First Boot — Week 1B
Word Basics
Microsoft Word from a blank page to a finished document — the fundamentals every professional needs.
13 slides ~15 minutes CGS1000C · Forge
By the end of this lesson, you will know the Word interface, format text and paragraphs, work with images and tables, and save documents in multiple formats.
Slide 2 of 13
The Word Interface
Word looks busy at first, but every panel has a job. Once you can name the parts, the menus stop being mysterious.
Tabs & Ribbon
Tabs group commands by purpose (Home for formatting, Insert for media). The Ribbon shows the buttons for the active tab. Press Alt to see keyboard shortcuts.
Status Bar
Bottom of the window. Shows page number, word count, language, zoom. Right-click it to add or remove indicators (like character count or section).
Slide 3 of 13
Create & Save
Step zero: get a blank page in front of you. Step one: save it before you type a word.
1New document: Open Word → Blank document, or Ctrl+N from inside Word.
2Save (first time): Ctrl+S or File → Save As → choose location, name the file, click Save.
3Save (after that): Ctrl+S overwrites the existing file. Word reminds you with a small disk icon if there are unsaved changes.
4AutoSave: If the file is on OneDrive or SharePoint, AutoSave is on by default — every change is saved every few seconds. Watch for the AutoSave toggle in the title bar.
5Open existing: Ctrl+O, or double-click any .docx file in File Explorer.
The most common mistake: Working for an hour on an unnamed document, then losing power. Save first, type second. A name like essay-final.docx takes 5 seconds and prevents tears.
Slide 4 of 13
Text Formatting
Bold, italic, underline, color, size, and font — the visual layer of your text.
Bold / Italic / Underline
Ctrl+B bold · Ctrl+I italic · Ctrl+U underline. Select text first, then press the shortcut. Use sparingly — bold everything = bold nothing.
Font & Size
Font dropdown picks the typeface (Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman). Size in points (typically 11-12 for body text, 14-24 for headings). Hover the dropdown to preview live.
Color & Highlight
Font color (the A with a colored bar) changes letter color. Highlight (the marker icon) changes background. Both let you pick from a palette or define a custom color.
The mini-toolbar: When you select text, a small floating toolbar appears with the most common formatting buttons. Faster than going back to the Ribbon for one or two changes.
Slide 5 of 13
Paragraph Formatting
Alignment, line spacing, and indentation. These shape how your text sits on the page.
Left
Default. Text aligns to the left margin, ragged right edge. Standard for most documents.
Center
Text centers between margins. Use for titles, headers, short captions.
Right
Aligns to right margin. Used for dates in headers, prices in invoices.
Justify
Both edges flush. Word stretches spaces between words. Looks formal — common in books.
Line Spacing
1.0 (single), 1.15 (default), 1.5, or 2.0 (double). Academic essays usually require double-spacing. Find it on the Home tab beside alignment.
Indentation
Increase / Decrease Indent buttons (or Tab at start of line). First-line indent is the classic paragraph opening (set in Paragraph dialog).
Slide 6 of 13
Bulleted & Numbered Lists
Lists chunk information so a reader can scan it. Word does the formatting if you start the line right.
Bulleted Lists
Type * or - followed by a space at the start of a line, and Word converts it to a bullet. Or click the bulleted list button on the Home tab. Use for items where order does not matter.
Numbered Lists
Type 1. or 1) followed by a space, and Word converts to a numbered list. Word auto-increments. Use when sequence matters (steps, ranking).
Multi-level lists: Press Tab on a list item to indent it as a sub-bullet (a, b, c under 1, 2, 3). Shift+Tab moves it back up a level.
Slide 7 of 13
Page Layout
Margins, orientation, size, and breaks. Layout shapes the page itself, not just what is on it.
Margins
The white space around the page. Word default: 1 inch on all sides (Normal). Other presets: Narrow, Wide. Layout tab → Margins.
Orientation
Portrait (taller than wide) is default. Landscape (wider than tall) for spreadsheets, posters, wide tables. Layout → Orientation.
Size
Letter (8.5 x 11) in the US, A4 (210 x 297 mm) in Europe and most of the world. Layout → Size.
Page break: Press Ctrl+Enter to force a new page. Better than pressing Enter many times — if you add text earlier, your page break stays put.
Slide 8 of 13
Headers, Footers, & Page Numbers
Information that repeats on every page. Insert tab → Header / Footer / Page Number.
Header
Top of every page. Common content: name, course, date, document title.
Footer
Bottom of every page. Often holds page numbers, document version, copyright.
Page Numbers
Insert → Page Number. Choose top-left, top-right, bottom-center, etc. Word numbers automatically.
Slide 9 of 13
Images & Shapes
Visuals make text easier to read. Insert tab is your home for everything that is not plain words.
1Insert → Pictures → This Device: browse to a photo on your computer.
2Insert → Pictures → Stock Images: built-in royalty-free library (Microsoft 365 only).
3Insert → Shapes: rectangles, circles, arrows, callout balloons. Drag to draw.
4Resize: click the image, drag a corner handle (keeps proportions). Side handles squish.
5Wrap text: click the image → Layout Options icon → choose how text flows around it (In Line, Square, Tight, Behind, In Front).
6Alt text: right-click → View Alt Text. Describes the image for screen readers. Required for accessibility.
Wrap text matters: The default "In Line with Text" treats the image like a giant character — it pushes words around. "Square" or "Tight" lets text flow next to the image like a magazine layout.
Slide 10 of 13
Working with Tables
Tables organize data in rows and columns. Insert → Table → drag to set the size.
Insert
Insert → Table. Drag the grid to choose dimensions, or use Insert Table dialog for exact rows/columns.
Navigate
Tab moves to the next cell, Shift+Tab moves backward. Tab in the last cell adds a new row.
Style
Click the table → Table Design tab. Pick a style from the gallery, toggle header row, banded rows, total row.
Slide 11 of 13
Spell Check, Find, & Replace
Catch typos before you submit. Edit in bulk without re-typing.
Spell & Grammar Check
Wavy red underline = misspelling. Wavy blue underline = grammar suggestion. Right-click any underlined word for replacement options. Press F7 to run a full review.
Find
Ctrl+F. Type a word or phrase, Word jumps to every occurrence. Useful in long documents to find a specific section.
Replace
Ctrl+H. Find a word, replace with another. Replace All updates every match at once. Great for fixing a name spelled wrong throughout.
Editor (M365)
Microsoft Editor (Review tab) checks spelling, grammar, clarity, conciseness, and inclusiveness. Score-based feedback for the whole document.
Replace All can bite: Replacing "cat" with "dog" also replaces "category" with "dogegory". Use Find Next + Replace one-at-a-time, or check "Match whole word" in the dialog.
Slide 12 of 13
Saving in Different Formats
The same content can live in different file types. Pick the right one for your audience.
.docx
Word default since 2007. Editable in Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice. Use this for any document you may need to revise.
.pdf
Portable Document Format. Locks layout — looks the same on every device. Use when sending a final copy that should not be edited.
.txt
Plain text. No formatting at all. Used for simple notes or when an old system needs raw text.
.doc (legacy)
Old Word format (pre-2007). Save as .doc only when an older recipient cannot open .docx.
.rtf
Rich Text Format. Cross-platform fallback that keeps basic formatting (bold, fonts) without Word-specific features.
OneDrive / SharePoint
Save to the cloud (File → Save As → OneDrive). Auto-save kicks in. Lets others co-author the file in real time.
To save as PDF: File → Save As → pick a location → in the file-type dropdown choose PDF. Or File → Export → Create PDF/XPS Document.
Slide 13 of 13
Week 1B Summary
Word Basics — the building blocks of every document you will produce.
1Interface: Title bar, tabs (File, Home, Insert...), Ribbon (buttons for the active tab), document area, status bar.
2Save first: Ctrl+S immediately, name the file. AutoSave only protects OneDrive/SharePoint files.
3Text formatting: Select first → Ctrl+B bold, Ctrl+I italic, Ctrl+U underline. Mini-toolbar appears on selection.
4Paragraphs: Left, Center, Right, Justify alignment. Line spacing (1.0 / 1.15 / 1.5 / 2.0). Indent buttons to nest.
5Lists: Bulleted (any order), numbered (sequence). Tab to nest a sub-bullet, Shift+Tab to outdent.
6Page layout: Margins, orientation (portrait/landscape), size (Letter/A4). Ctrl+Enter for a hard page break.
7Headers/footers/page numbers: repeat on every page. Insert tab.
8Save formats: .docx editable, .pdf locked layout for final delivery, .txt plain text.
Next up: Week 2A — Word Advanced (styles, table of contents, references, mail merge) and Week 2B — Excel Basics.