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Microsoft Word Tutorial

Microsoft Word is a powerful, flexible word processing program that you can use to create letters, reports, memos, tables, and many other documents. This hands-on tutorial will teach you the basic features of Word so you can quickly create and format a wide variety of documents. This tutorial will cover the basic functions of Word and will not delve into the more advanced functions. During this tutorial, you’ll be creating a letter that will inform a child’s parents that the child is eligible for a special program. Let’s get started!

  1. Launch Word. The Word Program window and a blank document will appear
    (see Figure 1.1 below).

    Figure 1.1: Word Program Window


  2. Inspect the Standard and Formatting toolbars. You’ll be using many of the useful functions in these toolbars during this tutorial
    (see Figure 1.2, which illustrates the commonly-used icons in this toolbar).

    Figure 1.2: Standard and Formatting Toolbars



    Now you’re going to learn how to save your documents so that you can find them later.

  3. Save and title the docu(see Figure 1.3 below).

    Figure 1.3: Save As Dialog Box


  4. At the Save As dialog box, type “GAT Program Letter” in the File Name field (see Figure 1.3 above).
  5. Click the black down-pointing triangle located to the right of the Save In field, and select the folder or area of the computer in which you want to save the file. Click the Save button (see Figure 1.3).
  6. Insert the date by clicking the Insert menu and selecting Date and Time. The Date and Time dialog box will appear (see Figure 1.4). Each available date format will reflect the current date (today’s date). Double-click the desired date format. The date will appear in the upper-left area of the document

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Figure 1.4: Date and Time Dialog Box

  1. Press the Enter key twice. This will create space between the date that was just created and the text you’ll type next.

    Now you’re going to learn how to change the text alignment so you can create standard correspondence (your address is centered at the top and the recipient’s address and body text is left-aligned below your address). You’ll be using the Align center and Align left functions.

  2. Click the Align Center icon (see Figure 1.2).
  3. The Insertion point will now appear in the center of the screen. Everything that you type while the alignment is set to Align Center will be centered on the screen.
  4. Enter the following text: “Jesse Bethel High School” (don’t type the quotation marks). Press the Enter key. The insertion point will appear centered on a new line.
  5. Type “Gifted and Talented Program” and press the Enter key.
  6. Type “2500 Redwood Parkway” and press the Enter key.
  7. Type “Vallejo, CA 94591” and press the Enter key.
  8. Type (707) 557-3434 and press the Enter key twice.
  9. Click the Align Left icon (see Figure 1.2). The Insertion Point will now appear at the far left of the screen, which is where it’s usually located.
  10. Type “Christine and Robert Anderson” and press the Enter key.
  11. Type 2500 Skyview Ave. and press the Enter key.
  12. Type “Vallejo, CA 94591” and press the Enter key twice.
  13. Type “Gifted and Talented Program Offer for Chris Anderson” and press the Enter key twice.
  14. Place the Insertion Point slightly to the left of the text you just typed until it changes to a White Arrow pointer that points diagonally to the right. Make sure the White Arrow pointer is aligned with the text, and click the mouse button once. The text is now selected.
  15. Click the Bold icon on the Formatting toolbar to make the text bold so that the purpose of the letter stands out.
  16. Place the Insertion Point to the right of the selected text (make sure the arrow is aligned with the text) and click the mouse button once. The text is now deselected.
  17. Click the Bold icon to deactivate it.
  18. Press the Enter key twice.
  19. Click the Save icon on the Standard toolbar (the third icon from the left – it looks like a square floppy disk). Save your work often so that you won’t lose it if the power goes off suddenly or a computer system failure occurs.
  20. Type “Dear Mr. and Mrs. Anderson,” (include the comma after Anderson) and press the Enter key twice.
  21. Type this text passage: “We are pleased to inform you that your son, Chris, has been chosen to participate in the Gifted and Talented (GAT) Program at Jesse Bethel High School. The gifted and talented program recognizes students who have above-average scholastic aptitude and places them in classes that are commensurate with their skills and abilities. Here are the goals of the Gifted and Talented Program:” Just type the passage as it is written – Word’s automatic Word-wrap feature will automatically advance to the next line.
  22. Press the Enter key.

    You’re going to create a Bulleted list next. This useful feature will allow you to create a very wide variety of lists.

  23. Click the Bullet icon, which is located in the right area of the Formatting toolbar. A bullet will appear in the line.
  24. Type “Maximizes students’ potential by providing them with a high-level learning environment.” Press the Enter key.
  25. Type “Prepare the students for college and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) by providing them with classes and workshops not offered in standard programs.” Press the Enter key twice.
  26. Type “Give the students expert career guidance and help them decide which college is best for them.”

    Your document should now look similar to the one depicted in Figure 1.5 below:

    Figure 1.5: GAT Letter



  27. Type “You and Chris must decide if the GAT Program is the right choice for him. If you decide to enroll Chris in the program, you must do the following:” Press the Enter key.

    You’re going to make a numbered list next. Numbered lists are used quite often when creating documents in Word.

  28. Click the Numbering icon located in the right area of the Formatting toolbar (see Figure 1.2). The number “1.” will appear indented in the line.
  29. Type “Complete the attached GAT application.” and press the Enter key.
  30. Type “Include a $200 book and supply fee, which will cover special books that Chris will use this semester. Send the completed application and the book and supply fee to the above-referenced address within 15 business days.” and press the Enter key twice.

    We’re going to make a table that shows the different phases of the GAT program. Tables are very useful tools that allow you to convey information quickly and concisely.

  31. Type “The GAT program consists of various phases that will give Chris the skills he needs to succeed academically at an accelerated pace. Below is a table that briefly outlines the phases of the GAT Program.” Press the Enter key twice.
  32. Click the Table icon located in the Standard toolbar and hold down the left mouse button. While holding the mouse button down, drag down and slightly to the right until the Row and Column indicator reflects 4 x 2. See Figure 1.6 below. 4 x 2 means that the table will have 4 rows and 2 columns. Release the mouse button when 4 x 2 appears.

    Figure 1.6: Table with Row and Column Indicator


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  33. Click the in the left column of the first row and type “Phase” Press the Tab key once to move to the next column.
  34. Type “Purpose” in the right column.
  35. Resize the columns by placing the Insertion point on the line that divides the Phase column from the Purpose column until it changes to a Double-sided Arrow, and then click the left mouse button and drag the Resizing line until it’s about one inch from the Phase column (see Figure 1.7).

    Figure 1.7: Resizing Columns



    Now we’re going to change the font type of the Column Headings. All fonts in the document can be changed using this procedure (body text, titles, etc.).

  36. Place the Insertion Point directly to the left of the P in Phase in the Phase column and then left click the mouse and drag it across both columns so that Phase and Purpose are selected.
  37. Click the black down-pointing triangle located to the left of the Font Selection field and select Arial. The font will change to Arial. When changing font types in the future, experiment with different font types until you find fonts that you like.
  38. Click the black down-pointing triangle located to the left of the Font size field and select 10.
  39. Click the Bold icon to make the Column Headings bold.
  40. Place the Insertion Point to the left of the first blank column under Phase until it changes to a White Arrow pointer that points diagonally to the right. Click the left mouse button and drag the White Arrow pointer downward until all three rows below the Column Headings are selected. Release the mouse when the three rows are selected.
  41. Click the black down-pointing triangle located to the left of the Font Selection field, and select Arial.
  42. Click the black down-pointing triangle located to the left of the Font size field, and select 10. Don’t bold the text that was just formatted. Now the text that you’ll enter in the rows below the column headings will be Arial, 10 pt., regular. Remember that you can change any text in the document by following steps 47 and/or 48.
  43. Type an upper-case “I” in the first column directly below the Phase column.
  44. Press the Tab key to move to the next column, which is located directly below the Purpose column. Type “Acquaint the students with the GAT Program and its instructors.” Press the Tab key. The Insertion Point should now be in the left column of the second row.
  45. Type “II” in upper-case in the left column of the second row. Press the Tab key.
  46. Type “Give the students the proper materials, instruction, and guidance.” Press the Tab key.
  47. Type “III” in upper-case in the left column of the third row. Press the Tab key.
  48. Type “Assess the students’ progress with tests and showcase their work during a special GAT Student Project event.”

    The completed table should look similar to the table in Figure 1.8.

    Figure 1.8: Completed Table



    Now we’re going to cover cutting and pasting, which are very important word processing functions.

  49. Click in the area below the table, and continue pressing the Enter key until the Insertion Point is on a new page.
  50. At the new page (page 2), type “If you have any questions regarding the GAT Program, feel free to contact me anytime. We hope to hear from you soon.” Press the Enter key twice.
  51. Type “We highly recommend that you allow Chris to participate in the GAT Program. We are very confident that we can refine his skills and aptitude and adequately prepare him for a prosperous academic future. The GAT Program has cultivated the skills and talents of many students, and there are a very large number of success stories.” Press the Enter key twice.
  52. Type “Sincerely,” and press the Enter key three times.
  53. Type “Christine Alvarez,” and press the Enter key. Don’t type a comma after “Alvarez.”
  54. Type “Director, GAT Program”
  55. Look at the second page of the letter. The following two sentences (“If you have any questions regarding the GAT Program, feel free to contact me anytime. We hope to hear from you soon.”) should be the last sentences in the letter, but instead, their the second to last sentences in the letter. We’ll use the cut and paste function to revise this letter so that it is coherent and effective.
  56. Place the Insertion Point to right of the word “We” in the last paragraph. It will change to a White Arrow pointer that points diagonally to the right. Click and hold the left mouse button and drag the White Arrow pointer down until all the words in the paragraph are selected. Release the mouse button.
  57. Place the White Arrow pointer in the selected text and right-click the mouse button once. The short-cut menu will appear (see Figure 1.9 below).

    Figure 1.9: Short-cut Menu



  58. Click the Cut function (see Figure 1.9). The text will disappear. It still exists, but it’s on the clipboard, which is a virtual holding area for text and other elements that are cut or copied.
  59. Place the Insertion Point just before the “I” in the top sentence. Right-click the mouse and select the Paste function (see Figure 1.9). The cut text will now appear at the top of the page. The cut and paste functions will also come in handy when you create other documents.
  60. Press the Enter key once

    The second page should look like the page depicted in Figure 1.10.

    Figure 1.10: Second Page (Completed)



Congratulations! You’ve completed the Microsoft Word tutorial. Microsoft Word is an extensive program – check out other resources and continue learning more about this powerful application.


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Last modified November 05, 2004