FORMATTING A PAPER USING WORD 2007
If you have used other version of Word this document should help when it comes to formatting a paper that requires, margin changes, tabs, line spacing, footnotes and even foreign characters.
Common Keystrokes
Indents and Spacing
Tab Stops
Margins, Page Numbering, and Footnotes
International Characters
To launch Microsoft Word from the Start Menu, choose Programs: Microsoft Office: Microsoft Word 2007.
The Ribbon has replaced toolbars. Microsoft Office has grouped like functions together and placed the groups on a ribbon. You will notice that some groups have dialog box lunchers that open a dialog box for more options.
Common Keystrokes
- Ctrl+N Create a new document
- Ctrl+O Open an existing document
- Ctrl+S Save your document
- Ctrl+P Print your document
- F7 Check spelling and grammar
- Ctrl+X Cut selected text
- Ctrl+C Copy selected text
- Ctrl+V Paste cut or copied text
- Ctrl+B Bold selected text
- Ctrl+I Italicize selected text
- Ctrl+U Underline selected text
- Ctrl+L Left align selected text
- Ctrl+E Center selected text on page
- Ctrl+R Right align text
- Ctrl+J Justify selected text
- Ctrl +1 Single line spacing
- Ctrl +2 Double line spacing
- Ctrl +5 1.5 line spacing
If the ruler is not displayed, click on the View Ribbon in the Show/Hide group place a check mark in Ruler.
A Quote paragraph:
- Click on the paragraph that you want to use as a quote.(usually a lengthy quotation from a source you are citing).
- From the Home Ribbon, Paragraph group, launch the dialog box. From the Indentation section change the left and right from .0 to .5"
- If you only want the left side indented then change just the left to read .5
- Click the OK.
To indent the first line of a paragraph:
- Click on the paragraph that you want to have a first-line indent. From the Home Ribbon, Paragraph group, launch the dialog box.
- From the Indentation section change the Special None to First Line.
- Click OK
To create a hanging indent:
- Click on the paragraph that you want to have a first-line indent. From the Home Ribbon, Paragraph group, launch the dialog box.
- From the Indentation section change the Special None to Hanging.
- Click OK.
The hanging indent is especially useful when typing your bibliography!
To double-space lines:
- Select the paragraph of paragraphs that will have this line spacing.
- Click on the Paragraph dialog box launcher from the Home or Page Layout Ribbon.
- In the section of the dialog box labeled "Spacing", click on the down arrow under Line Spacing, and choose Double.
- Click OK to apply.
You can also double-space by selecting the paragraph or paragraphs, and using the key combination Ctrl +2.
Tab selections:
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- Left-aligned
- Right-aligned
- Center-aligned
- Decimal stop
To insert tab stops:
- Select the text to which you would like to apply tab spacing
- Click on the Tab Indicator (see Ruler graphic) until the type of tab you would like to set appears.
- Click on the ruler where you want to set your tab/s. The tab symbol will be placed wherever you click.
- When you have finished placing your tab markers, set tabs by placing your curser and pressing the Tab key in front of the desired text.
- To move the location of your tab stop, click and drag the tab
symbol horizontally across the ruler to the preferred location.
- To remove a tab stop, click and drag the symbol off of the ruler, and release. The tab will disappear, and your text spacing will return to normal.
Margins, Page Numbering, and Footnotes
To change your page margins:
- Click on the Page Layout tab, from the Page Setup group, launch the dialog box.
- Change the current margins to your preferred specifications. (An example of your margins will appear in the preview section of the box as you type in your changes.)
- Click on OK when you are done, and the margins will be changed on your document.
To number pages:
- Click on the Insert tab, from the Header & Footer group click Page Number. The drop down menu give you several choices. Pausing over the Top of Page or Bottom of Page will display the Setups predefined by Word. The first three are left, center or right. Use the scroll bar to view the others.
- Click on the one that you want to use.
- The document and screen will then be displayed in the Header & Footer Tools ribbon. To close this ribbon click on the Close Header and Footer grouping.
To place footnotes:
- Make sure your document is in Print Layout View.
- Place your cursor where you want the footnote indicator to appear.
- Click on the Reference tab, from the Footnotes group click on Insert Footnote to insert a Footnote, otherwise click on Insert Endnote to insert a note at the end of the document.
- Type the note text in the area provided.
- Scroll back into your document to continue.















