Microsoft Word 2013 through GCFLearnFree.org
GCFLearnFree.org offers thousands of free online
lessons and tutorials in Reading, Math, Technology, and
Job Skills. Recognizing that everyone learns differently,
their lessons and tutorials often come in multiple forms
(i.e. text, audio and video).
We suggest using many of their Microsoft Word 2013
tutorials that can be found at
http://www.gcflearnfree.org/office2013/word2013
We have provided brief descriptions of each of the
tutorials in the tables on the accompanying so that you
can quickly find the information that is relevant to you.
GCFLearnFree Screenshot, Pilmer, 2015,
http://www.gcflearnfree.org/office2013/word2013
Tutorial
4. Getting to Know Word
Information Supplied
 Word 2013 be used to produce a variety of different documents.
 The ribbon at the top of the screen is a collection of tools and features available
in Word 2013.
 The ribbon is divided into tabs like Home, Insert, and Design.
 There are commands under each tab which have been organized into groups. For
example under the Home tab, we have groups like Clipboard, Font and
Paragraph.
 Some groups have an arrow in the right hand corner so that you can access
additional commands.
 To turn on the ruler above the document you are working on, select
the View tab and then click on Ruler within the Show group.
 In the bottom right hand corner, you can quickly adjust your view of the
document by clicking and sliding the Zoom control.
 The backstage view of your document can be accessed by clicking on the File
tab. This allows you to access commands like New, Save, and Print.
5. Creating and Opening
Documents
 To create a new document, click on the File tab so that you are in the backstage
view and then select New. Most learners then choose Blank Document; as
opposed to other template options.
 To open an existing document, click on the File tab and select Open. Documents
that you have been working on over the last few days can be found by clicking on
Recent Documents. Older documents likely have to be accessed by clicking on
Computer and navigating through the files on your hard drive.
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6. Saving and Sharing
Documents
Information Supplied
 It is important to save your document regularly in case your computer shuts down
unexpectedly.
 One of the quickest ways to save a document is to click on the save icon
(looks like a floppy disk) in the upper left hand corner above the ribbon.
If it is a new document, then it will take you to the backstage view where
you will have to click on Save As and specify where you want to store the
document; most learners will choose Computer.
 The AutoRecover feature of Word 2013 will save a backup copy of your
document if your computer unexpectedly shuts down. The recovered document
will show up in the Document Recovery panel the next time Word is opened.
 To export a file to an alternative file type (e.g. PDF), click on the File tab, select
Export, and then select the desired format.
7. Text Basics
 To select text, just click, hold and drag your mouse over the text. When you
release the mouse button, the selected text will be highlighted grey.
 The selected text can be copied and pasted to a new location in the
document. This is done by selecting Copy in the Clipboard group,
clicking on the desired location in the document, and then selecting Paste from
the Clipboard group.
 The Copy, Cut and Paste commands can also be accessed using the right-click
opinion on your mouse. There are three Paste options; most choose Keep Source
Formatting (i.e. first Paste icon).
 To find a particular word in a document, click on the Home tab,
select Find in the Editing group, and enter the desired word.
 To replace a word or phrase, click on the Home tab, select Replace
in the Editing group, enter the word or phrase that you wish to
change, and enter the desired word or phrase. Then select Replace or Replace
All.
8. Formatting Text
 The font size and font type of text can be changed by
selecting the text and using the drop down menus for
font type and size under the Home tab and Font group.
 Similarly, the font color can be changed using the drop down menu for font color,
still under the Home tab and Font group.
 The Bold, Italic and Underline commands, found in the Font group,
are useful if you want text to stand out on the page.
 To insert a unique symbol in a document, click on the Insert tab, select Symbol
from the Symbols group, and then select the desired symbol.
 The alignment of the text (Left, Center, Right or Justified) can
be adjusted by selecting the text, and selecting the desired
alignment opinion from the Paragraph group.
9. Page Layout
 The page orientation can either be portrait (i.e. vertical) or
landscape (i.e. horizontal). The orientation can be changed by
clicking on the Page Layout tab, and selecting the desired
orientation from the Orientation command in the Page Setup group.
 Most people print documents on either legal size paper (8.5 inches
by 11 inches) or letter size paper (8.5 inches by 14 inches). These two options
can be accessed by clicking on the Page Layout tab, and selecting the desired size
from the Size command in the Page Setup group.
 The margins of a document can be adjusted using the Margin commands found
under the Page Layout tab in Page Setup group. Most learners find it easiest to
use the Custom Margins option.
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10. Printing Documents
Information Supplied
 To print a document, click on the File tab so that you are in the backstage view
and then select Print. A list of print options appears on the left and a print
preview of the document appears on the right. One can print multiple copies,
print on one side or both sides, print the whole document or select pages, adjust
the paper size, and select the appropriate printer from these various print options.
After viewing the GCFLearnFree videos 4 to 10, you will have enough information to complete
the first assignment.
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MS Word Assignment #1
For this assignment you will create two MS Word documents containing the same information;
specifically a brief story about a humorous, enlightening, sad, or embarrassing event you
personally experienced in the last year. The story should be no more than 6 to 8 sentences in
length and be contained within one paragraph. A title for the story must also be included.
One document will have a portrait page layout and be printed on letter paper. The other
document will have a landscape page layout and be printed on legal paper. There are other
differences between these two documents which are shown in the chart below. A sample
assignment is also shown in the chart.
Sample:
Sample:
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Portrait page layout
Printed on letter paper.
All text must be Times New Roman font.
The title must be size 24 font, bolded and have
center alignment.
 The story itself must be size 18 font, not bolded,
and have justified alignment.
 The margins must be top 1 inch, bottom 1 inch,
left 1.2 inches, and right 1.2 inches.
Landscape page layout
Printed on legal paper.
All text must be Arial font.
The title must be size 28 font, bolded, italicized,
and have left alignment.
 The story itself must be size 20 font, not bolded
and have left alignment.
 The margins must be top 1.5 inches, bottom 1.5
inches, left 1.5 inches, and right 1.5 inches.
Give a hardcopy and an electronic copy of each document to your DT instructor.
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Let us look at other GCFLearnFree videos.
Tutorial
11. Indents and Tabs
Information Supplied
 Indents and tabs are easier to customize if the ruler is present above your
document. The Ruler can be activated by clicking on the appropriate box within
the View tab and Show group.
 The First Line Indent marker, Hanging Indent marker, Left Indent marker, and
Right Indent marker can be slid along the ruler to the desired positions.
 Multiple Tab Stops can be placed along the ruler. The Tab key will move
the cursor from one Tab Stop to the next Tab Stop.
12. Line and Paragraph
Spacing
 Line spacing and paragraph spacing can be adjusted by clicking on the
line and paragraph spacing drop down menu found under the Home
tab and within the Paragraph group. Most learners will work with
line spacings of 1, 1.5, or 2. Most learners work with the default paragraph
spacing.
13. Lists
 To add bullets to a list, select the list and click on the desired style
from the Bullets drop down menu found under the Home tab and
within the Paragraph group. To remove bullets, do the same thing.
 To number the elements in a list, select the list and click on the desired
style from the Numbering drop down menu found under the Home tab
and within the Paragraph group. To remove the numbering, do the
same thing.
 Multilevel lists (lists within lists) can be created using the Multilevel
List drop down menufound under the Home tab and within the
Paragraph group.
17. Headers, Footers, and
Page Numbers
 Headers and footers allow you display important information (e.g. page number,
author, date, etc.) in the top and bottom margins of the document.
 The header or footer can be accessed by double-clicking the top
or bottom of the document. Once the information has been
entered, use the Close Header and Footer icon or the Esc key to
return to the main body of the document.
 Preset headers and footers can be found under the Insert tab and
within the Header & Footer group. There are many options to select from within
both the Header drop down menu and Footer drop down menu.
 Inserting a page number into a header or footer is easiest when you move the
cursor to the desired position of the page number and then
from the Page Number drop down menu, select Current
Position and Simple/Plain Number.
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MS Word Assignment #2
In this assignment, you are going to tell me a few things about you. In the opening paragraph,
you will briefly tell me where you were born, where you grew up, and something about your
family. In the next section you will provide a bullet list of your best qualities. In the last section,
you will provide a numbered “bucket” list (i.e. a list of things you would like to do before you
die). The other details regarding this document are shown in the table below.
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Sample
Portrait Page Layout
Printed on legal paper
Bulleted list of your best qualities.
A numbered “bucket” list (i.e. Things you’d like to
do before you die).
Quarter inch indents at the beginning of each
paragraph.
Line spacing of 1.5 inches.
Calibri font of size 12 for the main body of the
document.
The title, This is Me, will be in bolded Calibri font
of size 18.
Left alignment for the entire document.
The margins must be top 1.5 inch, bottom 1.5 inch,
left 0.8 inches, and right 0.8 inches.
Your name, the page number, and the date must
appear in that order (from left to right) in the footer
of the document.
Give a hardcopy and an electronic copy of the document to your DT instructor.
Let us return to those GCFLearnFree videos.
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Tutorial
18. Pictures and Text
Wrapping
Information Supplied
 To insert a picture, click on the Pictures icon found under the Insert
tab within the Illustrations group. You can use one of the stock
pictures available with Word, navigate to an existing image on your
hard drive, or use those images in the online picture library.
 Text wrapping controls the position of the image and the way
the rest of the document wraps around the image. The text
wrapping can be adjusted by double-clicking on the image and
selecting the appropriate wrapping option from the Position or
Wrap Text drop down menus found under the Page Layout tab
and within the Arrange group.
 To change the size of an image, click and drag the sizing one of the handles on
the corners of the image.
19. Formatting Pictures
 To crop a picture, double-click the image and select the appropriate crop
option from the Crop drop down menu found under the Format tab and
within the Size group.
 The color and artistic effect of your image can also be adjusted using the
Color drop down menu and Artistic Effect drop down menu found under
the Format tab and within the Adjust group.
 The Picture Styles group under the Format tab allows one to quickly add frames,
drop shadows and other picture effects to your image.
20. Shapes
 A variety of shapes can be added to a MS Word document using the
Shapes drop down menu found under the Insert tab and within the
Illustrations group.
 The Bring to Front and Send to Back options can be accessed by rightclicking on a shape.
 Sizing handles on the sides and corners of a shape can be used to adjust the
dimensions of a shape.
 There is also a rotation handle that can be used to adjust the orientation of the
shape.
 When a shape is selected, the Format tab will appear. This allows you to change
anything regarding the appearance of the shape (e.g. Shape Outline, Shape Fill,
Shape Effect).
 A shape can become a text box by merely selecting the shape and then typing the
desired information. The font size and shape can be changed if you wish by
accessing the Home tab.
21. Text Boxes and
WordArt
 Various text box options are available from the Text Box drop down
menu found under the Insert tab and within the Text group.
 The text box can be altered in the same way shapes can be altered in MS
word; select the text box and adjust its appearance using the various
options (e.g. Shape Outline) found under the Format tab and within the
Shape Styles group.
 Text within a text box can be adjusted using the options found
within the Font group under the Home tab. However, a wider
range of adjustments to text within a text box can be made by
double clicking on the text box and choosing an option from
the WordArt Styles group under the Format tab. Many people
like the Transform option found under the Text Effect drop
down menu.
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22. Arranging Objects
Information Supplied
 Multiple objects (i.e. pictures, shapes, text boxes) can be aligned by
selecting the objects (hold shift and click on each object) and
selecting the appropriate align command from the Align Objects
drop down menu found under the Format tab and within the Arrange group.
 Different objects can be grouped together to become one object
using the group command found under the Group Objects drop down
menu found under the Format tab and within the Arrange group.
Again, all the objects must be selected to accomplish this (i.e. hold shift and
click on each object).
 An object can be rotated using a rotate command found under the
Rotate Objects drop down menu found under the Format tab and
within the Arrange group.
MS Word Assignment #3
In this assignment, you are going to make a special page for a special person that celebrates a big
event (e.g. Christmas, birthday, valentines, Super Bowl party, etc.). It can be for a fictitious
person if you wish. The other details regarding this document are shown in the table below.
 Portrait Page Layout
 Printed on legal paper
 The margins must be top 1 inch, bottom 1 inch, left
1 inch, and right 1 inch.
 A graphic, comprised of at least three shapes of
three different colors, must appear in the upper
center of the document. One shape must be beveled
and subjected to a 3D rotation. Text must appear in
one of the shapes stating something of significance.
 A picture that corresponds to the event should
appear in the below the graphic and to the right of
the page. You can use one of your own photos or a
stock photo. The picture must be subjected to the
square text wrapping option.
 Text (not within a text box) must appear to the left
of the picture. It should something inspiring about
the big event and/or person. The font should be
Script MT Bold of size 20.
 Below all of this and in the center of the page there
should be a text box where the text has been
subjected to some form of warping that was
selected from the WordArt Styles group.
 Group at least three of the objects together.
Sample:
Give a hardcopy and an electronic copy of the document to your DT instructor.
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Let us return to those GCFLearnFree videos.
Tutorial
23. Tables
Information Supplied
 Tables can be added to a document by selecting the appropriate table
command from the Table drop down menu found under the Insert tab
and within the Tables group.
 Existing text can be changed into a table format by selecting the text
and accessing the Convert Text to Table command from the Table drop
down menu.
 To insert a column or row, hover outside of the table over one of the cell
dividers. A plus sign will appear. When you click on the plus sign, a row or
column is added.
 Rows or columns can be deleted by selecting a cell in that row or column, rightclicking, select the Delete Cell command, select either the delete entire row or
delete entire column option and then click on OK.
 When your cursor is in the table, you can access the Design tab and alter the
format of your table using the variety of options available within the Table
Styles Options group, Table Styles group, and Borders group.
 Cells in a table can be merged by selecting the cells and
accessing the Merge Cells command found under the Layout
tab.
 The alignment of text within a table can be adjusted by selecting
the entire table and then selecting the appropriate option from the
Alignment group found under the Layout tab.
25. Spelling and Grammar
 To run a full spelling and grammar check, go to the Review tab and
access the Spelling & Grammar command. A pane will open on the
right and you will be able to walk through the possible errors in
your document. You can choose how to deal with those possible
errors (e.g. ignore, ignore all, change, change all).
 By default, MS Word identifies possible spelling and grammar errors by
underlining the words in question with a wavey line (red wavey line: spelling
error, blue wavey line: grammar error). To correct the identified error, rightclick on the underlined word and select the appropriate correction.
 To customize your grammar setting go to the the Backstage View, select
Options, select Proofing, look for Writing Style near the bottom of the window,
click the Settings button, and change from Grammar Only to Grammar & Style.
27. Finalizing and
Protecting Documents
 For this course we are only interested protecting a document. This
can be done by accessing the Backstage view selecting the
appropriate protection command (e.g. Encrypt with Password)
under Protect Document drop down menu.
Before starting assignment #4, watch the following two YouTube videos. Both are concerned
with APA referencing within a MS Word 2013 document.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4L3WaqBttk
(or YouTube Search: How to Add an APA Style Bibliography in Microsoft Word
edutechional)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh9iU-48mvs
(or YouTube Search: Creating Citations in Word 2013 Glen Gummess)
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MS Word Assignment #4
In this assignment, you are going to document on a topic of your choosing that includes a table
and two quotes. The table must contain real data that you have obtained from a credible source.
The source of this data should be cited. Below the table, select at least two quotes from two
different sources that relates to the data in the table above. These two quotes must also be cited.
The other details regarding this document are shown in the table below.
 Portrait Page Layout
 Printed on legal paper
 A title must appear at the top of the document. It
must be centered, bolded, of font size 24, and of
font Corbel.
 All remaining text must be Times New Roman of
size 12.
 The margins must be top 1.2 inch, bottom 1.2 inch,
left 0.8 inch, and right 0.8 inch.
 An introductory paragraph that briefly describes the
topic you have chosen and how the data in the table
below relates to this topic.
 The table must be of style Grid Table 5 Dark –
Accent 1.
 A closing paragraph of your own making related to
the above materials (i.e. data and two quotes) must
be included.
 An APA formatted reference page must be
included.
 Check and correct all spelling and grammar using
the Spelling & Grammar command.
 Protect the document using the Mark as Final
option.
Sample:
Give a hardcopy and an electronic copy of the document to your DT instructor.
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MS Word Assignment #5
In your last MS Word assignment, you are asked to take an existing paper that you have written
for another course and update it with the skills you have learned over the last few weeks. Please
ensure that your revised documents includes:
 At least one table
 At least one cropped picture that is subjected to text wrapping
 At least one bulleted or numbered list
 At least one text box that containing a related fact or definition.
 At least three citations
 A reference page
Give a hardcopy and an electronic copy of the document to your DT instructor.
All images of Microsoft Word icons, drop-down menus, and commands found in this document were screen
captures directly from the Word application. These screen captures were done by Dave Pilmer in 2015.
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