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UNIT
4
WORD PROCESSING
Unit Structure
4.0 Learning Objectives
4.1 Unit Preview
4.2 Application Software
4.3 Word Processor
4.3.1 Introduction to Microsoft Word
4.3.2 Microsoft Word Welcome Page
4.3.3 Microsoft Word User Interface
4.3.4 Typing in Microsoft Word
4.4 Web-Based Word Processor – Google Docs
4.4.1 Benefits of Google Docs
4.5 Summary
4.6 Keywords
4.7 Multiple Choice Questions
4.8 Terminal Questions
4.9 Answers to Check Your Progress
4.10 Answers to Multiple Choice Questions
4.11 Further Readings
4.0 LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Know about Application Software
2. Understand Word Processor
4.1 UNIT PREVIEW
A personal computer is nothing less than an electronic tool. You may not consider yourself very good at
typing, calculating, organising, presenting or managing information. A personal computer can help you do
all these things and much more. All it takes is the right kinds of software. In order to use computers
efficiently and effectively, you need to understand the capabilities of general-purpose application software,
which includes word processors, spreadsheets, presentation programs and database management systems.
You also need to know about integrated packages and software suites.
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Nikhil works in a bookshop over the weekends. The bookshop owner has given all the sales receipts to
Nikhil. He wants Nikhil to create a sales report, a presentation about the most sold books and a summary of
daily sales figures. He also expects Nikhil to create a one-page summary of his findings. He also asks Nikhil
to explore a few mobile apps for sales analysis and summary for ease-of-use.
LO 1
4.2 APPLICATION SOFTWARE
There are two kinds of software:
1. System software works with end users.
2. Application software is an end user software and is used to accomplish a variety of tasks.
Application software can be divided into three categories:
• General-purpose Applications: includes word processing programs, spreadsheets, presentation graphics
and database management systems.
• Specialised Applications: includes thousands of other programs that tend to be more narrowly focused
and used in specific disciplines and occupations. For example, designers and advertising agencies use
CorelDraw and Tally is used for accounting.
• Mobile Applications: are typically designed for smartphones and tablets.
• Web-based Applications: Modern web browsers are capable of more than just displaying text and images.
The advent of Web 2.0 has changed how you interact with websites.
4.1 Check Your Understanding
(i) Have you understood the concept of Application Software?
(ii) What are the different types?
4.3 WORD PROCESSOR LO 2
A word processor is an application software that allows you to create a document and store it as a file; either
in a physical medium such as the computer’s storage memory, an external storage medium such as a floppy
disk, a USB flash drive, a CD; or over the internet in a cloud-based storage medium. The file can be used for
display on a screen or printed on to paper using a printer. A word processor allows you to make changes and
edit your document, compared to using a typewriter where you have to re-type the entire document
manually. In addition, various sections of the document can be moved within the document, or between
several documents.
Almost all organizations use word processors in some form to create letters, memos and other documents
such as brochures, manuals and newsletters. Students too use word processors to create reports and other
academic documents.
Microsoft Word is the most common word processor in use, though other word processors are available, and
have varying degrees of popularity. Some of them are:
• OpenOffice Writer
• LibreOffice Writer
• Google Docs
• Corel WordPerfect
• Apple Pages
4.3.1 Introduction to Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is a word processor used to create “beautiful documents that are easy to work with others
and enjoyable to read. You can create any type of document that you want to. Some of the most common
types of documents that users create using Microsoft Word include:
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• Letters: Personal letters, business letters, resumes, creative and general notes.
• Notices: Flyers, menus and checklists
• Reports: Academic reports and official reports made for organizations
• Documents: Personal and official documents; including documentation, product manuals, and
whitepapers.
4.3.2 Microsoft Word Welcome Page
You can open Microsoft Word by clicking on Start > Microsoft Word, which is usually grouped under the
Office folder. Click on any of the available templates you like to use as the base of your document. For now,
click on a Blank document.
Templates
Microsoft provides a plethora of templates for you to choose from. These templates provide the structure
and backbone of the type of document you are creating. Using templates allow you to create beautiful
documents, without worrying about details such as font sizes, spacing and margins. However, as of the latest
versions of Microsoft Office, these templates are available online, and therefore, your computer needs to be
connected to the internet to be able to download and use them.
In order to open a new template in Microsoft Word:
1. Open Microsoft Word and select New
2. Use the Search bar to find the type of template you are looking for. For this exercise, type Business on
the search bar
3. The search results for various types of templates will be displayed below the search bar
4. Choose any template that you prefer, and think will be right for your project
4.3.3 Microsoft Word User Interface
A user interface is the portion of the application that allows you to control and to interact with the program.
Depending on the application, you can use a mouse, a pointer, a keyboard and/or your voice to communicate
with the application. Most general-purpose applications use a mouse and a graphical user interface (GUI)
that displays graphical elements called icons to represent familiar objects.
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Like other software programs Microsoft Word also uses a system of menus, toolbars and dialog boxes. In
this section, you will understand how to navigate Microsoft Word and use the various features that it
provides.
Ribbon Interface
Modern versions of Microsoft Office Suite and Windows use a Ribbon interface. The Ribbon runs along the
top of the window, containing all the essential tools and functions you need while working with the
software. The ribbon consists of three parts:
• Tabs: Tabs contain toolsets that are grouped by general activities
• Groups: Show the related tools together
• Commands: Individual functions and commands that add to or modify the document
Navigate through the various tabs, to see the various groups of commands that are available to create and
modify your document.
Quick Access Toolbar
The Quick Access Toolbar is located on top of the Ribbon interface and contains some of the most used
functions. To see what each of the buttons do on the Quick Access Toolbar, hover your mouse cursor on top
of the icons. You can also customize the commands available on the toolbar by clicking the down-facing
arrow.
Some of the most common commands on the Quick Access Toolbar include:
• Undo: The undo command “goes back”, allowing you to revert any changes you have made to the
document. The undo command keeps track of every sequence of changes you have made to the
document.
• Redo: The redo command is activated after using the undo command. It “goes forward”, allowing you to
move ahead of the sequence of changes you made to the document, and reverses the undo command.
File Menu
The File Menu provides commands that you can use to save and recover documents from files. Click on the
File tab to access the File Menu. Here, you can save your document, open a new document, or save your
document as a different file. There are multiple options available on the blue bar on the left of the screen. To
exit the file menu, click on the arrow pointing to the left on the top left of the screen. These options let you
print your document, share it with others using email and Microsoft OneDrive, export it to different formats
and so on.
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Title Bar
The title bar shows the title of the document you are working on. On modern versions of Microsoft Word, it
also shows a search bar, which provides you an easy way to find the functions, or portions of the document
you are working on.
4.3.4 Typing in Microsoft Word
The primary interface of Microsoft Word looks like a piece of paper that you can type on. The position
where you enter text is shown by a vertical blinking line, known as the cursor. The cursor and mouse pointer
shape provide hints about the various modes you can use while typing and selecting text on your computer.
The size of the cursor changes according to the font size you select. For other modes, for example italics; the
cursor becomes slanted to show you that you are inserting italicized text.
Selecting Text
Selecting text is an important skill when working with word processors. The most common method of
selecting text is:
1. Move your mouse to the beginning of the text you want to select.
2. Click the left mouse button and drag it along the portion of the text you want to select.
3. Let go of the mouse cursor at the end of the word where you want your text selection to stop.
Notice that the text is highlighted in gray. That portion of the document is selected and can be modified in
various ways.
To select an entire line of text, place the mouse cursor on the margin to the left of the text. Notice how the
mouse cursor shape is inverted, and now points to the right. A single left click at this position selects the
entire line of text. To select an entire paragraph, select multiple lines of text by placing the mouse cursor on
the margin of the starting line, left click and drag till the ending line, releasing at the last line of the text you
want to select.
Inserting and Modifying Text
When you are typing in Microsoft Word, you can make changes to the text, such as the font-face, the font
size, the font strength, as well as color and highlighting. The commands and functions to do these operations
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are available at the Home Tab. As with other tabs, the Home Tab is grouped into sections, for some of the
most common options available.
Home Tab
The Home tab contains various groups that let you modify and add various textual styles easily. Given
below are some of the common groups, and the functions they contain.
• Font: The font group has commands and options that let you change the typography of your document. It
allows you to select the font, the font size, make the font bold, underlined, or italicized; change color of
the font, set highlighting, or change the case of the text; and add font decorations.
○ Modifying Font: Here are some common ways to change font structure in your document:
▪ Select a region of text
▪ Change the font type by selecting any font from the drop-down menu
▪ Change the font size by selecting a number from the drop-down menu or clicking the size
increment or decrement buttons
▪ Make text bold and underlined by clicking on the ‘B’ button, and the ‘U’ button
• Paragraph: The paragraph group allows you to make changes to the structure of the paragraph in your
text. It lets you set the text alignment (left, centered, right, or justified), the spacing between lines, add
borders, set background colors for the text, show formatting symbols and sort the text in ascending or
descending order. Furthermore, it also lets you set text to be shown as unordered lists through bullet
points or ordered lists with numbering.
○ Changing Paragraph: Here are some common methods to change paragraph structures:
▪ Select a region of text
▪ Change the text justification by clicking on the Center button
▪ Change the line spacing by clicking on the line spacing button, and set it to 1.0
▪ Indent the paragraph to the right by clicking on the Increase Indent button
• Styles: The styles group lets you add or change pre-defined styles to the selected text. Styles allow you to
provide context to the text, as well as pre-define text styles that are applicable across the entire document.
○ Adding a Title:
▪ Add some text on the top of the document, such as the title of your project
▪ Select that piece of text
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▪ Click on the Title option from the Styles list
▪ Notice how the multiple font settings of the text changes together.
○ Changing Regular Text Styles:
▪ Bring your mouse to the style Normal
▪ Right-click on it, then select Modify option
▪ Select ‘Cambria’ font, and font-size of 10
▪ Notice how all the text formatting changes together
• Editing: The editing group lets you find and replace text from the entire document, or from selected
regions of the text.
○ Finding Text:
▪ Click on the “Find” button
▪ Type some text that you are looking for on the search bar
▪ Notice how all the words it finds are highlighted
○ Replacing Text:
▪ Click on the “Replace” button
▪ Type a word you want to replace in the “Find what” box, and the replacement word in the “Replace
with” box
▪ Click on the “Replace” button to replace the first instance of the word
▪ Click on the “Replace All” button to replace all the instances of the word
• Clipboard: The clipboard, as the name suggests, is a place where text which is copied is stored. The
clipboard group lets you insert copied text easily into your document.
○ Cutting Text: Cutting text, as the name suggests, removes the text from the document and places it on
the clipboard. To cut text:
▪ Select a region of text
▪ Right-click anywhere on the selected text, and click on Cut
▪ Notice how the text is removed from the document.
○ Copying Text: When you are copying text, it is copied to the clipboard, but unlike cutting, is not
removed from the document. To copy text:
▪ Select a different region of text
▪ Right-click anywhere on the selected text, and click on Copy
▪ Notice that the document did not change.
○ Pasting Text: Moving text from the clipboard to the document is done by pasting text. To paste text
you have copied previously:
▪ Bring your cursor to the position of the document where you want to insert text
▪ Click on the “Paste” button on the Ribbon interface. Alternatively, right-click and select Paste.
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Insert Tab
The Insert Tab contains various groups that let you insert objects such as images, tables and hyperlinks into
your document. Given below are some of the common groups and the functions that they contain.
• Tables: Tables are the perfect way to display structured and tabular data.
○ Inserting a Table:
▪ Click on the Table dropdown button
▪ It shows a grid, representing the rows and columns you need for your table
▪ When you hover over the grid, it shows changes the table matrix on the top
▪ Select the grid and click on it to insert a table.
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○ Applying a Table Style:
▪ After you have inserted a table into your document, you will notice two new tabs appearing when
the table is selected; Table Design and Layout
▪ The Table Design tab lets you make changes to the appearance of the table.
▪ The Layout Tab lets you make changes to the structure of the table, allowing you to add or remove
rows or columns, or merge multiple cells together.
• Illustrations: Illustrations allow you to insert pictures, shapes and charts to your document.
○ Inserting a Shape: To insert a shape:
▪ Click on the Shapes dropdown button
▪ Select a shape by clicking on it
▪ Notice the mouse pointer looks like a “+” sign
▪ Click and drag diagonally across the screen to insert the shape
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Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts are a handy way to use commands without moving the mouse. The advantage of
keyboard shortcuts is that you do not need to move your hand to the mouse to modify the text, and can be
done from the keyboard directly, making typing and editing text faster. Given below are some of the
common keyboard shortcuts used in Microsoft Word.
Keyboard Shortcut Function
Ctrl + P Print
Ctrl + A Select All Text
Ctrl + X Cut Selected Text
Ctrl + C Copy Selected Text
Ctrl + V Paste Text
Ctrl + N Create a New Document
Ctrl + S Save Document
Ctrl + Z Undo
Ctrl + Y Redo
Ctrl + B Enable Bold Text
Ctrl + I Enable Italics
Ctrl + U Enable Underlined Text
Ctrl + ] Increase text size by one unit
Ctrl + [ Decrease text size by one unit
Ctrl + E Center text
Ctrl + L Left-align text
Ctrl + R Right-align text
4.4 WEB-BASED WORD PROCESSOR – GOOGLE DOCS
Google Docs is an online collaborative word processor. It not only allows you to create and share documents
with your friends and classmates, but also lets them work together with you on a single document. In
addition, it lets you open your files on any computer or smartphone where you can access your Google
account.
4.4.1 Benefits of Google Docs
Google Docs provides the combined benefits of word processors like Microsoft Word, along with the
advancements of running on the internet. Some of its key features are:
• Since Google Docs runs on the browser, it can be used to edit files on any computer, and even on
smartphones.
• Google Docs allows you to share your documents, with control over who gets to view it, or edit it.
• Due to the online nature of the software, you and your friends can work together on a single document
with ease.
• All Google Docs files are stored in Google Drive, providing you with additional benefits of Google
Drive.
It saves all modifications, allowing you to get back to any previous section of the document.
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4.2 Check Your Understanding
(i) Have you understood the concept of word processor?
(ii) What are the important features of word user interface?
Check Your Progress
Answer the following questions in the provided space.
1. What are word processors?
2. What are word processors used for?
3. What do you understand by user interface? What GUI is mostly used in MS applications?
Fill in the blanks.
1. Menus show __________ that are typically displayed in a menu bar at the top of the screen.
2. Toolbars typically appear below the __________ bar and include small graphic elements called
buttons that provide shortcuts for quick access to commonly used commands.
3. Some tabs, called __________ tabs, appear only when they are needed and anticipate the next
operation to be performed by the user.
State whether the following statements are True or False.
1. Word processor is a mobile application.
2. Students and researchers use word processors to create reports.
3. Microsoft Word is the most widely used word processor.
4. All types of organisations use spreadsheets to create memos, letters and faxes.
4.5 SUMMARY
1. There are two kinds of software – System software and Application software.
2. General-purpose application software include word processors, spreadsheets, presentation programs and
database management systems.
3. Word processors create text-based documents and are one of the most flexible and widely used software
tools.
4. Microsoft Word is the most widely used word processor.
5. Most general-purpose applications use a mouse and a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays
graphical elements called icons to represent familiar objects.
6. Microsoft applications in particular, use an interface known as the Ribbon GUI that uses a system of
ribbons, tabs and galleries.
7. Google Docs is an online word processor that provides you with the benefits of internet connectivity,
with the ease of use of a standalone application running from the browser.
4.6 KEYWORDS
General- : Includes word processing programs, spreadsheets, presentation graphics and database
purpose management systems.
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Applications
Specialised : Includes thousands of other programs that tend to be more narrowly focused and used in
Applications specific disciplines and occupations. For example, designers and advertising agencies
use CorelDraw and Tally is used for accounting.
Mobile : Are typically designed for smartphones and tablets.
Applications
Ribbons : Replace menus and toolbars by organising commonly used commands into a set of tabs.
These tabs display command buttons that are most relevant to the tasks being performed
by the user.
Tabs : Are used to divide the ribbon into major activity areas. Each tab is then organised into
groups that contain related items.
4.7 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. Word documents are used to create:
(a) Slide presentation
(b) Tables for accounting
(c) Personal information
(d) Text-based documents
2. Which of the following is not a word processor:
(a) Google Docs
(b) Microsoft Excel
(c) Corel WordPerfect
(d) Apple Pages
3. What is a window?
(a) A window is an operating system
(b) A window is simply a rectangular area that can contain a document, program or message
(c) A window is a word processor
(d) All of the above
4.8 TERMINAL QUESTIONS
1. Label the following image: Mark Tab, Ribbons, Groups and Gallery.
2. What system does user interface of all software program use?
3. What are different types of application software?
4. What are the features of GUI of Microsoft Word Processor?
4.9 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS
Fill in the blanks
1. commands
2. menu
3. contextual
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True or False
1. False
2. True
3. True
4. False
4.10 ANSWERS TO MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. (d)
2. (b)
3. (b)
4.11 FURTHER READINGS
• Gookin, D. (2015) Word 2016: For dummies. New Jersey, NJ: Wiley.
• Lambert, J. (2019) Microsoft Word 2019: Step by step. Washington, DC: Microsoft Press.
• Wempen F. (2015) Word 2016 in depth. New Jersey, NJ: QUE.
• https://techterms.com/definition/wordprocessor
• https://www.britannica.com/technology/word-processing
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