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Below you will find Word learner guides that have been broken down into specific tasks, you can also find the learner files to help you work through examples.
We have split these into three levels, level one is for the more basic features of Word moving up to level three for more advanced learning, you can also search this page by using the box below.
These documents are only accessible to West Sussex County Council Employees.
Level One
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Getting to know Microsoft Word
(PDF, 18 page, 1.5MB) |
Microsoft Word is a word processing application that is usually part of a suite of applications, known as Microsoft Office. You can use Word to create all sorts of documents, including letters, reports, faxes, forms, emails, web pages, and more. |
Creating a new document
(PDF, 15 pages, 1MB) |
There are several basic skills you will need to master to achieve creating new documents and these include being able to type and edit text and to also manage proofing, printing and saving the information for future use (not necessarily in that order!). |
Getting help
(PDF, 11 pages, 1.2MB) |
While the interface in Microsoft Word is intuitive and easy to use, there will always be aspects that you don’t quite understand and require assistance with. This is where Help comes in, and Microsoft Word provides it in many ways and locations. |
Working with a document
(PDF, 10 pages, 740KB) |
Whenever you use Word you are working with what is known as a document. Documents are the actual stores of what you type: your data. There are fundamental skills that you will require to successfully work with documents. |
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Working with text
(PDF, 15 pages, 1MB)
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To enable you to work with text, you must be able to locate and select it. This then indicates to Word which part of the document will be changed. Once text is selected, Word provides tools to enable you to easily edit, delete, move or copy it. |
Cutting and copying
(PDF, 10 pages, 550KB) |
If there is one skill that you will want to learn in Microsoft Word, it is cutting and copying. With this skill you will be able to easily move or copy text and objects around the pages of a document and also between documents. |
Font formatting
(PDF, 8 pages, 1MB) |
When your document comprises pages of plain text, it can be hard for your reader to find the important ideas buried in the page. You can improve the appearance of your document by changing the appearance of the text – this is known as formatting. |
Paragraph formatting
(PDF, 14 pages, 810KB) |
The spacing and alignment of text in a paragraph is controlled by paragraph formatting. By selecting the most effective layout for a paragraph you can ensure that the result is professional and easy to read. |
Page layout
(PDF, 9 pages, 550KB) |
Page layout refers to the overall layout and appearance of your document such as how much text you will include on each page, the size of the paper on which you will print your document, and so on. |
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Tables
(PDF, 10 pages, 835KB)
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Tables are the perfect solution for creating documents where you want to present information in a grid structure. For example, you could use tables to create order forms, invoices, price lists, and much more. |
Printing
(PDF, 10 pages, 550KB) |
Printing means producing your document on paper. The printing process on the computer is much more flexible than this. In Word the printing commands allow you to control how, where and what will be printed. |
Learner files
(ZIP, 1MB) |
If you want to try out the exercises in the learning guides above you'll need to unzip these files into your My Documents area on your desktop. |
Level Two
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Setting Word options
(PDF, 8 page, 570KB) |
All of Microsoft Word’s settings are located in the Word Options dialog box. The Word Options control the behaviour and appearance of Word, enabling you to adjust the operation of Word to suit the way you work. |
Navigation pane
(PDF, 6 pages, 482KB) |
You can use the Navigation pane to navigate a document. You can either navigate to a specific page or heading within the document. As long as you have applied Word’s Heading styles to the headings in a document, you can use the Navigation pane. |
Multiple documents
(PDF, 8 pages, 1.2MB) |
An advantage of working with Word is the ability to work with multiple documents. For instance, having multiple documents open at the same time if you are creating a summary report, drawing information from a number of different source documents. |
Formatting techniques
(PDF, 16 pages, 775KB) |
You can format paragraphs in a variety of ways to improve the readability and overall appearance and layout of a document. Using correct formatting techniques gives you much greater control over the layout and positioning your document. |
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Tabs
(PDF, 10 pages, 480KB)
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Tabs are stopping points along the horizontal ruler. These stopping points are often used to create columns of text and numbers. Word has default tab stops set every 1.27 cm on the ruler, but you can change this spacing if desired. |
Lists
(PDF, 14 pages, 715KB) |
A list in Microsoft Word is a series of items preceded by a bullet or number. You can apply bullets or numbers to a list, as well as modify the bullet type or numbering format to suit the requirements of the document. |
Table features
(PDF, 14 pages, 800KB) |
Tables in Word contain many features that you can apply to improve the format and layout of your documents. As such, you can use tables for a wide range of documents, such as invoices and forms. |
Building blocks
(PDF, 10 pages, 695KB) |
As you work with documents it’s likely that you’re using the same elements repeatedly, such as tables, images, and boilerplate text, for example. Instead of having to insert the same information over and over, you can save them as building blocks. |
Styles
(PDF, 8 pages, 675KB) |
A style is a set of stored formatting attributes. By creating and using styles, you can apply the same formatting to text repeatedly in your document in just a single click. |
Themes
(PDF, 10 pages, 780KB) |
Themes let you create professional-looking documents with a co-ordinated set of colours, fonts and backgrounds. And you are not limited to the selection made by Microsoft, you can mix and match colours and fonts from different themes, or design your own. |
Templates
(PDF, 12 pages, 910KB) |
A template is a pre-formatted document that you can use to create new documents. Templates are commonly used in organisations as a basis for creating standard business documents, such as letters, memos and faxes. |
Section breaks
(PDF, 6 pages, 395KB) |
By default, Word documents are created with a single section and therefore any formatting will be applied to the entire document. But by inserting section breaks, you are able to split a document into two or more sections. |
Headers and footers
(PDF, 12 pages, 490KB) |
A header is text that is placed at the top of a page, while a footer is placed at the bottom, or foot, of a page. Typically these areas are used for inserting document information. |
Mail merging
(PDF, 10 pages, 570KB) |
Mail merging is typically used to send the same document to many people. Word will merge the document with the names and addresses of the recipients, which are stored in a separate file called a data source. |
Pictures
(PDF, 14 pages, 1.7MB) |
In Word 2010 you get a collection tools to insert and adjust pictures (you can resize them, re-colour them, strip out backgrounds, and more). |
Drawing and illustrating
(PDF, 20 pages, 1.6MB) |
Microsoft Office 2010 is rich in tools that allow you to create drawings and illustrations of virtually all kinds from logos, through to organisation charts, presentation diagrams, schematics, and so on. |
WordArt
(PDF, 8 pages, 650KB) |
WordArt enables you to display text graphically by applying colours and effects to text. For example, you can apply a glow or reflection to your text. You can also distort text using WordArt. |
Learner files
(ZIP, 9MB) |
If you want to try out the exercises in the learning guides above you'll need to unzip these files into your My Documents area on your desktop. |
Level Three
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Once you have written and formatted your document, you may consider adding some finishing touches to the overall page layout, such as cover pages, watermarks, page borders, and so on.
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PDF (Portable Document Format) is a universal file format that can be viewed by anyone, even if they don’t have the software that created the file. You can save your Word documents as PDF files.
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Word allows you to customise your mail merges by filtering and sorting recipients, as well as creating and applying rules that instruct Word what data to insert in specific fields when certain conditions have been met.
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A text box is an object that can be selected, moved and resized. Text boxes are designed to enable you to place text more precisely on the page, and are common in desktop publishing.
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SmartArt refers to the range of graphics available in Word that you can use to create diagrams, such as flow charts, process charts, organisation charts, and so on. Select a SmartArt graphic from the gallery and then customise it to suit your needs.
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As you work with documents, it’s likely that you’re using the same items repeatedly, such as tables, images, logos and text. Instead of having to retype or insert the same information over and over, you can save these elements as building blocks.
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You bookmark a page so that you know where you’re up to. Word provides a Bookmarks feature that works pretty much the same way but as the digital equivalent.
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A table of contents is inserted towards the beginning of documents as a list of the headings in the document, and is designed to help readers navigate to relevant parts of a document. It will also include the page number of the heading.
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An index is an alphabetical listing of the topics or subjects in a document, and is typically located at the end of a document. An index is used primarily as a navigational tool, with the corresponding page number(s) for each topic listed alongside.
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Fields enable the automatic input of certain types of data into a document. They are commonly used to display dynamic information and information that is subject to change, such as the last print date, the file name and path, or a formula total.
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Interactive fields prompt the user to enter specific types of information into a document. Interactive fields are useful for standard business documents, where only certain information changes (such as the author or recipient name).
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Master documents provide a way of dealing with large documents that require consistency and manageability. A master document contains links to subdocuments, which can then be collated, viewed and worked on as a single document.
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If you are working on a document that needs to be edited and reviewed by others, then Word’s Tracking feature may prove indispensable. When this feature is turned on, Word will record and highlight any and all editing changes made to the document.
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If you distribute or transmit important documents regularly to others for review, for example, you should consider protecting them. To protect a document means to apply settings that restrict or prevent other users from changing your document.
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Many of the forms that were once printed and posted are now transmitted and stored electronically, or even completed online. Many of these electronic forms are used to extract data and will never be printed.
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Macros enable you to automate routine operations and tasks in Microsoft programs. A macro is a small program that records the actions you take to complete a specific task, for example, adjusting the page layout to a specific format.
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You can import data from other sources or files into your Word documents. Microsoft makes it easy to import content created in other Microsoft programs into Word and vice versa.
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If you want to try out the exercises in the learning guides above you'll need to unzip these files into your My Documents area on your desktop.
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If you can't find what you are looking for in these guides or if you are still struggling call the Learning and Development Helpdesk on (033 022) 22003 for more help.
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