Functions Of Important Key

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 unnecessary 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

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 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 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

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+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 Underline → CTRL+SHIFT+W