Entering Text

Start Word. The flashing vertical bar you see in the blank document is called the insertion point .

Type a short line of text. As you type, the insertion point shows you where the next character will be inserted.

When you want to end a paragraph of text, even if it is only a single line, press Enter . The insertion point moves to the next line.

INTRODUCTION

Typing text in a Word document is simple. As soon as you start Word, you can begin typing in the blank document that appears. You don't have to worry about leaving room for margins. Word assumes that you're typing on 8 ½ by 11-inch paper, with 1-inch margins on the top and bottom and 1 ¼-inch margins on the left and right. If you're typing a paragraph that is more than one line long, do not press Enter at the end of each line. Word wraps the text from line to line for you.

Press Enter again. When the insertion point is on a new line, pressing Enter creates a blank line.

Type a paragraph that is more than one line long, but do not press Enter at the end of each line. Notice that Word wraps the text for you.

When you're finished typing the paragraph, press Enter to start a new line, or press Enter twice if you want to add a blank line.

TIP

The I-beam Versus the Insertion Point

The mouse pointer, called the I-beam , is often confused with the insertion point . The insertion point (sometimes called the cursor ) shows you where your text will appear when you type. The I-beam just lets you move the insertion point around the document.

TIP

Correcting Mistakes as You Type

If you type the wrong character, you can press the Backspace key to delete it. You'll learn more about how to delete text in "Deleting Text" in Part 3.