After attending this workshop, students should be able to complete the following tasks involving MS...

The Secrets of MS Word:

Using Microsoft Word Like an Expert

Objectives

Apply general paper formatting required by MLA format, including Double spacing, creating an MLA style header, setting margins, and creating hanging indents

Change the font style and size

Turning on/off the auto-correct options

Center or justify text

Make the first page header (or footer) different from the rest of the document

After attending this workshop, students should be able to complete the following tasks involving MS Word:

Objectives, continued Select text and move or delete it

View and use the ruler tool 

Create bulleted and numbered lists

Use Bold, Italics, and underlining

Use spelling, grammar, and thesaurus tools

Use the Review tab to make comments on other students' papers

Use Find and Replace.

Formatting before You Type

Before You Begin Typing Your Essay

Set the margins

Set the spacing

Remove the extra space between paragraphs

Choose font size

Choose font style

Turn-off inaccurate auto-correct options

Display the ruler

Add the MLA (or APA) header

Setting the Margins

In MS Word 2007, the default setting for each margin is 1”. Earlier versions of MS Word have slightly different margins.

MLA, APA, and Turabian documentation styles all require 1” margins.

Setting the Margins, continued

Click on the page layout tab

Setting the Margins, continued

Click the margins icon

Select the option for “Normal” margins

Setting the Spacing

The default setting for MS Word 2007 uses 1.5 line spacing.

MS Word also automatically adds an extra space between paragraphs.

Most of your assignments in school require strict double spacing.

Double Spacing

Make sure that you

are on the “Home”

tab.

Find the paragraph

menu.

Double Spacing

Click the spacing

icon on the “Paragraph”

menu.

Click “2.0” Click

“Remove space after paragraph.”

Font Size and Style

MS Word 2007 automatically formats the font size and style as 11 point Calibri font.

APA documentation and most professors require 12 point Times New Roman Font.

To Change the Font To access the font

style menu, click here.

To access the font

size menu, click here.

Formatting in 12 Point, Times New Roman Font

Click the Arrow on the Style Menu and select “Times New Roman.”

Click the Arrow on the Font Size Menu and

Select “12.”

Click hereClick here.

Turning Off Unneeded Auto Correct Options

Click the Office Button

Turning Off Unneeded Auto Correct Options

Click the “Word

Options” button

Turning Off Unneeded Auto Correct Options

Select “Proofing” on

the Word Options menu.

Turning Off Unneeded Auto Correct Options

Make sure to check

the options

you want on this page.

Commonly You want to check

all the options

checked in this

example.

Then, click the

“Auto Correct” button.

Turning Off Unneeded Auto Correct Options

Click on the “AutoFormat As You Type” tab. Click to check

the options you desire. Uncheck those you don’t want. Typically, you only want

the options selected in this

example.

Turning Off Unneeded Auto Correct Options

Click on the “AutoFormat” tab. Click to check the

options you desire. Uncheck those you

don’t want. Typically, you only want the options selected in this

example.

Viewing the Ruler

The ruler is located directly above the

writing page. Being able to view the

ruler will be a great help when you later try to format your

Works Cited page or a block quote.

If the ruler is not visible,

click the “View” tab

and check the box next to

the word ruler.

Creating an MLA Style Header

MLA format requires the author’s last name and the page number to appear in the top right corner of the page. The header should appear in the margin above your text.

Creating an MLA Style Header

Click the

“Insert” tab.

Select the “Page Number” icon.

Creating an MLA Style Header

Place the cursor over

the option for “Top of the

Page.”

Select “Plain Number 3”

Creating an MLA Style HeaderAfter you click your

page number

style option, the page

number will appear in

the header.

Type your name followed by a space to create an MLA style header.

Creating an APA Header

An APA header is more complicated than an MLA header.

On the first page, the header will have the words Running head: followed by the title in all caps (i.e. Running Head: THE GREAT DEBATE). This phrase is justified on the left.

The page number is justified on the right.

Subsequent pages do not include the words Running head: before the title.

Creating an APA Header

Begin creating an APA header as you would an

MLA header, but on the “Top of

the Page” menu, select “Plain Number 1.”

Creating an APA Header: Justifying the Title on the Left and the Page Number on the Right

Type the title of your

paper in all caps.

Tab twice to right justify the page number.

Creating an APA Header, Making the first and subsequent pages different

On the design tab, click the box

labeled different first page. Your

header will disappear, for now. (Don’t worry it will appear after you

have more than one page).

Creating an APA Header, Formatting the First Page

Type the words Running head: followed by the title in all caps, and then tab

twice.

Closing the Header

To close the header, click the red “Close Header and Footer” Button . It is red and located in the right corner of the screen.

Formatting After You Type

Selecting Text

Selecting text is a critical skill you need to change the formatting of the text or to move or delete text.

To select text, move your cursor so that it is blinking directly in front of the passage you wish to select.

Left click on your mouse, and move the mouse to the left (and/or) down to highlight the text you want to select

To Select the Entire Document

If you desire to change the entire document (i.e. change the font size, font style, text alignment, layout, text color, etc…). You can use the “Select All” option:

•Go to the “Home tab.”

•On the “Editing” menu, click on the word Select.

•Click on “Select All”

Centering and JustificationTo center text, select the text you want to center. Click on the centering button. (It is located on the Paragraph tab and has lots of centered lines on it).

To justify text, select the text you want to justify and choose the justification alignment you desire:Full--text is flush to the margin on each side.Right – Text is aligned on the right side of the page.Left – Normal alignment.

Moving and Deleting Text

Deleting text

Select text to be deleted.

Press the “Delete” key on your keyboard.

Moving text

Select the text to be moved.

Press the buttons on your keyboard labeled “Ctrl” and “X.”

Move the cursor so that it is located where you want to insert the text.

Press the buttons on your keyboard labeled “Ctrl” and “V.”

To Bold, Italicize, or Underline Text

1. Select your text. 2. Locate the “Font”

tab.3. Click on the

appropriate button:Bold

ItalicsUnderling

To Create Numbered or Bulleted Lists

As you type

Select either the Bullet icon (see images below) or the numbered list icon.

Type your list.

When you are done with your list, hit enter then click the bullet or numbered list button so that you can begin typing normally.

Text that is already typed

Make sure to hit the return key after each list item so that each item is on a separate line.

Select the list.

Click the bullet icon or the numbered list icon.

Bullet iconNumbered list

icon.

Creating a References Page

General InformationAll documentation styles require writers to include a references page.

Although the order of information may be different depending on the documentation style you use, the basic format is the same.

References pages begin on a separate page after your essay has ended.

The title of the references page (References, Works Cited, or Bibliography, depending on documentation style) should be centered.

The entries are double spaced and have a hanging indent.

Steps in Creating a References Page

1. Create a page break to start the References on a new page.

2. Type the page title.

3. Type the entries.

4. Center the page title.

5. Create a hanging indent

Inserting a Page

Go to the “Insert” tab.

Click on the “Page Break” icon.

Creating a Hanging Indent

Select your text.

Place the cursor on the ruler.

Find the icon that looks like two triangles stacked on a rectangle.

Place your cursor over the bottom triangle. The words “Hanging Indent” should appear.

Click on the triangle and drag it half an inch.

Creating a References Page, Finished Product

Using Editing Tools

Editing Tools

Spell Check

Grammar Check

Thesaurus

Inserting Comments

Spell Check and Grammar Check as You Go

MS Word can check grammar and spelling as you type.

Spelling errors will have wavy red lines under them.

Grammar errors will have wavy green lines under them.

Spell Check and Grammar Check as You Go, Cont.

If you right click on a word or passage that is underlined in green or red, Word will offer suggestions for correction.

Spelling and Grammar Check

To check your document after you have finished typing. You can use the spelling and grammar check.

Click the review tab.

Select the “Spelling and Grammar Check” icon.

Follow the prompts.

The Short Comings of Spelling and Grammar Check

Spell check does not correct misspellings or typos that are actually words. For example, if you mistakenly type the word be when you meant to type by, spell check will not catch the mistake.

Many technical field specific words are not in the spell check dictionary.

Grammar check only catches some errors, not all.

Sometimes with long sentences, grammar check will indicate that grammar is incorrect when it is correct.

Sometimes the suggestions that Word offers are not correct or are not the corrections you want to make.

Thesarus

If you feel that your language is repetitive, MS Word does have a Thesaurus function.

If you want to use the thesarus, use the following steps:

Select the word you would like to replace.

Right click.

Click the word “Synonyms” and choose from a list of suggestions.

The Comment FunctionYou can use MS Word to Peer Review another student’s paper.

If you would like to make a comment about a passage, select the passage.

On the “Review” tab, click the icon for “New Comment.” A balloon will appear.

Type your comment in the balloon.