Selecting only the text you need in Word
Within Word there are a number of ways to select text and some of them are:
A word | Double-click it |
A line of text | Move the mouse pointer to the left of the line until it changes to a right-pointing arrow, and then click |
A sentence | Hold down Ctrl and click anywhere in the sentence |
A paragraph | Triple-click anywhere in the paragraph |
Multiple paragraphs | Move the mouse pointer to the left of the first paragraph until it changes to a right-pointing arrow, and then press and hold down the left mouse button while you drag the mouse pointer up or down |
An entire document | Move the mouse pointer to the left of any text until it changes to a right-pointing arrow, and then triple-click |
A vertical block of text | Hold down ALT while you drag the mouse pointer over the text |
If you don't want to use a mouse you can use the following keyboard commands to select with:
A word | Place the cursor at the beginning of the word, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+RIGHT ARROW |
A line of text | Press HOME, and then press SHIFT+END |
A sentence | Hold down CTRL and click anywhere in the sentence |
A paragraph | Move the cursor to the beginning of the paragraph, and then press CTRL+SHIFT+DOWN ARROW |
An entire document | Press CTRL+A |
From the beginning of a window to its end | Move the cursor to the beginning of the window, and then press ALT+CTRL+SHIFT+PAGE DOWN |
A vertical block of text | Press CTRL+SHIFT+F8, and then use the arrow keys. Press ESC to turn off the selection mode |
A word, a sentence, a paragraph, or a document | Press F8 to turn on selection mode, and then press F8 once to select a word, twice to select a sentence, three times to select a paragraph, or four times to select the document. Press ESC to turn off the selection mode |
For more ways to select in Word take a look at Microsoft's Select text website.
These steps will work in both Word 2003 and Word 2007.
Happy selecting!
I am being driven up the wall by being unable to simply click on a SPACE between words or "inside" a word without highlighting an entire word. Yes, I have unchecked that box in Word options, advanced, highlight whole word. It doesn't work. Seemingly there is no way to simply click in a space between words or in the middle or a word and have nothing at all highlighted. I can't tell you how much work time this loses me and how frustrating it is. I am ready to try and switch to some other word processing program just on this one issue.
Posted by: Chas | 12/29/2011 at 09:39 PM