How to Write Great Essays

When selecting, 
Click once anywhere on a word to select the whole 
automatically selects 
word.
entire word

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HOW TO WRITE GREAT ESSAYS

CHAPTER 5 Revising, Editing, and Proofreading
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H
O W T O
M
O V E O R
C
H A N G E
T
E X T
U
S I N G T H E
M
O U S E
To edit existing text you must first select the text that you would like to change. While every-
one familiar with basic word processing functions knows how to highlight using the
mouse, there are a number of ways to select text that can save you time and prevent mis-
takes. To select:
■
a single character: click and hold down the mouse button, then drag across
the character.
■
a single word: double-click on the word.
■
one or more complete lines of text: move the cursor to the left side of the win-
dow until it turns into a right-pointing arrow. Click and hold the mouse but-
ton while dragging through the lines you want to select.
■
a sentence: hold down the control key (“ctrl”), and click anywhere within the
sentence.
■
a paragraph: triple-click anywhere within it, or move the cursor to the left side
of the window until it turns into a right-pointing arrow and double-click.
■
multiple paragraphs: move the cursor to the left side of the window until it
turns into a right-pointing arrow, double-click but hold down the mouse but-
ton on the second click. Drag up or down to select the desired paragraphs.
■
a vertical block of text: hold down the control key (“ctrl”) and drag across the
desired text.
■
the entire document: move the cursor to the left side of the window until it
turns into a right-pointing arrow and triple-click, or choose “select all” from
the “edit” menu.
Once you have selected text, there are a number of ways to manipulate it.
Change text
■
Begin typing new text; old will be replaced.
Delete text
■
Press the “delete” key.
OR
■
Select “cut” from the “edit” menu.
Move text
■
Use the “edit” menu to “cut” or “copy” the text. Next, click once at the desired
location and select “paste” from the “edit” menu.
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Revising, Editing, and Proofreading  CHAPTER 5