20 Advanced Tools in Microsoft Word

Tab Stop

The Tab Stop specifies the location of the width of the character tab marked across a page.
Normally we do not see the tab character until we use the Show/Hide command. The tab acting
like a space character, you can precisely format and line up text using it with the help of Tab
Stop. This proves especially useful in lining up and organizing text in a straight row.
Show/Hide Feature

Show/Hide feature displays the nonprinting characters in Word. They are various symbols that
represent characters that are invisible such as spaces, tabs, the Enter Key, and more. They are
often used as an aid in text formatting. The symbol of the Show/Hide button is Pilcrow ¶.

Return to the Previous Edit

By pressing Shift+F5 you can return the insertion pointer before your last action. This is helpful
when accidentally moving the insertion pointer to the wrong part of the document and the
document has many pages.
Go To Command

The Go To Command makes moving around the document more faster and efficient. It allows
putting the insertion pointer into a specific line, page, or many other locations that Word can
find. This is a common feature that most text editors have and that is the ability to put your
insertion pointer to specific lines. By applying this in your workflow, you can rely less on using
your mouse and fully utilize your keyboard.
Replace

Under the same editing group of Find, Replace if a useful function in finding words and
replacing them. An example above, if you want to replace the contracted words to their
uncontracted form then using Replace would cut less time than manually finding and replacing
each one.
Find

Find is also a useful tool similar to Replace. Under the same group (In the editing header in the
Home Tab), Find is a very useful tool in searching specific words, characters, or text in your
document. Instead of manually finding a specific word in your document, you can let Word find it
for you which is less time consuming and more efficient.
Ctrl+Left/Right Cursor Key

If you want to rely less in using your mouse, learning Ctrl+Right Cursor Key or Ctrl+Left Cursor
can be beneficial. This shortcut jumps one word to the left (if left arrow cursor key is used) or to
the right (right cursor key is used) and could help you navigate inside your document. It is faster
than the standard left and right cursor key while still letting you in control
Ctrl+Up/Down Cursor Key

If you want to move further, you can use Ctrl+Up or Down Cursor key to move your insertion
point one paragraph up or down. This is useful in navigating one paragraph to the next.
Ctrl+End

When you quickly want to go to the last line or end of document, you should use Ctrl+End.
Instead of using of scrolling your way down, you can use this shortcut key to reduce your time
navigating your document.
Ctrl+Home

Similar concept of Ctrl+End but instead of going to the end of the document, you go to the top of
the document. This is useful when you remembered something and you have to change your
first page quickly.

Ctrl+Alt+PgUp

When you want to navigate your document through the use of your window size, then this is the
right shortcut key. This will make the insertion point go to the top of the current window’s text.

Ctrl+Alt+PgDown

Same concept of Cltr+Alt+PgUp but instead of going to the top of the current window’s text, you
go to the bottom.
Hyperlinks

Thanks to the power of AutoFormat, whatever link it detects, Word would automatically
underline, colors, and turns it an active web page link. You can also manually make a hyperlink
using Ctrl+K shortcut key.
Multilevel Lists

While it could be considered basic making a bulleted or numbered list, a Multilevel list however
is more advanced. You can create any bulleted or numbered list into a multilevel list just by
pressing tab in the beginning line of a level. This is a great way of making an outline inside of
Word.
Columns

Since the default column of Word is 1, we don’t always think much about columns until we
encounter a situation where we need them. They are a great way of dividing information in one
page and compress the information in one page. It also makes the page neater and better to
look at.
Header

Header is top section of the document in the top margin that text is appeared. It is used to break
up a long document and help organize the text. You will often see common information there
such as page number, title of the document and many other similar information.
Footer

Same concept as Header but instead in the top margin it is located in the bottom margin.
References are often seen inside a footer. Information seen inside are page numbers, your
name, the document name, the date, and other similar information.
Document Content List or Table of Contents

By using the Heading Styles properly, making a table of contents would be easy to make. This
is most useful when making any kind of paper that has many pages and contents and you would
want to show each part in the beginning.
Read Mode

When you are more focused in reading the document instead of editing it, read mode is better
way of viewing your document. Not only does it reduce eye strain but it helps you focus more in
reading the contents of your document.
Sorting your Text

Using the sort command, you can arrange text alphabetically or numerically. You can sort many
things such as paragraphs and borders. This is helpful when you want to sort alphabetically or
numbered without using a bulleted or numbered list.
Bibliography
Gookin, D. (2019). Word 2019 for Dummies. Hoboken, New Jersey, America: John Wiley &
Sons, Inc.