Create your first Word 2013 document

The best way to learn about Word 2013 is to start using it. Create a blank document and learn the basics of adding and formatting text.

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Basic tasks in Word 2013

What's new in Word 2013

When you first open Word 2013, this is what you see.

You can open an existing file here, or choose a template and create a new document.

Since we are just starting out, let's keep it simple and open the Blank document template.

Your new document opens here.

This area at the top is called the ribbon.

As you work on your document, you can use the tools in the ribbon to modify your text, or add pictures, or change the margins, things like that.

Word has a lot of useful tools and features, but you don't need to know all of this to create a document.

In fact, you can just start typing. Press Enter to start a new paragraph.

Otherwise, keep typing, and Word moves you to the next line automatically.

Press Backspace to remove characters to the left, press the arrow keys to move the cursor, and press Delete to remove characters to the right.

If you want to go faster, you can use the mouse to move the cursor.

As you get more comfortable with Word, you'll find yourself wanting to do more.

For example, you can take advantage of Word's spellchecker.

Word points out potential spelling errors by underlining the text in red.

You can retype the word, if you want, or better yet, right-click the word and get a list of suggested correct spellings.

Select one, or tell Word to Ignore the spelling.

Word also checks your grammar and word usage with a blue underline.

As your document grows and begins to take shape, there will be times when you'll want to move some things around.

You can do that by cutting, or copying and pasting.

Watch while I switch these two paragraphs around. First, I select the second paragraph, Cut it, click the beginning of the first paragraph, and click Paste.

Let's go back and take a closer look at that.

First, you select what you want to move.

Click and hold the left mouse button at the beginning and drag the mouse to the end. The area you select turns gray.

If you want to get rid of the selection, just click some place.

Now if you want to go faster, you can make a selection without dragging the mouse.

Just double-click to select a word. Click three times and you select the whole paragraph.

You'll see that there is always more than one way to do things in Word.

Next, we need to cut the text.

But you can't do that by pressing Delete, because that will permanently remove the text.

We need to use the Cut and Paste commands up here on the ribbon.

These words at the top are called Tabs.

When you click one, you display all the commands and options in the tab.

The Cut and Paste commands are on the HOME tab.

When you click Cut, Word removes the text and places it in the computer's memory in a location called the Clipboard.

Word also rearranges the document, so you don't see where the text was cut.

Word will do this anytime when something is added or removed.

Next, we select where we want to move the paragraph.

Then, come back to the ribbon and click Paste. And Word inserts the text from the clipboard.

Notice that you can click Copy instead of Cut, if you don't want to remove the original text.

So cutting and pasting is one way to move text.

But let's go back, and I'll show you even a faster way by using the mouse.

Instead of using the clipboard buttons, you can just click the selected text, and hold the left mouse button as you drag it to a new location.

So, now you have all the information you need to create a basic document or a rough draft. Up next, we'll save our document and move on.