Microsoft Word (MS Word)

• One of the most widely used programs of Microsoft Office suite, MS Word is a word
processor developed by Microsoft.

Basics of MS Word
• What is MS Word?

o Used to make professional-quality documents, letters, reports, etc., MS Word is a

word processor developed by Microsoft. It has advanced features which allow you to
format and edit your files and documents in the best possible way.

• Where to find MS Word on your personal computer?

o Follow these simple steps to open MS Word on your personal computer:

§ Start → All Programs → MS Office → MS Word.

• What are the uses of MS Word?

o MS Word enables users to do write-ups, create documents, resumes, contracts, etc.

This is one of the most commonly used programs under the Office suite.

Features of MS Word

• Home

This has options like font colour, font size, font style, alignment, bullets, line spacing, etc. All
the basic elements which one may need to edit their document is available under the Home
option.

• Insert

Tables, shapes, images, charts, graphs, header, footer, page number, etc. can all be
entered in the document. They are included in the “Insert” category.
 • Design

The template or the design in which you want your document to be created can be selected
under the Design tab. Choosing an appropriate tab will enhance the appearance of your
document.

• Page Layout

Under the Page Layout tab comes options like margins, orientation, columns, lines,
indentation, spacing, etc.

• References

This tab is the most useful for those who are creating a thesis or writing books or lengthy
documents. Options like citation, footnote, table of contents, caption, bibliography, etc. can
be found under this tab.

• Review

Spell check, grammar, Thesaurus, word count, language, translation, comments, etc. can
all be tracked under the review tab. This acts as an advantage for those who get their
documents reviewed on MS Word.

Apart from all the above-mentioned features, the page can be set in different views and
layouts, which can be added and optimised using the View tab on the Word document.
Margins and scales are also available for the benefit of the users.

When compared with MS PowerPoint, MS Word is more of reading while PPT is more of visual
and graphical representation of data.

Uses of MS Word

• In Education: It is considered as one of the simplest tools which can be used by both
teachers and students. Creating notes is easier using MS Word as they can be made more
interactive by adding shapes and images. It is also convenient to make assignments on MS
Word and submitting them online
 • In Workplace: Submitting letters, bills, creating reports, letterheads, sample documents,
can all easily be done using MS Word

• Creating & Updating Resume: One of the best tools to create your resumes and is easy to
edit and make changes in it as per your experience

• For Authors: Since separate options are available for bibliography, table of contents, etc., it
is the best tool which can be used by authors for writing books and adjusting it as per the
layout and alignment of your choice

Also, creating a Doc file and converting it into PDF is a more suitable option, so it is highly
recommended.

Microsoft Word :
• A Word processor is a computer program for processing words.
• A Word processor software provides a general set of tools for entering, editing, and
formatting text.
• A word processor has everything that a conventional typewriter has. It provides various
useful features that cannot be done on a typewriter.

Features :
• Fast Typing: Text in a word processor becomes fast since there is no associated
mechanical carriage movement.
• Editing functions: Any type of correction (insert, delete, change, etc.) can be easily
done as and on demand.
• Permanent storage: Documents can be stored indefinitely. The saved document can
be called up at any time.
• Formatting functions: Entered text can be created in any form and style (bold, italic,
underline, different fonts, etc.). Graphics Provides the ability to insert drawings into
documents, making them more useful.
• OLE (Object Linking and Embedding): OLE is a program integration technology
used to exchange information between programs about objects. Objects are entities
stored as graphs, equations, video clips, audio clips, images, and so on.
• Alignment: You can align your text as you like, for example, left, right, or centered.
You can even make a box set, i.e, aligned from both sides.
• Delete errors: You can remove a word, line, or paragraph from a stroke, and the rest
of the subject will appear automatically.
• Line Spacing: You can set the line spacing from one to nine according to your
preference.
• Move-in Cursor: You can move the cursor from one word to another or from one
paragraph to another as needed.
• Naming a Document: You can name a document and retrieve it from your hard drive
at any time for editing, updating, correction, and even for printing.
• Page break: You can set a page break at any point in the text so that the next page is
printed when printing.
• Search and Replace: You can search for a specific word in the entire document and
replace it with another word.
• Thesaurus: you can exchange a word with one of its synonyms. This way you can
avoid the repetition of a single word in a document and add beauty to the language.
• Indentation: Refers to the space between the text boundaries and the margins of the
page. There are three types of indents: positive, negative, and hanging.
• Header and footer: A header or footer is text or a graphic, such as a page number, a
date, or a company logo, that is typically printed at the top or bottom of each page of a
document.
• Page orientation: Refers to whether the text is printed lengthways or across. Above
the printed side is called PORTRAIT and the side printed across is called
LANDSCAPE.
• Spell Checker: Not only can it check spelling mistakes, but it can also suggest
possible alternatives for misspelled words.
• Mail Merge: This is a function that allows you to print a large number of
letters/documents with more or less similar texts. Below this, the same letter of
invitation must be sent to the guests, only the name and address are changed.
MS Word Window :
• Title Bar: Displays the name of the file you are currently working on. It also consists of
three buttons, for example, The Minimize button reduces the window to an icon, but
the word remains active. The Restore button returns the Word window to its original
maximum size. The close button takes us out of Word.
• Menu Bar: This consists of various commands that can be accessed by clicking on the
menu options under these menu headings.
• Standard Toolbar: Displays icons for common operations, such as Open, Print, Save,
etc., which can be done by clicking on the suitable tool.
• Formatting Toolbar: Displays the options that can be used to format our document,
such as The ruler indicating the width of the document. It can be increased or
decreased. You can see how many of the lines you wrote. Work area This is the area
where you can enter the text.
• Vertical Scroll Bar: For larger text in the document, you can scroll the vertical bar to
view the text in different positions.
• Horizontal scrollbar: Used to move from left to right of the document and vice versa if
the document is too wide to fit on the screen.
• Search Object Selection Button: This helps us select one of several tools used to
find something in a document.
• Normal View button: Helps us view the document very as it will be printed. Arranges
the text so that no document is hidden on the screen.
• Print Layout View: This option allows us to see how the document will be printed. All
headers, footers, and comments are displayed.
• Draw Toolbar: One of several toolbars that may be available on the screen. This
special is used to make drawings on the document.
• Status bar: This bar always shows you your current position as far as the text goes. It
shows you the current position of your in terms of the page number, line number, etc.
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.
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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Task Bar
Shows open programs.

Zoom Slide
Allows you to increase/decrease the amount of the document you see on the screen.
View Ruler Button
Allows you to view/hide the rulers.

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.

Scroll Bars
Allows you to view entire workbook by moving it up, down (vertical scroll bar), left or right
(horizontal scroll bar).

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.

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.

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.

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

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.
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.

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.

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.