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MS Word

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high importance⚡ 10 shortcuts4 subtopics
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Formatting text, paragraphs and pages

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⏱ 4 min read🧩 6 question types🎯 22 practice Q
The idea in one minute

Word formats at three levels: characters, paragraphs and the page. Most exam questions ask for a shortcut key. The main ones are Ctrl+B, I, U for style, Ctrl+L, E, R, J for alignment, and Ctrl+1, 5, 2 for line spacing. Page setup facts are portrait, 1 inch margins and Calibri 11.

01

Three levels of formatting

Formatting means changing how text looks. Word does it at three levels.

  • Character: the letters you select.
  • Paragraph: a whole block of text.
  • Page: the whole sheet.
02

Character formatting

These tools sit on the Home tab, in the Font group.

ActionShortcut
BoldCtrl+B
ItalicCtrl+I
UnderlineCtrl+U
Subscript (H2O style)Ctrl+=
Superscript (x2 style)Ctrl+Shift+=
Grow font / shrink fontCtrl+Shift+> / Ctrl+Shift+<
Change caseShift+F3

Shift+F3 cycles the selected text through the case styles. Other font tools are font face, font size, colour, highlight and Strikethrough. Font size is measured in points.

Tip: Superscript is the subscript key with one extra Shift.

03

Paragraph formatting

These tools sit in the Paragraph group.

AlignmentShortcutLook
Left (default)Ctrl+LRagged right edge
CentreCtrl+EEven on both sides
RightCtrl+RRagged left edge
JustifyCtrl+JBoth edges straight

Justified text is used in newspapers and formal reports.

The line spacing keys use the number itself.

SpacingShortcut
SingleCtrl+1
1.5 linesCtrl+5
DoubleCtrl+2

Other paragraph keys: Ctrl+M increases the indent. Ctrl+Shift+M decreases it. Ctrl+T makes a hanging indent. A page break is Ctrl+Enter.

Watch: Ctrl+H is Replace. Ctrl+K is Hyperlink. Exams often swap them.

04

Page setup on the Layout tab

  • Margins are the blank space around the text. Normal margins are 1 inch on all four sides.
  • Orientation is portrait by default. Landscape turns the page sideways for wide tables.
  • Size is usually A4 in India. Letter and Legal are other sizes.
  • Columns split text into newspaper-style columns. The default is one column.
  • Header and footer repeat at the top and bottom of every page. You insert them from the Insert tab.
05

Default look of a new document

A new document starts with these settings.

  • Font: Calibri 11 point in Word 2007 to 2021.
  • Newer Microsoft 365 builds use Aptos 12 (from 2023).
  • Alignment: left.
  • Orientation: portrait.

Note: Read the version in the question. Calibri 11 is the usual exam answer.

06

Other Home-tab tools

  • Bullets mark a list with dots. Numbering counts the items. Both sit in the Paragraph group.
  • Find is Ctrl+F. Replace is Ctrl+H. Go To is Ctrl+G.
  • Select All is Ctrl+A. Copy is Ctrl+C. Cut is Ctrl+X. Paste is Ctrl+V.
  • Shading colours the background of a paragraph. Borders draw lines around it.
  • Styles save a full set of formats under one name, such as Heading 1 or Normal.
  • Drop cap makes the first letter of a paragraph large. It is on the Insert tab.
  • Clear All Formatting removes every format from the selected text.
07

Question types you will see

Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.

Type 1very common4 practice Q

Character-formatting shortcuts

How to spot it:

The question asks the key for bold, italic, underline, subscript, superscript or case.

Method

  1. Bold, italic and underline use their own letters: B, I, U.

  2. Subscript is Ctrl+=. Superscript adds Shift.

  3. The case cycle is Shift+F3.

  4. Grow and shrink font use Ctrl+Shift+> and Ctrl+Shift+<.

Why it works:

Each key has one fixed job, so plain recall is enough.

Try this

The keyboard shortcut to apply superscript in MS Word is:

Show solution

  1. Subscript uses Ctrl+=.

  2. Superscript needs one extra key, Shift.

Answer

Ctrl+Shift+=

Type 2very common3 practice Q

Alignment shortcut matching

How to spot it:

The question gives an alignment and asks for the key, or gives a key and asks for the alignment.

Method

  1. Match the letters: L left, R right, E centre, J justify.

  2. Left is the default alignment.

  3. Justify makes both edges straight.

Why it works:

Only Centre breaks the first-letter pattern.

Try this

Which shortcut justifies the selected paragraph in MS Word?

Show solution

  1. Justify means both edges straight.

  2. Its key is the first letter, J.

Answer

Ctrl+J

Type 3common3 practice Q

Line spacing and paragraph keys

How to spot it:

The question asks for single, 1.5 or double spacing, or for a page break.

Method

  1. Ctrl+1 is single. Ctrl+5 is 1.5. Ctrl+2 is double.

  2. A page break is Ctrl+Enter.

  3. Bullets and numbering are in the Home tab, Paragraph group.

Why it works:

The spacing keys use the number, with only 5 as the twist.

Try this

In MS Word, double line spacing is applied by:

Show solution

  1. Double means two lines.

  2. The key uses the number 2.

Answer

Ctrl+2

Type 4common3 practice Q

Page setup: margins, orientation, size

How to spot it:

The question asks for a default of page setup, or which tab holds it.

Method

  1. Default orientation is portrait.

  2. Normal margins are 1 inch on all four sides.

  3. Margins, orientation, size and columns are all on the Layout tab.

Why it works:

These defaults are short facts asked in the same words each year.

Try this

The default orientation of a page in MS Word is:

Show solution

  1. Portrait means height is greater than width.

  2. Landscape must be chosen by hand.

Answer

Portrait

Type 5common2 practice Q

Default font facts

How to spot it:

The question asks for the default font of a Word version.

Method

  1. Word 2007 to 2021 use Calibri 11 point.

  2. Newer Microsoft 365 builds use Aptos 12.

  3. Font size is measured in points.

Why it works:

The answer depends on the version named in the question.

Try this

The default font of Word 2007 to Word 2019 documents is:

Show solution

  1. The version range is 2007 to 2019.

  2. That range uses Calibri.

  3. The size is 11 points.

Answer

Calibri, 11 point

Type 6occasional

Indent, replace and hyperlink keys

How to spot it:

The question asks for the indent, hanging indent, Replace or Hyperlink key.

Method

  1. Ctrl+M increases the indent. Ctrl+Shift+M decreases it.

  2. Ctrl+T makes a hanging indent.

  3. Ctrl+H is Replace. Ctrl+K is Hyperlink.

Why it works:

These keys are less used, so the options pair them with look-alikes.

Try this

Which shortcut inserts a hyperlink in MS Word?

Show solution

  1. Replace is Ctrl+H.

  2. Hyperlink uses the K key.

Answer

Ctrl+K

08

Shortcuts that save time

⚡ Alignment letters

Each shortcut letter starts the word: Left is Ctrl+L, Right is Ctrl+R, Justify is Ctrl+J. Centre breaks the pattern and uses E, because Ctrl+C is Copy.

⚡ Spacing numbers

The number in the shortcut is the spacing: Ctrl+1 is single, Ctrl+2 is double. Ctrl+5 is the odd one and means 1.5.

Example

Which shortcut gives 1.5 line spacing in MS Word?

Show solution

  1. Ctrl+1 is single spacing.

  2. Ctrl+2 is double spacing.

  3. The middle value uses Ctrl+5.

Answer

Ctrl+5

⚡ Case cycle

Press Shift+F3 again and again on selected text. Word cycles through the case styles. No menu is needed.

09

Mistakes to avoid

Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.

Mistake 01

Using Ctrl+C to centre text.

Ctrl+C is Copy. Centre is Ctrl+E.

Mistake 02

Using Ctrl+5 for double spacing.

Ctrl+2 is double. Ctrl+5 is 1.5.

Mistake 03

Writing superscript as Ctrl+=.

Ctrl+= is subscript. Superscript is Ctrl+Shift+=.

Mistake 04

Mixing up Ctrl+H and Ctrl+K.

Ctrl+H is Replace. Ctrl+K is Hyperlink.

Mistake 05

Saying landscape is the default orientation.

Portrait is the default. Landscape is a manual choice on the Layout tab.

10

Quick revision

Read this the night before the exam.

  • Ctrl+B, I, U are bold, italic, underline. Ctrl+= is subscript. Ctrl+Shift+= is superscript.

  • Shift+F3 changes case. Ctrl+L, E, R, J are left, centre, right, justify.

  • Ctrl+1, Ctrl+5, Ctrl+2 are single, 1.5 and double line spacing.

  • Ctrl+M and Ctrl+Shift+M change the indent. Ctrl+T is a hanging indent. Ctrl+Enter is a page break.

  • Portrait is the default orientation. Normal margins are 1 inch.

  • Default font is Calibri 11 (Office 2007 to 2021). Newer Microsoft 365 uses Aptos 12.

  • Ctrl+H is Replace. Ctrl+K is Hyperlink.

11

Practice: 22 questions

Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.

Topic test · 10 questions

Suggested time 5 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.

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