A word processor allows you to type text directly into your computer. You can then edit the content using functions such as delete, cut, copy and paste, and undo.
Because this is possible, you may begin to work in a different way. Instead of planning and drafting your work by hand, you can type in notes and ideas, develop them into paragraphs, then move the paragraphs around to form a coherent essay or report.
When you are checking whether your work is in a sensible order, you can use an option like the Outline view in Word, which lets you see the introductory lines of paragraphs.
Once the document content is ready, you can change its appearance by adding text formatting such as bold or italics, or by changing the margins or the line spacing. In this way you can ensure that your work is in a form to suit its purpose. For example, you might be asked to use double spacing or an extra wide margin so that a tutor can add written notes.
Other functions that are particularly useful for assignments include spell check and word count.
These demonstrations show you how to perform basic tasks with your word processing software. You can work through them in any order to improve your skills. Demonstrations will start playing automatically 5 to 10 seconds after you open them. Each demonstration provides a transcript of all instructions shown.
How to...
Additional word processing demonstrations and some other basic computer activities such as searching for a document are available on the Interactive demonstrations page in Skills for OU Study.
