- Alt: A ‘shortcut’ key, often held down while another key is pressed to request that the computer carries out an instruction
- Backspace: Deletes characters and spaces one space to the left of the cursor. The left pointing arrow on the key illustrates the direction the cursor will travel. If held down, it will continue to delete, so don’t be heavy handed on this key. It’s the digital key that most clearly demonstrates the difference between a computer keyboard and a typewriter.
- Caps Lock: Does exactly what it says on the key. Once pressed, everything you type will be in capital letters. Often used by those new to keyboards to use capital letters instead of (properly ) using either of the SHIFT keys. When you next look at the screen you’ll see that you’ve got a whole page of dazzling capital letters. Unless you want your text to be in big black uppercase, this key is seriously best avoided. You have been told. If you do press CAPS LOCK accidentally you’ll notice a warning light on most keyboards, usually above the keys and shown by an ‘A’ symbol. Tap the CAPS LOCK key again to turn it off.
- Ctrl: The CTRL key is the most important key for allowing you to keep your hands on the keyboard and not having to point at click at various things with the mouse. When CTRL is held down and one of many other keys is tapped, actions are carried that would require several mouse movements and several clicks to otherwise achieve. For example: CTRL + P = Print; CTRL + S = Save; CTRL + C = Copy, and so on. Once learnt, these keyboard shortcuts really help increase your confidence in feeling in control of the computer.
- Delete: When asked to use the DELETE key with Alt and Ctrl to log in to a computer network, you should hold down the CTRL and ALT key with your left hand and tap the DELETE key with your right hand. Don’t ask why. When text or objects or icons are selected and the DELETE key is pressed they are removed from view (or deleted).
- Enter:One of the biggest keys because it’s used a lot. You press ENTER to confirm that you want something to happen. It means YES, OK, that’s what I want, do it! You should develop the habit of pressing ENTER instead of using the mouse to click on Yes or OK in screen windows. Saves a lot on unecessary rolling and clicking about with the mouse.
- Escape: The ESCAPE key isn’t used when typing text. Rather, think of it as No or Cancel. Many actions on the computer require you to indicate Yes or No (OK or Cancel). ESCAPE always means No or Cancel or sometimes STOP. If ENTER is positive, then ESCAPE is negative.
- Function: The FUNCTION keys are often used by programs as ‘shortcut’ keys. A string of instructions and actions can be ‘recorded’ by FUNCTION keys, like the pre-tuned station selector buttons on car radios. Used inside programs, they can be incredibly useful, time saving keys. Pressing the FUNCTION key F1, for example will generally bring up a full help menu inside any program.
- Shift: Use the SHIFT key by holding it down as you tap another key, either to make a letter uppercase (capital) or to choose a symbol on the top of a key. Remember to use SHIFT instead of Caps Lock for capitals. SHIFT is also often used as a ‘modifier’ key inside programs,eg, holding down SHIFT while resizing pictures will ensure they are scaled proportionately.
- Space: Used to make spaces between words or letters.
- Tab: The Tab key has two main uses. In word processing it is used to move the cursor a specified distance across the page (useful when laying out things like timetables). Tab is also used to ‘cycle’ through available options in dialogue boxes.
Short Keys
Command Name → Shortcut Keys
- All Caps → CTRL+SHIFT+A
- Annotation → ALT+CTRL+M
- App Maximize → ALT+F10
- App Restore → ALT+F5
- Apply List Bullet → CTRL+SHIFT+L
- Auto Format → ALT+CTRL+K
- Auto Text → F3 or ALT+CTRL+V
- Bold → CTRL+B or CTRL+SHIFT+B
- Bookmark → CTRL+SHIFT+F5
- Browse Next → CTRL+PAGE DOWN
- Browse Previous → CTRL+PAGE UP
- Browse Sel → ALT+CTRL+HOME
- Cancel → ESC
- Center Para → CTRL+E
- Change Case → SHIFT+F3
- Clear → DELETE
- Close or Exit → ALT+F4
- Close Pane → ALT+SHIFT+C
- Column Break → CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER
- Column Select → CTRL+SHIFT+F8
- Copy → CTRL+C or CTRL+INSERT
- Copy Format → CTRL+SHIFT+C
- Copy Text → SHIFT+F2
- Create Auto Text → ALT+F3
- Cut → CTRL+X or SHIFT+DELETE
- Date Field → ALT+SHIFT+D
- Delete Back Word → CTRL+BACKSPACE
- Delete Word → CTRL+DELETE
- Dictionary → ALT+SHIFT+F7
- Doc Close → CTRL+W or CTRL+F4
- Doc Maximize → CTRL+F10
- Doc Move → CTRL+F7
- Doc Restore → CTRL+F5
- Doc Size → CTRL+F8
- Doc Split → ALT+CTRL+S
- Double Underline → CTRL+SHIFT+D
- End of Column → ALT+PAGE DOWN
- End of Column → ALT+SHIFT+PAGEDOWN
- End of Doc Extend → CTRL+SHIFT+END
- End of Document → CTRL+END
- End of Line → END
- End of Row → ALT+END
- End of Row → ALT+SHIFT+END
- End of Window → ALT+CTRL+PAGEDOWN
- Field Chars → CTRL+F9
- Field Codes → ALT+F9
- Find → CTRL+F
- Font → CTRL+D or CTRL+SHIFT+F
- Font Size Select → CTRL+SHIFT+P
- Footnote Now → ALT+CTRL+F
- Go Back → SHIFT+F5 or ALT+CTRL+Z
- Go To → CTRL+G or F5
- Hanging Indent → CTRL+T
- Header Footer Link → ALT+SHIFT+R
- Help → F1
- Hidden → CTRL+SHIFT+H
- Hyperlink → CTRL+K
- Indent → CTRL+M
- Italic → CTRL+I or CTRL+SHIFT+I
- Justify Para → CTRL+J
- Left Para → CTRL+L
- Line Down → DOWN
- Line Up → UP
- Mail Merge Check → ALT+SHIFT+K
- Mail Merge to Doc → ALT+SHIFT+N
- Mail Merge to Printer → ALT+SHIFT+M
- Mark Citation → ALT+SHIFT+I
- Mark Index Entry → ALT+SHIFT+X
- Merge Field → ALT+SHIFT+F
- Microsoft System Info → ALT+CTRL+F1
- Move Text → F2
- New → CTRL+N
- Next Cell → TAB
- Next Field → F11 or ALT+F1
- Next Misspelling → ALT+F7
- Next Object → ALT+DOWN
- Next Window → CTRL+F6 or ALT+F6
- Normal → ALT+CTRL+N
- Normal Style → CTRL+SHIFT+N or ALT+SHIFT+CLEAR (NUM 5)
- Open → CTRL+O or CTRL+F12 or ALT+CTRL+F2
- Outline → ALT+CTRL+O
- Outline Move Down → ALT+SHIFT+DOWN
- Outline Move Up → ALT+SHIFT+UP
- Outline Promote → ALT+SHIFT+LEFT
- Overtype → INSERT
- Page → ALT+CTRL+P
- Page Break → CTRL+ENTER
- Page Down → PAGE DOWN
- Page Up → PAGE UP
- Para Down → CTRL+DOWN
- Para Up → CTRL+UP
- Paste → CTRL+V or SHIFT+INSERT
- Paste Format → CTRL+SHIFT+V
- Prev Cell → SHIFT+TAB
- Prev Field → SHIFT+F11or ALT+SHIFT+F1
- Prev Object → ALT+UP
- Prev Window → CTRL+SHIFT+F6 or ALT+SHIFT+F6
- Print → CTRL+P or CTRL+SHIFT+F12
- Print Preview → CTRL+F2 or ALT+CTRL+I
- Proofing → F7
- Redo → LT+SHIFT+BACKSPACE
- Redo or Repeat → CTRL+Y or F4 or ALT+ENTER
- Repeat Find → SHIFT+F4 or ALT+CTRL+Y
- Replace → CTRL+H
- Reset Char → CTRL+SPACE or CTRL+SHIFT+Z
- Reset Para → CTRL+Q
- Right Para → CTRL+R
- Save → CTRL+S or SHIFT+F12 or ALT+SHIFT+F2
- Save As → F12
- Select All → CTRL+A or CTRL+CLEAR (NUM 5) or CTRL+NUM 5
- Select Table → ALT+CLEAR (NUM 5)
- Show All → CTRL+SHIFT+8
- Show All Headings → ALT+SHIFT+A
- Shrink Font → CTRL+SHIFT+,
- Shrink Font One Point → CTRL+[
- Small Caps → CTRL+SHIFT+K
- Space Para1 → CTRL+1
- Start of Column → ALT+PAGE UP
- Start of Column → ALT+SHIFT+PAGE UP
- Start of Document → CTRL+HOME
- Start of Line → HOME
- Start of Row → ALT+HOME
- Start of Row → ALT+SHIFT+HOME
- Start of Window → ALT+CTRL+PAGE UP
- Style → CTRL+SHIFT+S
- Subscript → CTRL+=
- Superscript → CTRL+SHIFT+=
- Symbol Font → CTRL+SHIFT+Q
- Thesaurus → SHIFT+F7
- Time Field → ALT+SHIFT+T
- Toggle Field Display → SHIFT+F9
- Toggle Master Subdocs → CTRL+
- Tool → SHIFT+F1
- Un Indent → CTRL+SHIFT+M
- Underline → CTRL+U or CTRL+SHIFT+U
- Undo → CTRL+Z or ALT+BACKSPACE
- Unlink Fields → CTRL+6 or CTRL+SHIFT+F9
- Update Auto Format → ALT+CTRL+U
- Update Fields → F9 or ALT+SHIFT+U
- Update Source → CTRL+SHIFT+F7
- Web Go Back → ALT+LEFT
- Web Go Forward → ALT+RIGHT
- Word Left → CTRL+LEFT
- Word Right → CTRL+RIGHT
- Word Underline → CTRL+SHIFT+W