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Tech Tools: Shortcut Keys

How to use different tools for assignments writing and presentations

What are shortcuts?

Shortcuts help you make changes to your work quickly. You can use a combination of buttons/keys to make specific changes to your work. This is instead of using your mouse to right click and finding the right buttons on your ribbons/toolbars.

This guide shows some of the common shortcuts that all Microsoft Apps use.

  • The shortcuts for Windows devices are in blue
  • The shortcuts of Apple/Mac devices are green

Want more shortcuts? There are some downloadable lists at the bottom of this page. 

How do I use the shortcut keys?

How do I use the shortcut keys?

Hold down the Ctrl or Cmd key and the specific letter key at the same time

Step 1: Select your text

  • Use your mouse to select part of your text or all of your text
  • Use the below shortcut keys to select the whole document
Windows keys     Mac keys             What the keys do
 +   + 

Select ALL of the text in the document

Step 2: Hold down the specified key

  • Windows devices use Control or Ctrl. 
  • Mac devices use Command or Cmd. 

Step 3: Hold down the specific letter key at the same time

 

Want to make sure your work has saved?

Windows keys Mac keys              What the keys do

 + 

  +  Save your document

 

Want to make some of your text stand out, such as your headings? 

Windows keys Mac keys            What the keys do

 + 

  +  Bold the selected text
+  +  Italicise the selected text 
+   +  Underline the selected text

 

Want to move text to another spot in your essay?

Windows keys             Mac keys                      What the keys do

 + 

  +  Cut the selected text to move it somewhere else
+  +  Copy the selected text to be used pasted somewhere else
+  +  Paste the selected text from your clipboard

 

Made a mistake or accidently deleted something?

Windows keys                    Mac keys                               What the keys do
+  +  Undo the last change/s you made
+  + 

Redo the last change/s you made.

  • This is useful if you delete something and then decided you want to keep it. 

 

Need to move around your essay quickly?

Windows keys              Mac keys                   What the keys do

 + 

  + 

This open an navigation panel that can be used to move around your document.

  • Find a keyword within your document
  • Move quick to a specific page
Move to the beginning of the line you are on

Move to the end of the line you are on

Scroll up the page on screen length at a time
Scroll down the page on screen length at a time

 

Need to add a link into your essay or reference list?

Windows keys Mac keys What the keys do
+  +  Add a hyperlink to the selected text

What is a hyperlink? A clickable link within a documents that can take you directly to another page (e.g., a webpage).

 

Need to quickly close a pop up box or cancel an action?

Windows keys     Mac keys             What the keys do
   

Cancel 

  • This is useful for cancelling a change you were about to make, or to close pop up boxes. 

 

Want more shortcuts?

The below documents include more shortcuts keys. These can be downloaded and saved and/or printed for quick access. 

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