11/4/2020 The Parts & Functions of MS Word | Small Business - Chron.

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The Parts & Functions of MS Word

Small Business | Human Resources | Human Resource Basics
By David Sarokin Updated August 05, 2018

Microsoft Word is one of the most widely used word processing programs in the world. It is one
element of the software package, Microsoft Office, which also includes other well-known
programs such as Excel and PowerPoint. When you open a Word window to work on a document,
there are several visible components, as well as numerous invisible ones, as well. Here are the
major parts and functions of Microsoft Word.

Title Bar and Quick Access

With a document open, at the very top of the Word window, in the center, you'll see the title of the
document, or simply Document1 or Document2, and so on, if the document does not yet have a
file name. To the right, are the usual window-sizing tools to minimize, resize or close your file. On
the left, are the Quick Access icons. You can easily customize these features, so that you can add
or remove features at your choosing. Quick Access generally includes a Save File icon, along with
an Undo command.

Word's Ribbon
Below the Title Bar, you'll see the Ribbon, which gives you access to the major command menus
in Word: File, Insert, Page Layout, Mailings, Review and View. These, too, are easy to customize.
Selecting any individual item opens menus with a great deal of additional detail. On the far right is
the Help function, identified with a question mark icon. Next to it is a small arrow you can use to
minimize or maximize the Ribbon.

Maximized, the Ribbon displays many other commonly used command options, such as copy and
paste commands, and font selection and formatting tools for your entire document or for
individual paragraphs.

Your Document
Underneath the Ribbon is the document you are working on. This occupies the lion's share of your
screen. On the far right is the scrolling bar, which enables you to quickly move through your
document to the area you want to have visible.

Status Bar

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At the very bottom of the Word window is the the program's Status Bar. The left-most side gives
you basic document information, such as page number and the number of words in the
document. On the right are icons for several options as to how your document is displayed. There
is also a convenient slider bar to zoom the size of your document, from normal size, 100 percent,
down to a tiny 10 percent or up to an enormous 500-percent zoom.

Hidden Features
Almost anywhere in the Word window, you can right-click your mouse (Using the two-finger click
on an Apple system) to open options boxes with fast access to the most-often used commands in
Word. Right-clicking in the Ribbon or Status Bar will open menus for customizing these sections
of Word. Right-clicking in the body of your document opens menus for fonts, formatting, and even
dictionary lookup.

References
Resources
About the Author
<!--StartFragment-->David Sarokin is a well-known Internet specialist with publications in a
wide variety of business topics, from the best uses of information technology to the steps for
incorporating your business. He is the author of <a
href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/david-sarokin/the-corporation2/">The
Corporation, Its History and Future</a> (Cambridge Scholars, 2020) on the role of big business
in the modern world, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Missed-Information-Building-
Wealthier-Sustainable/dp/0262034921">Missed Information</a> (MIT Press, 2016), detailing
how our social systems like health care, finance and government can be improved with better
quality information.<!--EndFragment-->

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