Exercise 1

Opening the Microsoft Word Program

1. LOOK for the Microsoft Word icon on the Windows 98 desktop. If the icon is located on the desktop, DOUBLE CLICK on the icon to open the program window.

2. If the Microsoft Word icon does not appear on the desktop, CLICK the Start button in the lower left corner. MOVE the mouse pointer up to Programs. MOVE across to Microsoft Word. MOVE across and down to Microsoft Word. CLICK on Microsoft Word to open the program.

3. The Microsoft Word window appears. At this point you may choose to create a new document, work on a previously created file, or work with a template or wizard (task starters that are part of the Microsoft Word program).

Type a Practice Paragraph

1. CLICK on the New Document icon (Located at the far left of the tool bar, it looks like a piece of paper.) to create a new word processing document.

Across the top of the Microsoft Word window you see the menu bar and the tool bar. Above the menu bar, you see the title bar for your new document, Document 1. Document1 will be the name of your document until you give it a name. Notice the blinking insertion point (also called the cursor); this is where your text will begin.

2. TYPE the following paragraph. Do not press <Enter> at the end of a sentence or the end of a line on the screen. The word wrap feature automatically takes you to the next line. PRESS <Enter> only at the end of a paragraph or when you want to insert a blank line. PRESS the <Tab> key at the beginning of the paragraph to indent the first line. Errors may be corrected by pressing the <Backspace> key; this deletes the letter or space to the left of the cursor.

A computer has a built-in memory. As each letter is typed, it appears on the computers screen and is added to a growing list of letters, spaces, tabs, and returns held in the machine's memory. In addition, the computer also stores notes about how you have formatted your document. These two features work together to allow you to rearrange, insert, delete, enlarge, reduce, italicize, bold, underline, justify, center or double-space the document you are creating.

Close a Document and Quit Microsoft Word

1. CLICK on "File" in the Menu bar, then CLICK on "Exit."

2. A dialog box appears asking if you want to save changes to Document1. CLICK the No button. This exits the Microsoft Word application and returns you to the Windows 95 desktop. If you close out of Word without saving your document, the document will not be there when you re-open the Word program. If you want to return to the document later, you must save the document. (See Saving a file instructions.)

Accessing Functions in Microsoft Office

How to understand uses of the Menu Bar, Tool Bar, Keystrokes and Right-clicking

The TITLE BAR is the blue bar at the top of the screen. It shows the name of the program in which you are working and the name of the document (or file), which is currently in use. At the far right end of the menu bar, you will find buttons to minimize, restore or close a document.

The MENU BAR is the bar below the title bar. It has words. Clicking on the words on the menu bar reveals drop down menus with other options, or functions, which you may need to use as you create your document. In Office 2000, the drop down menus first appear with only the most commonly used functions. Pausing a second or clicking on the double down arrow at the bottom of the menu will reveal the full list of options in a menu's list.

The TOOLBARS are the bars that appear below the menu bar. Usually, as you are working on a document in Word, you will have the standard toolbar and the formatting toolbar showing. The buttons on the toolbars are simply quick and easy ways to access the same functions that are available in the Menu bar. If you are not sure what a button represents, simple rest your mouse arrow on the button, and a label of that button's function will appear.

The difference between the Menu bar and the Toolbars is largely a matter of convenience and choices. The toolbars are faster to access, but they offer only the simplest choice in a particular function. Using the menu bar to access a function gives you more finite choices. It really does not matter which one you use for the most common functions.

In addition to the Menu bar and Toolbars, you may learn to use KEYSTROKES to perform some functions. To learn the keystroke for a function, locate the function on the menu bar; the keystroke will be listed on the drop down menu. Most keystrokes require you to hit the Control button (lower left corner of the keyboard) and a character key simultaneously. If you find that you get the letter (rather than the desired function) in your document, you are not hitting both keys at the same time. If this causes you a problem, simply hold down the control key first, then hit the character key. You will get used to the double stroke with practice. If you make a mistake, use the UNDO button on the toolbar to correct it.

Left-click vs. Right Click
When you select a function, you do so by clicking the left mouse button on either a button or a function word in a menu. However, in Windows-based programs, you can also use the right mouse button. The right mouse button simply shows you a menu of functions you can perform at the location or context where you are in your document. These are the same menus that appear in the menu bar and include the functions available through both the menu bar and the toolbars. Moving around slightly in a document may cause different menus to appear with the right click.

While right-clicking may seem confusing to the novice, it will become a time-saver as you become accustomed to using the program.

Remember: right click to access a menu of functions, and left-click to select a function.


Exercise 2

Cut, Copy, and Paste
In Microsoft Word, you can cut (delete) text from one area of the document and save that text so it can be pasted elsewhere in the document. When you cut or copy text, it stores it on the Clipboard. Information on the clipboard stays there until new information is either cut or copied. You can paste the information from the clipboard as often as you like.

1. Type the following text:

The teachers at Lee High School are the best teachers in the Augusta County School System. The Augusta County teachers are the best in the world.

2. Place the cursor between the words "at" and "Lee." Click the left mouse button.
3. Holding down the left mouse button, drag the mouse to the right until the words "Lee High School" are highlighted.
4. Release the mouse button - leaving the words highlighted.
5. Click on the "I" on the formatting toolbar.
6. Place the cursor between the words "the" and "Augusta" in the first sentence.
7. Holding down the left mouse button, drag the mouse to the right until the words "Augusta County School System" are highlighted.
8. Point to Edit on the menu bar. Choose Cut.
9. Place the cursor between the words "the" and "world."
10. Holding down the left mouse button, drag the mouse to the right highlighting the word "world."
11. On the standard toolbar, you will see an icon that looks like two pieces of paper overlapping. Press this icon. (You have just copied the word "world" onto a clipboard in the background of Word.) [You can also copy by choosing Edit à Copy after you have highlighted the selection you want to copy.]
12. Now place your cursor after the word the in the first sentence where you cut out "Augusta County Schools."
13. On the standard toolbar, you will see an icon that looks like a clipboard with a piece of paper on the bottom right corner of it. Press this icon. You should have pasted the word "world" into the first sentence. [You can also paste by choosing Edit à Paste.]

Exercise 3

Spell Check
Word checks your spelling and grammar as you type. Spelling errors display with a red wavy line under the word. Grammar errors display with a green wavy line under the error.

1. Type the following exactly as shown. Include all errors:
Open thr door for Mayrala. She is a teacher from the town of Lavergne.
2. Highlight the text you just typed.
3. Press the icon on the standard toolbar that has ABC above a P.
Note: you can also choose Tools à Spelling and Grammar… from the Menu bar.
4. "The" is misspelled so it is highlighted on the screen and noted in the Not in Dictionary box.
5. Word suggests correct spellings. These suggestions are found in the Suggestions box.
6. To change the word to the correct spelling, make sure "the" is highlighted in the Suggestion box. Click on Change.
Note: If the word is misspelled in several places in the document, click on Change All to correct all misspellings.
7. The name "Mayrala" is not in the dictionary, it is correct. Press Ignore to leave "Mayrala" in the document with its current spelling.
8. "Lavergne" is not found in the dictionary. If you frequently use a word not found in the dictionary, you should add that word to the dictionary by pressing the Add button. Microsoft Word will then recognize the word the next time it encounters it.
9. The following should appear on your screen: "Word finished checking the selection. Do you want to continue checking the remainder of the document"?
10. Click on No if you are finished and Yes if you want Word to check the entire document.

NOTE: Be careful of the grammar check. Word is not always accurate with grammar. Reread the selection carefully before accepting their changes.

Note a shortcut for spell checking a single word:
1. Type "Word is helpfl with spellng checks." purposely misspelling the words.
2. After you have finished typing the sentence, place your cursor on the word helpfl and right click with the mouse.
3. The correct spelling of "helpful" should appear on the top of the dialog box that pops up. Left click the mouse on the word "helpful" and Word will correct your spelling.
4. Now, right click on the word spellng. Notice you have a choice of several words you could have meant. Left click on the correct word in the list and Word will correct your spelling.

Exercise 4

Fonts
In Microsoft Word, you can change the size and appearance of your font (text).

1. Type the following:
I am the smallest. I am a little bigger. I am the biggest.
2. Highlight "I am the smallest."
3. Click on Format
4. Highlight Font. Press Enter.
5. Click on the Font tab, if it is not in the front.
6. Type 8 in the Size field, or click on 8 in the box below the Size field.
7. Click on OK
8. Highlight "I am a little bigger."
9. Click on Format.
10. Type 14 in the Size field and choose a different font in the font field. Notice as you choose different fonts, a preview shows in the Preview window below the font field.
11. Click OK
12. Highlight "I am the biggest."
13. On the Formatting toolbar, notice that the font is listed with the size beside it. Click the drop down menu for size and choose 24. Beside the size field on the Formatting toolbar, there are three buttons: B, I, and U. The B represents Bold, the I represents Italics, and the U represents Underlining. Press the B button.

Backspace and/or Delete Keys
1. Type the following sentence:
Joe has a very large house.
2. Now delete the word "house." Using either the arrow keys or the mouse, place the cursor between the period and the "e" in the word, "house."
3. Press the Backspace key until the word "house" is deleted.
4. Type boat. The sentence should now read:
Joe has a very large boat.
5. Note: the Backspace key deletes to the left of the cursor, the Delete key deletes to the right of the cursor. You can also highlight text and press either key to delete the highlighted text.
6. Highlight the word "very."
7. Press the Delete key.

Undo and Redo
You can quickly undo most commands you execute by using Undo. If you then change your mind, you can Redo.
1. Type Undo example.
2. Click on Edit.
3. Highlight Undo Typing. Press Enter.
4. The typing should disappear.
5. Click on Edit.
6. Highlight Redo Typing. Press Enter.
7. The typing should reappear.
8. You can Undo the last several items typed by continually pressing Undo.

Exercise 5

Saving Your File

It is important that you always make a copy of your work as it progresses. If there is a hardware malfunction or you accidentally erase your work, you would not have to start from scratch. You can store your work on your computer's hard drive or a diskette.

Procedures:

Saving to the Hard Drive

• Step 1 - Click on File. Now Click on Save As.
• Step 2 - A pop-up window appears with a folder called My Documents at the top. This is the default setting for Microsoft Office programs. The cursor is flashing in the File Name box at the bottom of the window.
  The first line of text will appear in the File name box. If you want to change the file name, click and drag across this to highlight it and type in the new name. If you are satisfied with this name for your file, go on to step 3. (You may call the file anything you like except avoid punctuation symbols in the file name.)
• Step 3 - Click the Save button. The file has been copied to the computer's hard drive in the folder, My Documents.

Saving to a Diskette

• Step 1 - Click on File. Now Click on Save As.
• Step 2 - A pop-up window appears with a folder called My Documents at the top. This is the default setting for Microsoft Office programs. The File Name is highlighted or showing in the box at the bottom of the window.
• Step 3 - Place a formatted diskette into your computer diskette drive.
• Step 4 - Now click the down arrow beside the Save In window. (This is the box that says "My Documents" at the top of this window.) A drop down box will open. Now Click once on the 3½ Floppy (A:) icon. The computer will read the disk drive and the Save In window will now read 3½ Floppy (A:).
• Step 5 - The cursor is flashing in the File Name box at the bottom of the window. If you wish to change the name of the file, highlight the file name and type in the new name. (You may call the file anything you like except avoid punctuation symbols in the file name.)
• Step 6 - Click the Save button. The file has been copied to your diskette.

Margins

The default margins for Word are 1 inch at the top and bottom or the page and 1.25 at the sides. You can change these margins…

The quickest way to change a margin is to drag the margin boundary on the ruler. To do this, rest the mouse arrow at the edge of the shaded margin area until you see a double-ended arrow and drag. You can double click in the shaded margin area on the ruler to access the Page Setup and Margins dialog box. (Or, you can click on FILE, then PAGE SETUP.) You can change your default setting in the Margins dialog box, thus affecting all future documents you create.

If you want your margin changes to apply to the entire document, be sure the "Apply to" box reads "Whole document." If you want them to apply only from the insertion point forward, select "From this point forward."

If you want the margin changes to apply only to a specific section, click INSERT, then BREAK, and choose Continuous, then change the margins. You can also use indents to change the margins on a portion of your document.

You can also change margins while in Print Preview by dragging the margins on the ruler.

Exercise 7

Oh, my Word!

If you're highlighting text in MS Office Word, and you're tired of clicking and dragging and chasing the black space all over the page, try some of these keyboard shortcuts:

• To select all the text in a document: Control + A
  
• To select a specific block of text: Click at the beginning of the passage; hit Shift; Click at the end.
  
• To select from the insertion point to the end of the line: Hit Shift then End
  
• To select from the insertion point to the beginning of the line: Hit Shift then Home
  
• To select a sentence: Hit Control and Click in the sentence.
  
• To select a paragraph move the cursor to the selection area (That's the area to the left of the text. You know you're there when you see a right pointing arrow) Double click. You can also triple click in a paragraph.
  

Other selection area tips:

• Click once to select a line. (If you keep dragging down, you will continue to select additional lines.)
  
• Click three times to select the entire document.

Other Handy Keystrokes:

• Line Spacing -
  o Ctrl + 2 = double space
  o Ctrl + 1 = single space
  o Ctrl + 5 = 1 ½ space
• Cut, Copy, Paste
  o Ctrl + x = cut
  o Ctrl + c = copy
  o Ctrl + v = paste

Exercise 8

Working with Clip Art in Microsoft Word 2000

Inserting pictures
Word includes clipart to help make your documents more spectacular. To add clipart:

1. Choose Insert on the Menu bar.
2. Choose Picture.
3. Choose Clip Art.

4. It will take a minute for the clipart to load.
5. Choose a picture from the clip art gallery and click Insert.

Note: If you have the drawing toolbar showing, you can also click the icon that looks like a framed picture of a man's head.

The clip art gallery appears. You can select a category of clip art to make your search easier, or you can type in a descriptive word or phrase n the Search for clips box. Once you have accessed a selection of clips, scroll until you find one you like and click on it. A menu will pop up beside it. Click the first option, Insert Clip. Your clip will be inserted on your document. You will not see the clip until you either close or minimize the gallery. (Minimize it if you expect to need it again soon.)

Once your clip is on the document, you will want to format it to make it suitable to your document. When clip art first appears in the document, it appears as an inline graphic object. This means that it lines itself up at the bottom edge with a line of text. The border around the clip will appear as a thin black line (visible when the clip art is selected). When you move the clip, it moves like text, and you will see an insertion point appear as you move the mouse around.

Often you will want to reformat your clip art as a floating object rather than an inline object.
Floating objects move independently from text and offer more flexibility in placement. To change the clip to a floating object, right click on the clip. Click on Format Picture. On the Layout tab, look for Wrapping Style and select any of the boxes other than "in line with text."

The options are:

• Square - text is wrapped on all sides of the bounding box
  
• Tight - text is wrapped to the shape of the clip art on all sides
  
• Behind text - the text appears over the clip art
  
• In front of text - the clip covers text

You can also choose a horizontal alignment option on this tab, but it is not really necessary.
As soon as you have chosen a wrapping style other than in line with text, your clip becomes a floating object and you can freely move it around on the page and position it wherever you want it. You will notice that the box that appears around selected clip art has a different look. Also, when you place the mouse cursor over the clip, it changes to a four-sided arrow that you click and drag to reposition the clip.

You can make more choices regarding alignment by clicking on the Advanced button on the layout tab in the Format Picture box.