to the left
Del : Delete character to the right
Ctrl + Backspace : Delete word to the left
Ctrl + Del : Delete word to the right

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Header or Footer
This allows you to create a contaut Head note at the top or bottom line of your
document which could be displayed in every page of your document.
To perform Header and Footer
Step 1: Select Header or Footer from the view menu
2: Enter your text for the header or footer
3: Select close to return to your text
FORMATTING
Fonts (What is it?)
This feature allows you to change the font type at the insertion point of the document
or, indeed, to change the font for any amount of selected text. This enables you to give the
text in your documents different look and styles.
To change the font size or type or Color
Select the text to which you wish to apply a different font. This can be any amount of
text in the document from a single character, a word, a sentence, a paragraph, or the entire
document.
 A quick way to change the font type or size is to use the icons on the formatting
toolbar.
Using the Font Dialog Box
 From the Format menu, choose Font command. The font dialog box is displayed.
And there use see
Font: Also called a typeface, specifies the overall look of the character.
Font style: Determine the emphasis given to character .i.e Bold or Italics
Size: Determines the size of the character in points.
Color: Determines underlining style.
Strikethrough: A strikethrough line is drawn through selected characters
Superscript: Text is raised above it is normal position on the text line
Subscript: Text is lowered below its normal position on the text line
Shadow: Adds a shadow behind the text
Outline: Displays the inner and outer borders of each character
Emboss: Text appears to be printed or pressed into the page
Small caps: Text is formatted in small capital letters
All caps: All txt is formatted in capital letters
Hidden: Characters are hidden on the page
Preview: The effect of the font is displayed before you apply it
Alignment (left, center, right, justify)
 The process of aligning text relative to the left and right margins and the centre of
the page will affect the way your document look. Normally and for most office,
correspondence text will be aligned to the left-hand side of the page or column
which results in a “ragged right” appearance. If text is justified, the words will be
aligned to the left and right margins as in newsletters, magazines and newspaper,
where multiple columns are used.

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 To align text, place the insertion point at the beginning of your new document or
where you want to enter new text OR select the text wish to align. Use the
alignment icons located on the following results:
Align left: Aligns text flush with the left margin. This is default
setting.
Center: Centers text between the left and right margins
Align right: Aligns text flush in the right margins
Justify: Spreads text evenly between the left and right margins
by expanding or reducing the space between individual words.
BULLETS AND NUMBERING
 What are Bulleted lists?
Bullets are used to set-off and emphasize sections of text and are symbols such as dots
or diamonds. You can select from a number of different bullets types or create your
own bullets. Any character available within your fonts can be used as a bullet.
 To apply bullets to a list using the bullets icon.
 Select the list to which you wish to apply number or bullet
formatting.
 Click on the Bullet tool within the formatting toolbar
 To remove bullet formatting from a list
 Select the list of which the bullet formatting has been applied.
 Click on the Bullets icon on the Formatting toolbar.
 To add numbering to a list using the Numbering icon
 Select your text
 Click on the Numbering icon.
 Change the style of bullets, numbers in a single level list from built-in standard
options
 Select the text to which you want to add bullets
 From the format menu select Bullets and Numbering, to display
the Bullets and Numbering dialog box
MORE ON MS-WORD
A. PARAGRAPHING: (Tab points, line spacing etc) (indenting)
You can indent paragraphs left, right, first line, hanging
 Using the indent icons. To quickly indent or un-indent a paragraph, you can use the
increase indent and decrease indent icons on the toolbar
 Select the paragraph you wish to indent or place the insertion point in the
paragraph you wish to indent
 From the format menu, select the paragraph command to display the paragraph
dialog box.

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 If not already displayed, select the indents and spacing tab
 Line Spacing
The line spacing is automatically specified according to the tallest character on each
line. The options for default line spacing include single, 1.5 lines, double, at least
(current point size), exactly, and multiple lines.
B. TABLES
The options from the menu allows you insert table into your document or put text in
table form and perform same basic arithmetical options. To insert table:
Step 1: Position your cursor where you want the table. Select table from the menu
2: Select insert table
3: Enter the number of rows and columns desired
4: Enter the text or data into the cells.
At any point in the table, columns and rows can be inserted; select add row or
column to perform this action.
5: Changing the width and height of the cells. Select cell height or width to perform the
option.
6: Select OK or press enter
Deleting cells, select delete cell from the table option
Select delete cell up, left etc to delete
Click OK or press enter key
 To remove other from the table, select gridline from the table option to add or
remove. The information in the table can be sorted in ascending or descending order
depending on your choice (text or numbers)
Select SORT from the table, select ascending or descending
Select OK or press enter key
To perform calculations
Step 1: enter all values into the cells
2: position the cursor where you want the result to be retrieved
3: select formula from the table option in the formula box. Enter the formula to generate
the result e.g (a + b), select paste
C. DRAWING
When working on Microsoft Word, excel, PowerPoint. There is grace of drawing some little
images, objects, logos, etc
To get started
Step 1: Select toolbars from view menu
2: Select Drawing
Then the drawing options will be displayed and here are the options
a. Autoshapes: These are default shapes for quick logos
b. Word art: To design your words
c. Objects: This is automatic objects
d. Textbox: To add text to your drawing
e. Clipart: This is ready made or default pixs
f. Pixs: You can insert pictures, so far it is on the system
g. Fill color: To color the background of your object
h. Draw: To draw an object to your taste

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i. Font color: To give color to your fonts or character
j. Line color: This is to color your images
k. Line designs: Ready-made line designs
SHORTCUT KEYS
Action Keystroke
Open a Document Ctrl + O
New Document Ctrl + N
Save As F12
Save Ctrl + S
Print Ctrl + P
Help F1
Select all Ctrl + A
Copy Ctrl + C
Cut Ctrl + X
Paste Ctrl + V
Undo Ctrl + Z
Redo Ctrl + Y
Bold Ctrl + B
Italics Ctrl + I
Underline Ctrl + U
Left Justified Ctrl + L
Center Justified Ctrl + E
Right Justified Ctrl + R
Close Application Alt + F4