Microsoft Word Exercises

The object of this exercise is to familiarize you with some of the important commands associated with
using Microsoft Word to produce academic papers.

This exercise will cover how to center a line of text, how to insert today’s date, and the difference between
“soft” and “hard” returns. You’ll practice using bold, italic, and underline features. You’ll change the line
spacing from single to double spaced. You’ll change the margins and add page numbers, headers and
footers, and footnotes and endnotes.

1. Select the Comic Sans MS font - Select Format from the menu bar. - Click Font from the pull down
menu. - Select the Comic Sans MS font face. - Select an 11 point font size. - Click the OK button

2. Center the top line. - Select Format from the menu bar. - Click Paragraph from the pull down menu. -
Select the Indents and Spacing tab. - Select Center from the Alignment option - Click OK -Type:
Microsoft Word Training Session - Press the Enter key.

3. Center today’s date - Select Format from the menu bar. - Click Paragraph from the pull down menu. -
Select the Indents and Spacing tab. - Select Center from the Alignment option - Click OK - Select Insert
from the menu bar. - Click Date and Time from the pull down menu. Select a Date/Time format of your
choice. - Click OK

4. Press the Enter key four times.

5. Type a short paragraph. (This text will be centered due to the last command performed.) - Type: I am
learning Microsoft Word. I hope to learn at least one new thing in this training session. If I have any
questions (and I know I will), I will ask the teacher to answer them so I will not get stuck.

6. Bold a phrase - Highlight the phrase “Microsoft Word” - Click the left mouse button and drag it
across the words “Microsoft Word” to highlight the words in black.) - Click the B button in the
toolbar at the top of the screen. If the B button is not in view use the keyboard by holding down the
CTRL key and pressing the B key.

7. Italicize a word. - Double click the word “least” and the word will highlight in black. - Click the I button in
the toolbar at the top of the screen. If the I button is not in view use the keyboard by holding down the
CTRL key and pressing the I key.

8. Underline a phrase. - Highlight the phrase “and I know I will.” - Click the U button in the toolbar at the
top of the screen. If the U button is not in view use the keyboard by holding down the CTRL key and
pressing the U key.

9. Double space the lines in your paper. - Place the cursor at the desired location in the paragraph. -
Select Format from the menu bar. - Click Paragraph from the pull down menu. - Select the Indents and
Spacing tab. -Select Double from the Line Spacing option - Click OK

10. Add page numbers to your document. - Select Insert from the menu bar. - Click Page Numbers from
the pull down menu. - Select Position and Alignment - Allow Word to show the numbers on the first
page. - Click OK

11. Change your margins - Place the cursor at the top of your paper. - Select File from the menu bar. -
Click Page Setup from the pull down menu. - Select Margins tab. - Change the top, bottom, left, and
right margins to 1.5”. - Click OK
12. Place the cursor at the end of your paper to the right of “stuck” and press the Enter key three
times. - Click the Left Justification button so the cursor will be on the left side.

13. Type a short paragraph - Type: I have a paper to write, and I have to use footnotes. I don’t know how
to do them, but after this example I will.

14. Create a footnote ( A footnotes appear at the bottom of the page and they are numbered. Footnotes
are used for references and to define unfamiliar words.) - Select Insert from the menu bar. - Select
Reference - Click Footnote form the pull down menu. - Make sure Footnote is selected - Click OK -
Type the footnote: My teacher will be happy to see footnotes in my paper.

15. Add another footnote - Place the cursor after the word “learn” in the first paragraph. - Select Insert
from the menu bar. - Click Footnote from the Reference menu - Make sure Footnote is selected - Click
OK - Type the footnote: Or at least try (Notice that the footnote number for the second footnote has
changed.) - Use the mouse to leave the footnote by clicking somewhere in the upper part of the page.

16. Create a header (A header is a line that runs along the top of every page of your document.) - Select
View from the menu bar. - Click Header and Footer from the pull down menu. -Type: Microcomputer
Applications Area - Click the Close button from the Header and Footer toolbar.

17. Create a footer (A footer is a line that runs along the bottom of every page of your document.) -
Select View from the menu bar. - Click Header and Footer from the pull down menu. - Click the icon
labeled “Switch between header and footer” -Type: [Your Name] -Click the Close button from the Header
and Footer toolbar.

18. Create a blank page with existing document - Press Ctrl and Enter simultaneously

19. Spell Check your paper. - Select Tools from the menu bar. - Click Spelling and Grammar from the
pull down menu - Word will stop on any words it doesn’t recognize from its dictionary, and you may
choose to ignore the Spell Check or have it replace your word with the correct spelling.

20. Proofread your paper. - When Microsoft Word doesn’t recognize the spelling of a word, it underlines
the word in red. - Watch for those red underlines and correct those that are wrong. - The red underline
will not appear on your printed copy. - Also, remember Word isn’t always right. - Word also misses real
words that are used improperly. - For example, if you type “fro” when you meant to type “for,” Word will
not catch the mistake. So you will need to read over your own work carefully.

21. Print the document - Select File from the menu bar. - Click Print from the pull down menu -Notice
the “Current Printer” and that you can change it by clicking on the down arrow key to the right of the
printer name. - Click OK - Turn in the printed copy with your name on it.

22. Save your document - Select File from the menu bar. - Click Save As from the pull down menu -
Click on the arrow by the “Save in” box and change to your folder. - Click in the “File name” box and give
your file a name. - Click Save

*IMPORTANT* Always save your work every 5 to 10 minutes! You can also save it from the keyboard by
holding down the CTRL key and the S key.