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Practice Projects for Microsoft Word

Word 9 Table Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a document with a title and table. The table has two columns that have different font alignment and incluces various fonts. …

Word 8 Formatting Text Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a document using a different size and color font for the title than the rest of the paragraph. …

Word 7 Bullets Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a document with two different types of bullets showing points and subpoints. …

Word 6 Letter Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a letter. Included in the letter is a heading on the right, indented paragraphs, and the closing and signiture near the middle of the document. …

Word 5 Text And Outline Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a document that contains several paragraphs of text and also includes an outline with key points and subpoints. …

Word 4 Modified Text Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a document with the heading on the right, a boldfaced, centered title, and indented paragraphs. The document is double-spaced. …

Word 3 Basic Text Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a document with the heading on the right, a boldfaced title that is centered, and several paragraphs that are indented. …

Word 22 Preset Headings Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a document using the preset headings to create a title bar. The document has different alignment and font, blanks, and a short outline. …

Word 21 Formatting Options Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a document that shows some different effects that can be used with the same font. …

Word 20 Numbered List Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a document that includes a centered title followed by a numbered list. …

Word 2 Heading 2 Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a document that has a centered title, a heading in the upper right corner, and indented paragraphs. …

Word 19 Advanced Table Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a document with a table showing a school schedule. The blocks in the table are different sizes and will take individual work within the blocks to …

Word 18 Columns Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a document with a header and two colomns. The columns include boldfaced and italic font and different alignment. …

Word 17 Columns Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a document with two identical columns in landscape orientation. Included in each are indented lines and different alignment and font. …

Word 16 Lesson Notes Handout Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a document like a student handout. This includes an outline with several levels, blanks for students to write on, and different font. …

Word 15 Lesson Notes Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a document with a header and two outlines. Students are asked to use the automatic numbering and outlining features in Word. They must use different …

Word 14 Table Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a scoresheet using a table. Students must use different sizes, colors and styles of font, including different alignment. …

Word 13 Outline Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create an outline using the automatic outline in Word, including many levels of subpoints. …

Word 12 Formatting Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a document with a centered title in all capitals, the first letter of each word slightly larger than the rest. Throughout the document the font is …

Word 11 Formatting Practice Document

In this practice project for Word, students create a document similar to a test or quiz. They must include points and subpoints, blanks, boldfaced text, tabs, and spacing. …

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Chapter 8 Technology Skills

8.1 Word Processing

Word processing programs are invaluable tools for doing your assignments and writing essays. If you are someone who still likes to handwrite assignments, consider this: one of the most useful aspects of doing assignments on a computer is the ability to make changes. You can go back and reword things, correct mistakes, add in extra information to clarify issues or give examples, and reorganize your paper moving a paragraph from one place in your assignment to another using cut and paste and not having to retype it. It’s especially useful if your instructor asks you to make changes to your assignment. You can start from your existing document and add to, summarize, or make your writing more concise. Most people are familiar with using at least one word processing program such as Microsoft Word, WordPad, or OpenOffice Writer. Many lap tops come pre-loaded with word processing software.

When choosing software you need to keep a few things in mind. First, you want documents that others can read. If the software you use produces documents that can’t be read by anyone that doesn’t have the same software, then it becomes frustrating. Also, you want to have some nice features with your software. Formatting features such as bolding , indenting, bullets, different font sizes, styles, and colours, underlining , italicizing ,  shading, inserting captions, and highlighting, to name a few, are great features to make your documents visually appealing and clearer to read. Other features such as being able to insert and size charts and tables, pictures, headers and footers, symbols, subscripts and superscripts – all help to make creating documents easier. Having the ability to add hyperlinks to internet sites and videos enhances your documents as well. Using headings and features such as “find and replace” all add convenience and efficiency. Having the ability to track changes is a really useful tool for a student who is trying to get feedback from others or working on a group assignment.

Author’s Story

While working on my Master’s, I had many group assignments online. We had to share documents all the time, so we used a tool to share the work on the web and we’d track suggested changes from the different group members. On one project, all the members used Microsoft Word except for one student who used an unfamiliar word processing software which didn’t work well with Word. She could never see our tracked changes, and we couldn’t see her changes. It became quite frustrating and ultimately cost us precious time. It’s worth having a discussion at the beginning of a group project about what software everyone is using, and make sure it is all compatible.

— Mary Shier, College of the Rockies

Microsoft Word is a common word processing software. Usually if you are a post-secondary student taking courses from an accredited school, you can have access to a free download of Microsoft Word for a year. You just need an email address from the institution you are attending. Check out your institution’s website or contact their IT department for more information.

Spelling and grammar tools are almost standard in most programs now. They help identify if you’ve spelled a word incorrectly or if your sentence is grammatically incorrect. It’s not perfect and it sometimes doesn’t catch things that need fixing, or sometimes makes suggestions that weren’t what you intended. So you still have to proof-read your work with a critical eye. If your program isn’t set to perform spelling and grammatical checks automatically, you may want to go into settings and set it up for automatic checking, or at least perform a check every now and again as you go along.

The thesaurus and synonym tools are extremely useful when you are trying to think of words while writing assignments.  You can enter the word that you want to replace and the software will suggest alternate words. It  is very useful when you can’t think of the right word you want to use, when you have used the same word repeatedly and you don’t want to sound repetitive, or when you want to use a more interesting or engaging word. In MS Word and some other programs, when you are writing and use a word you’d like to replace, right click on the word, choose synonyms and a variety of words to choose from will appear. Thesauruses and synonym tools help writers make their writing more descriptive, expressive, and articulate.

Synonym Finder:

On first draft, a student wrote, “My instructor is not only a great teacher and really helpful, but she is really nice.” While proof-reading, the student realized that the word, nice , is fairly nondescript and doesn’t tell the reader much. Not only that, but they had used it already several times earlier in their paper in a different context, so they wanted to use a different word so as not to be too repetitive. They used the synonym tool and it gave them the options of enjoyable, agreeable, pleasant, good, fine, lovely, amusing, wonderful, kind,  polite courteous, and gracious. They thought about which, if any, of these words better described what they wanted to say. Some weren’t applicable in this case, such as amusing or courteous , as these weren’t what they intended. They ended up choosing wonderful .

They thought about why they think their instructor is nice or wonderful. It caused them to think more clearly about what they wanted to say. They then realized that it was because their instructor cared about their success and encouraged them.  By going through this process using the synonym finder and taking the time to consider what they wanted to say, they improved their writing and made it more descriptive.

• First draft: My instructor is not only a great teacher and really helpful, but she is really nice.
• Next draft: My instructor is not only a great teacher and really helpful, but she is really wonderful. She takes great interest in her students’ success and encourages each of them personally. She believed in me and made me believe in myself which made me strive far beyond what I ever expected.

Using tools in your word processing programs can aid you in producing better writing.

Thesauruses and synonym finders are also useful for discovering definitions of words, along with online dictionaries and word-web apps. As you are reading text and come across words you don’t know the meanings of, you can use these tools to quickly give you context for and understanding of your reading. Gone are the days when you had to take the time to physically get up, find a dictionary in book form, and look up the word by scanning through the pages to find the meaning of a word. Now it is as quick as right-clicking on your online text, or typing the word into an app on your phone to find the meaning. In seconds you can be back reading your text with new enlightenment.

If you currently use a good word processing program, check to see if you are able to access its many features. You’ll likely never have use for all the features but some are very handy for you as a student. For example, a word processing program with a built in tool for referencing sources in APA or MLA format is extremely useful and time saving when writing research papers.

If you aren’t familiar with these tools, get familiar by using one of these options:

• Try doing an internet search on how to use these features in your documents.
• Search YouTube and search for instructional videos on using these features.
• Take a short continuing education course. Colleges often have short evening or weekend courses to help people get familiar with features on their word processing programs.
• Find a short online course that can lead you through the many features.

Learning about the features in your word processing program will ultimately save you a lot of time and you will be able to produce documents that are visually appealing and organized.

During my online Master’s program, it became a signature feature for me to include a chart or graph in all my assignments. At first the reason it was to organize the information, and it was fun to create them. But then I realized the instructors loved them and they always commented on them. Creating charts and graphs went onto my check list for assignments that I always used before handing an assignment in. It was on the list along with proof-reading, editing, checking my references, checking formatting, etc. Try adding a chart to your next assignment. Your instructor will love it!

Exercise: Explore Word Processing Features

Create a short Word document. You can choose the topic for your document. Some possibilities include writing about your family, your job, a pet, a holiday, a product you just purchased, or how to make a good cup of coffee. The topic is your choice, but only choose one.

Demonstrate three or more word processing features that you haven’t used before or haven’t used much. It can be as simple as changing fonts or using italics. It can be using the synonym tool to find better words for your document. It can be inserting clip art, creating a chart, or inserting a photograph. You can use any of the features listed in this section, or some that you have discovered on your own. Then demonstrate them in your document in a relevant way.

At the end of your document, list the features that you are highlighting. If you used the synonym tool or thesaurus, note the words you started and ended with. Note the features you have never used before, if applicable. What features did you find most useful?

Student Success Copyright © 2020 by Mary Shier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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10.1: Introduction to Word Processing Software

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• Nick Heisserer
• Central Lakes College via Minnesota State Opendora

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A word processing program is a software program that includes tools for entering, editing, and formatting text and graphics. The electronic files you create using Word are called documents. One of the benefits of using Word is that document files can be stored in a variety of places on your computer, or in the cloud using one drive, and easily shared with others via disks, emails, or online file storage. Microsoft Word allows users to accomplish the following tasks.

• Type and edit text.
• Copy and move text from one location to another in the document, or to other documents.
• Format text and paragraphs with fonts, colors, pictures, tables, and many other tools.
• Design pages for specific purposes- from personal letters to sophisticated memos and reports.
• Enhance documents for readability with pictures, charts, graphics, etc.
• Use mail merge features to quickly and easily send customized communications to customers.
• Share documents securely to others.
• Communicate clearly and professionally with others by using the built-in tools of Word.

Now that you are aware of some of the uses for Microsoft Word, let's get started by creating a new document. Launch Microsoft Word and click on “Blank Document”.

Take some time to explore the user interface. A few notable features of Word include:

• Title bar: displays the name of the document and the name of the program. Until you give a new document a different name, its temporary name is Document 1. The left side of the title bar contains the Quick Access toolbar, which includes buttons for saving a document and undoing, redoing, and repeating a change. The right side of the title bar contains the Ribbon Display Options button, which you use to hide or show the Ribbon and tabs, the resizing buttons, and the program Close button.
• The File Tab provides access to Backstage view where you manage files and the information about them.
• The Ribbon contains the Word tabs. Each tab on the Ribbon includes buttons for commands related to editing and formatting documents. The commands are organized in groups. For example, the Home tab includes the Clipboard, Font, Paragraph, Styles, and Editing Groups. The Ribbon also contains the “Tell me what you want to do” box, which you can use to find a command or access help. The ribbon also contains the share command, which you can use to easily share documents.
• The document window displays the current document. This is the space you are working inside.
• The rulers only appear in the Print Layout view. The horizontal ruler displays left and right document margins as well as the tab settings and paragraph indents, if any, for the paragraph. The vertical ruler displays the top and bottom button margins.
• The vertical and horizontal scroll bars are used to navigate inside your document. They contain arrows to help you navigate the document.
• The status bar displays the page number of the current page and the total number of pages and words in the document. It also displays spelling and grammar checking.
• The view buttons on the status bar allow you to adjust the view, toggling between print layout, read mode, or web layout view. The Zoom slider allows you to zoom in and out of the document.

In the document window, you should see a blinking cursor. This is known as your “insertion point”. Your insertion point is where text or objects we are placed in the document. You can change the insertion point using your arrow keys or mouse.

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Word  - Getting Started with Word

Word  -, getting started with word, word getting started with word.

Word: Getting Started with Word

Lesson 1: getting started with word, introduction.

Microsoft Word is a word processing application that allows you to create a variety of documents , including letters, resumes, and more. In this lesson, you'll learn how to navigate the Word interface and become familiar with some of its most important features, such as the Ribbon , Quick Access Toolbar , and Backstage view .

Watch the video below to become more familiar with Word.

About this tutorial

The procedures in this tutorial will work for all recent versions of Microsoft Word , including Word 2019 , Word 2016 , and Office 365 . There may be some slight differences, but for the most part these versions are similar. However, if you're using an earlier version , you may want to refer to one of our other Word tutorials instead.

The Word interface

When you open Word for the first time, the Start Screen will appear. From here, you'll be able to create a new document , choose a template , and access your recently edited documents . From the Start Screen , locate and select Blank document to access the Word interface.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about the Word interface.

Microsoft Account

From here, you can access your Microsoft account information, view your profile, and switch accounts.

The Tell me bar allows you to search for commands, which is especially helpful if you don't remember where to find a specific command.

Command Group

Each group contains a series of different commands . Simply click any command to apply it. Some groups also have an arrow in the bottom-right corner, which you can click to see even more commands.

Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access Toolbar lets you access common commands no matter which tab is selected. By default, it includes the Save , Undo , and Redo commands.

The Ruler is located at the top and to the left of your document. It makes it easier to make alignment and spacing adjustments .

Click and drag the vertical scroll bar to move up and down through the pages of your document.

Zoom Control

Click and drag the slider to use the zoom control. The number to the right of the slider bar reflects the zoom percentage .

Document Views

There are three ways to view a document: Read Mode displays your document in full-screen mode. Print Layout is selected by default. It shows the document as it would appear on the printed page. Web Layout shows how your document would look as a webpage.

The Ribbon contains all of the commands you will need to perform common tasks in Word. It has multiple tabs , each with several groups of commands.

Document Pane

This is where you'll type and edit text in the document.

Page and Word Count

From here, you can quickly see the number of words and pages in your document.

Working with the Word environment

All recent versions of Word include the Ribbon and the Quick Access Toolbar , where you'll find commands to perform common tasks in Word, as well as Backstage view .

Word uses a tabbed Ribbon system instead of traditional menus. The Ribbon contains multiple tabs , which you can find near the top of the Word window.

Each tab contains several groups of related commands . For example, the Font group on the Home tab contains commands for formatting text in your document.

Some groups also have a small arrow in the bottom-right corner that you can click for even more options.

Showing and hiding the Ribbon

If you find that the Ribbon takes up too much screen space, you can hide it. To do this, click the Ribbon Display Options arrow in the upper-right corner of the Ribbon, then select the desired option from the drop-down menu:

• Auto-hide Ribbon : Auto-hide displays your document in full-screen mode and completely hides the Ribbon from view. To show the Ribbon, click the Expand Ribbon command at the top of screen.
• Show Tabs : This option hides all command groups when they're not in use, but tabs will remain visible. To show the Ribbon, simply click a tab.
• Show Tabs and Commands : This option maximizes the Ribbon. All of the tabs and commands will be visible. This option is selected by default when you open Word for the first time.

To learn how to add custom tabs and commands to the Ribbon, review our Extra on Customizing the Ribbon .

Using the Tell me feature

If you're having trouble finding a command you want, the Tell Me feature can help. It works just like a regular search bar. Type what you're looking for, and a list of options will appear. You can then use the command directly from the menu without having to find it on the Ribbon.

The Quick Access Toolbar

Located just above the Ribbon, the Quick Access Toolbar lets you access common commands no matter which tab is selected. By default, it shows the Save , Undo , and Redo commands, but you can add other commands depending on your needs.

To add commands to the Quick Access Toolbar:

The R uler is located at the top and to the left of your document. It makes it easier to adjust your document with precision. If you want, you can hide the Ruler to create more screen space.

To show or hide the Ruler:

Backstage view

Backstage view gives you various options for saving, opening a file, printing, and sharing your document. To access Backstage view, click the File tab on the Ribbon .

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about using Backstage view.

From here, you can open documents saved to your computer or to your OneDrive.

Save and Save As

You'll use Save and Save As to save documents to your computer or to OneDrive.

From the Print pane, you can change the print settings and print your document. You can also see a preview of your document.

From here, you can export your document in another file format, such as PDF/XPS .

Click here to close the current document.

From here, you can invite people to view and collaborate on your document.

Return to Word

You can use the arrow to close Backstage view and return to Word.

From the Account pane, you can access your Microsoft account information, modify your theme and background, and sign out of your account.

Here, you can change various Word options . For example, you can control the spelling and grammar check settings, AutoRecover settings, and language preferences.

The information pane will appear whenever you access Backstage view. It contains information on the current document. You can also inspect the document to remove personal info and protect it to keep others from making further changes.

From here, you can create a new blank document , or you can choose from a large selection of templates .

Document views and zooming

Word has a variety of viewing options that change how your document is displayed. You can choose to view your document in Read Mode , Print Layout , or Web Layout . These views can be useful for various tasks, especially if you're planning to print the document. You can also zoom in and out to make your document easier to read.

Switching document views

Switching between different document views is easy. Just locate and select the desired document view command in the bottom-right corner of the Word window.

Zooming in and out

To zoom in or out, click and drag the zoom control slider in the bottom-right corner of the Word window. You can also select the + or - commands to zoom in or out by smaller increments. The number next to the slider displays the current zoom percentage , also called the zoom level .

• Open Word , and create a blank document .
• Change the Ribbon Display Options to Show Tabs .
• Using Customize Quick Access Toolbar , add New , Quick Print , and Spelling & Grammar.
• In the Tell me bar , type Shape and press Enter .
• Choose a shape from the menu, and double-click somewhere on your document.
• Show the Ruler if it is not already visible.
• Zoom the document to 120%.
• Change the Document view to Web Layout .

Change the Ribbon Display Options back to Show Tabs and Commands , and change the Document View back to Print Layout .

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