Selecting Text in Word 2010

To edit or format anything in Word, you must first highlight the text you want to change. Word provides several ways to make a selection, and which one you pick comes down to the task at hand and what feels most comfortable to you. This guide covers the most widely used techniques, beginning with the easiest.

The method most people know best is to click the left mouse button where the selection should start, then drag over the text until it is highlighted. With the text selected, you can apply whatever change you need — making it bold with the bold button, for instance. You can highlight a single word along with the punctuation that follows it, or drag across multiple words in one go.

Keyboard Selection Techniques

Selection can also be done entirely with the keyboard. Put the cursor at the starting point, then hold Shift and press the right arrow key to grow the selection. Pressing the left arrow key pulls the selection back in. Bring Ctrl into the mix — Ctrl+Shift plus the right arrow — and you select a whole word at a time. Following the same pattern, Ctrl+Shift plus the down arrow selects entire paragraphs.

These additional combinations work from wherever the cursor happens to be:

Shift+End selects from the cursor to the end of the current line.
Shift+Home selects from the cursor back to the start of the line.
Ctrl+Shift+End selects from the cursor to the end of the document.
Ctrl+Shift+Home selects from the cursor to the top of the document.
Ctrl+A selects everything in the document.

Selection Methods at a Glance

This tutorial shows a range of selection techniques, from dragging with the mouse to keyboard shortcuts. The summary below makes it easy to spot the method that fits your situation.

Mouse selection — click at the start of the text and drag to highlight it.
Keyboard selection — hold Shift with the arrow keys to extend or shrink a selection.
Word-by-word and paragraph selection — combine Ctrl and Shift with the arrow keys.
Line selection — use Shift with Home or End.
Document selection — use Ctrl+Shift+Home/End or Ctrl+A.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I select text in Word 2010?

The most common method is to click at the start of the text with the left mouse button and drag over the text you want to select. You can also use the keyboard by placing the cursor and holding Shift while pressing the arrow keys.

How do I select a whole word or paragraph with the keyboard?

Hold down Ctrl and Shift while pressing the right arrow key to select whole words at a time. Holding Ctrl and Shift while pressing the down arrow selects whole paragraphs at a time.

How do I select from the cursor to the end of a line or document?

Hold Shift and press End to select from the cursor position to the end of the line, or Shift and Home to select back to the start of the line. Ctrl+Shift+End selects to the end of the document, and Ctrl+Shift+Home selects to the top of the document.

Is there a shortcut to select everything in a document?

Yes. Ctrl+A selects all the text in the document.

Why do I need to select text before editing it?

Before you edit or format text, you need to select it first. Selecting text tells Word which part of the document the formatting or edit should apply to.

Continue Learning

Ready to keep going? Return to the Word 2010 video home page, or continue with the lesson on copying and moving text.