Word Processing — Study Notes

1. Introduction

Word processing is the use of computer software to create, edit, format, store and print text documents. A word processor is an application software that replaces the typewriter, giving the user the power to change text, correct mistakes and improve the appearance of a document without retyping the whole page. Microsoft Word is the most popular word processor, and other examples include Google Docs, LibreOffice Writer and Apple Pages. A document created in Word is called a Word document and is saved with the extension .docx.

Word processors are used for writing letters, essays, reports, notices and project work. They provide many tools such as formatting, spell check, tables, pictures, headers and footers, and even mail merge. This chapter explains the parts of the Word window, how to create and edit documents, formatting text and paragraphs, page setup, checking documents with spelling tools, working with tables and pictures, and saving, printing and mail merge.

2. Starting Word and the Word Window

To start Word, we click the Start button, choose the Word icon and select a blank document. The window that opens has several important parts. The title bar at the top shows the name of the document and the application. Below it is the Ribbon, which contains the tabs such as Home, Insert, Page Layout and Review. Each tab contains groups of commands called buttons. The Ruler helps in setting margins and tab stops. The workspace is the white area where text is typed. The status bar at the bottom shows the page number, word count and language, and the zoom slider changes the size of the text displayed on the screen. The insertion point is the blinking vertical line that shows where text will appear when we type.

3. Creating and Editing Text

Text is typed at the place where the insertion point is located. To create a document, we simply begin typing. Editing is the process of changing the existing text. The Backspace key deletes the character to the left of the cursor, while the Delete key deletes the character to the right. To select text, we drag the mouse over the words or press Shift with the arrow keys. Selected text can be cut (removed), copied (duplicated) and pasted. The shortcuts are Ctrl+C to copy, Ctrl+X to cut, Ctrl+V to paste, Ctrl+Z to undo and Ctrl+Y to redo. Undo cancels the last action, and redo restores the undone action.

4. Formatting a Document

Formatting makes a document attractive and easy to read. Font is the style of the letters, and the user can change the font, the font size, and make text bold, italic or underlined using the buttons on the Home tab. Text alignment places the text to the left, right, centre or justified (both sides) of the page. Line spacing changes the space between lines, and paragraph spacing changes the space before and after paragraphs. The Font Color button changes the colour of the letters, and the Highlight tool marks text with a colour. Formatting can be applied before typing or to selected text afterwards.

5. Paragraph and Page Formatting

A document can be improved by formatting paragraphs and pages. Indentation moves the beginning of a paragraph inward from the margin. Margins are the blank spaces at the top, bottom, left and right of the page, and they can be changed from the Page Setup group. Bullets and Numbering organise lists; bulleted lists use symbols and numbered lists use numbers. The Page Orientation can be Portrait, where the page is taller than it is wide, or Landscape, where the page is wider than it is tall. The Header appears at the top of every page and the Footer at the bottom; page numbers are usually inserted in the footer.

6. Spell Check, Thesaurus and Find and Replace

Word provides tools to check the correctness of a document. The Spell Check underlines misspelled words with a red wavy line, and we can right-click the word to accept the correct suggestion. Grammar errors are shown with a green or blue wavy underline. The Thesaurus finds synonyms, which are words with the same meaning, for a selected word. The Find tool, opened with Ctrl+F, searches for a word in the document, and the Replace tool changes all occurrences of one word with another word at once.

7. Tables, Pictures and Page Borders

A table organises data into rows and columns and is created from the Insert tab by choosing Table and dragging to select the number of rows and columns. The cell where the mouse is clicked is called the active cell. A picture can be inserted into a document from the Insert tab, and clip art images from the built-in collection. Word Art creates decorative text, and a Text Box places text in a separate box anywhere on the page. Page Borders add a decorative frame around the whole page, and a Drop Cap makes the first letter of a paragraph large and decorative.

8. Saving, Printing and Mail Merge

A document is saved with the Save button or Ctrl+S, and the user chooses the folder, file name and type. Save As is used to save a copy with a new name or location. The document is printed with the Print command (Ctrl+P), where the user selects the printer, the number of copies and the pages to be printed. Mail Merge is a powerful feature that creates many similar letters, each addressed to a different person. It combines a main document with a data source of names and addresses, and is used by schools and offices to send notices and invitations to many people at the same time.

Quick Revision Tables

Table 1: Parts of the Word Window

Table 2: Keyboard Shortcuts

Mind Map

Important Diagrams (SVG)

Diagram 1: Parts of the Word Window

Diagram 2: Steps in Mail Merge

Common Mistakes

1. Using Ctrl+C to paste text. Ctrl+C copies, Ctrl+V pastes, and Ctrl+X cuts.
2. Forgetting that Save creates the file while Save As saves a copy with a new name or location.
3. Saying the Delete key deletes text to the left. Backspace deletes left; Delete deletes right.
4. Believing spell check corrects mistakes by itself. It only marks them; the user must accept the correction.
5. Writing that the title bar shows the page number. The status bar shows the page number and word count.
6. Choosing Landscape when asked for a tall page. Portrait is taller; Landscape is wider.
7. Forgetting to select text before applying formatting; formatting applies only to selected text.
8. Calling a folder a file. A file holds data; a folder holds files.
9. Writing .pdf for a Word file. A Word document has the extension .docx.

Exam Tips

1. Draw the Word window diagram and label title bar, ribbon, ruler, workspace and status bar.
2. Learn all the shortcuts from the table; at least three shortcuts are usually asked.
3. In a mail merge question, explain the main document and the data source in two clear sentences.
4. Write the differences between Save and Save As, and between Backspace and Delete, as small tables.
5. Give the extension .docx for Word documents in questions about file types.
6. Mention the red wavy line for spelling and the green or blue line for grammar errors.
7. Practise describing one formatting feature in detail, such as alignment or line spacing.

Conclusion

A word processor is an essential application that creates, edits, formats, saves and prints text documents. The Word window provides a ribbon of commands, the workspace for typing, and shortcuts that speed up editing. Features like spell check, tables, pictures, headers and mail merge make it powerful for school projects and office work. When we need to handle numbers, sums and charts instead of text, we switch to a spreadsheet, which is explored in the next chapter.