Keyboard shortcuts or hotkeys are key combinations in Word (or when using Internet Explorer) that will perform a certain action. Pressing ctrl + s simultaneously will save a document. Going to the File menu and selecting Save would have the same effect but requires more effort as the mouse has to be dragged, placed and clicked. With shortcuts, the fingers rest firmly on the keyboard and the eyes remain on the text, catching any error immediately.
Another advantage of using Windows keyboard shortcuts is that they work on any (PC) computer and don’t require using the mouse at all. This is beneficial when switching computers often, e.g., when using public computers. Often the mouse doesn’t work or is a model that needs getting used to. No such gripes with keyboard hotkeys!
Keyboard Shortcuts for Typing Text in Word
There are many more computer shortcuts than the ones listed here, but the ones below are for the actions that especially writers need most often. The Word help will list all of them (though in more technical terms) and even the main menus display the shortcuts next to the action option.
Shortcut for Save
Ctrl + s: save. This should be the number one combination. Make sure to save often; do not rely on auto save as the time gaps between saves might be wide! Save whenever a writing milestone or a particular tough passage has been achieved. At the end of the day, copy the whole document to a different folder, pen drive or burn it on CD.
Shortcut for Redo and Undo
Ctrl + z: undo the previous action. A very powerful shortcut, especially after deleting the wrong text. Don’t panic, just undo.
Ctrl + y: redo the previous action. Sometimes to redo the undo.
The Shortcut for Paste, Copy and Cut
Ctrl + c: copy text
Ctrl + v: paste text (not p for paste; ctrl + p is for printing)
Ctrl + x: cut text. The previous shortcut will make it appear again.
Shortcut for Font Style
Ctrl + b: bold text
Ctrl + i: italicize text
Ctrl + u: underline text
Highlighting Text
Ctrl + a: highlight all text
Double click any word: highlight the word. This is much faster than dragging the cursor from one end of the word to the next.
Click on any word three times: highlight the whole paragraph.
Shortcut for Find, Replace and Go To
Ctrl + f: find a word or phrase
Ctrl + h: replace a word with another one, e.g. have with has
Ctrl + g: go to a page, section etc.
Shortcuts from the Tools Menu
Shift + F7: open the Thesaurus for any highlighted word. Very useful, try it out.
Shift + F10: display the tool menu for any text item. Right clicking will also work.
Internet Explorer Hotkeys for Researching on the Internet
Some Word keyboard shortcuts will have the same effect when using web pages (like ctrl + f); others will perform a different action (e.g., F5). Below are the most useful shortcuts when navigating a web page or between different ones.
Alt + left arrow: go back to the previous web page. Especially useful when no back button is provided, e.g., after an error message comes up.
Alt + right arrow: go to next web page.
Esc: leave a page. Useful when no close option is provided, e.g., for pop-ups.
Ctrl + a: careful when highlighting all text of a particular web page and copying it into Word. This will highlight everything – from page title to images, links and ads.
F5: refresh. Make sure to use this for bookmarked web sites to see if new content has been added.
PRT SC: print screen
F11: full screen. Especially useful when using print screen. Hit F11 again to exit full screen mode.
Inserting Special Symbols in MS Word
When typing in a foreign language that uses special characters or when typing foreign words in English, learn the shortcuts for these special characters. Do NOT insert -> symbol -> insert them every time. Do this only the first time to copy and then store the character code.
The second time you need the symbol, type the 4-digit character code and then press Alt + x to insert it. It sounds more complicated than it is but once routine sets in, the special characters will just fly off the keyboard. For anyone confused about to how to find and use symbol shortcuts, here’s an example for special German characters and special Spanish letters. Or how about learning text messaging lingo?
