Microsoft Word is the perfect way of getting thoughts down on (digital) paper, no matter whether they are project drafts or to-do lists. Microsoft provides a large number of keyboard combinations that make using the word processing program that bit easier. We endorse the following ten shortcuts.
#1 Return to Your Last Editing Location when Opening a Document
It’s easy to lose track of the last page you worked on, especially when dealing with longer texts. The "Shift" + "F5" combination puts paid to that laborious search through the document, and places the cursor precisely where it had been the last time you closed the document.
#2 Increase or Reduce the Size of a Selection
However how you plan to format your text, the first step is always to mark the relevant passage. Press "F8" once to select a word, twice to mark a sentence, and so on. Did you mark one paragraph too many by mistake? The keyboard combination "Shift" + "F8" reduces the selection in an instant.
#3 Undo the Last Changes
Oops, have you accidentally deleted a marked paragraph? Don’t worry, you will not have to type up the text again. The keyboard shortcut "Ctrl" + "Z" reverses the last action.
#4 Set a 1.5-line Spacing
1.5-line spacing increases text legibility. The keyboard combination "Ctrl" + "5" saves time when formatting a document.
#5 Apply Bold Formatting
Some parts of a text are more important than others, and so they deserve to be highlighted especially. Use the shortcut "Ctrl" + "B" to apply bold type to the selected section without switching laboriously between the keyboard and the mouse.
#6 Move Selected Paragraphs Up or Down
Maybe you feel that the image would look better on the next page? The combination of "Alt" + "Shift" + "↑" or "Alt" + "Shift" + "↓" moves paragraphs that bit faster.
#7 Open the 'References' Tab to Add a TOC, Foot Notes or a Table of Citations
A table of contents shows the reader of a document what to expect. The keyboard combination "Alt" + "S" makes it easier to insert a table of contents and other references in the text.
#8 Turn Track Changes on / off
The keyboard shortcut "Alt" + "Shift" + "E" helps the process of understanding what changes or additions have been made when your colleagues or boss review your draft project. The same keyboard combination switches track changes back off again.
#9 Insert a Comment (in the Revision Task Pane)
Sometimes track changes is just not enough when collaborating on a single document. Comments are the best way of recording longer suggestions or alternative wordings. The combination "Alt" + "R" + "C" is the easiest way of adding a comment.
#10 Insert a DATE Field
What’s the date today? The keyboard combination "Alt" + "Shift" + "D" makes it unnecessary to check the calendar, and automatically adds the current date.
Applies to Microsoft Word 2013 and 2016. The shortcuts work if you select English as a language for your MS Word installation.