Editing Documents

Welcome to Editing Google Documents. In this section we will cover the following topics:

Select and edit text
Cut, copy, and paste
Page breaks
Undo and redo
Word count and dictionary
Spell checking
Find and replace

How to Select and Edit Text

Before you create documents, it is important to understand how to select and edit text. One of the main benefits of using a word processor is the ability to easily edit text throughout a document.

Select a Block of Text

The ability to select text is crucial in Docs. Anytime you want to edit or format text, you must select it first. There are various methods for selecting the text, allowing you to select a single word, paragraph, or entire document.

1. 
   Click and drag across the text you want to select. You can select any amount of text from this method, from a single character to the entire document.

OR

1. Click at the beginning of a text block.
2. Hold down the Shift key.
3. Click at the end of a text block. Everything between the “click points” will be selected at once.

Select a Word

1. 
   Double-click a word to select it.

Select a Paragraph

1. 
   Triple-click in the left margin of a paragraph you want to select.

Select All

1. 
   Click Edit on the menu bar and select Select all. Everything in the document will be selected.

Editing Text

Editing text is an important step in the writing process, as it allows you to refine and improve the content of your document.

1. 1. 1. 
         Select the word(s) you want to edit. Once highlighted, the word can be edited, formatted, or deleted.
      2. 
         Begin typing. The highlighted area will be the insertion point. The highlighted word(s) will be replaced with the new content.

How to Cut, Copy, and Paste

Editing text in a document involves the use of tools such as cut, copy, and paste to move or duplicate text within the document. This can be done with various items including text, pictures, shapes, and tables. By cutting or copying a selection, it is temporarily stored in the clipboard, allowing the user to paste it in a different location within the document.

Copy and Paste

Copy and Paste is an important skill in document creation. Copying text lets you duplicate the selected text so it can be inserted somewhere else.

1. 1. 
      Select the text you want to copy.
   2. Click Edit on the menu bar and select Copy. A copy of the selected text is placed in the Clipboard and the highlighted text is still in it’s original location.

Shortcut: Press Ctrl + C

1. 1. 
      Click where you want to paste the text (insertion point).
   2. Click Edit on the menu bar and select Paste. The text you copied is duplicated in the new location (insertion point).

Shortcut: Press Ctrl + V

Cut and Paste

When you cut text, it is removed from its original location and placed in the Clipboard.

1. 1. 
      Select the text you want to cut.
   2. Click Edit on the menu bar and select Cut.

Shortcut: Press Ctrl + X

1. 1. 
      Click where you want to paste the text in the document (insertion point).
   2. Click Edit on the menu bar and select Paste. The text stored in the clipboard is pasted to the insertion point.

Paste or Paste Without Formatting

When you copy and paste text in Google Docs, the formatting of the text is also copied over to the new location. This can be useful if you want to maintain the same formatting.

If you want to paste the text without the formatting, you can use the “Paste without formatting” option. This will paste the text without any of it’s original formatting, similar to pasting “raw” text, making it easier to apply your own formatting.

Shortcut: Ctrl + V (paste) or Ctrl + Shift + V (paste without formatting)

Move with Drag and Drop

You can also move text around in a document by simply clicking and dragging the selected text.

1. 1. 
      Select the text you want to move.
   2. Click, hold your mouse key, and drag the text to a new location in the document. The selected text is moved to where you dragged it. You can see where the insertion point will be by the highlighted insertion point.

How to Use Page Breaks

Page breaks are used to control where a new page begins in a document. They are used to separate different sections of text or to start a new page with a specific layout or formatting. For example, you might use a page break to start a new chapter on a new page.While Docs automatically manages when text flows to a new page in a document, you can also manually choose where a new page starts.

Insert a Page Break

A page break is a special symbol that indicates the end of a current page and the start of a new one.

1. 1. 
      Place the cursor where you want the page break.
   2. Click Insert on the menu bar, select Break, the select Page break. A page break is inserted and any text after that mark is moved to the next page (new page).

Shortcut: Ctrl + Enter

How to Undo and Redo

Google Docs makes it simple to correct mistakes by using the Undo or Redo tool. “Undo” and “Redo” are commands that allow you to undo or redo the most recent action(s) you took in the document.

Note: The Undo and Redo commands will retain all of your actions during the current session. Once you close the document, the Undo and Redo steps will reset.

Undo

“Undo” will undo the last thing you did. This can be useful if you accidentally delete or change something in the document.

1. 1. 
      Click the Undo button on the toolbar to undo the last action. Your last action is undone.
   2. Or, click Edit, then select Undo.

Shortcut: Press Ctrl + Z

Note: You can click the Undo multiple times to undo multiple edits. The Undo button can reverse all actions you have made in the current editing session. Once you close the document, the the Undo will reset with the new edits.

Redo

“Redo” will reapply the last thing you undid. This can be useful if you want to revert to a previous version of the document.

1. 1. 
      Click the Redo button on the toolbar to redo the last action. Your last action is redone.
   2. Or, click Edit, then select Redo.

Shortcut: Ctrl + Y

Note: You can click the Redo button multiple times to redo multiple Undos. The Redo button can reverse all actions you undone with the Undo button in the current editing session. Once you close the document, the the Redo will reset with the new edits.

How to Use Word Count and the Dictionary

There are a few handy options available for working with a document.

View Word Count

The Word Count feature is helpful if you have a writing assignment that requires a specific number of words or characters.

1. 1. 
      Click Tools on the menu bar, the select Word count. A dialog window will popup displaying the document statistics.
   2. 
      Document statistics include: number of pages, words, and characters (both with and without spaces). You can also toggle a “Display word count while typing” feature from the Word count dialog box.
   3. Click OK. The Word Count dialog box closes.

Use the Dictionary

Google Docs includes a built-in dictionary that allows you to look up the definition of a word within your document. The Google Docs dictionary is powered by Google’s online dictionary, so you can be sure that you’re getting accurate definitions. It is a useful tool for writers, students, and anyone else with the need to look up word definitions while working in Google Docs.

1. 1. 
      Click the word in the document you want to find the definition for.
   2. Click Tools on the menu bar, then select Dictionary.
   3. 
      The Dictionary pane opens on the right-hand side. The information includes a definition and a list of synonyms to consider.
   4. To close the panel, click the Close Dictionary button.

How to Check Spelling

Correct spelling and grammar is an important step in a professional looking document. Luckily, Google Docs has builtin features to assist you identify errors in your documents.

Correct a Spelling or Grammar Error

Google Docs automatically checks your spelling and grammar as you type and highlights possible mistakes with a colored underline. You can correct spelling and grammar errors either by manually typing the correct version yourself or access Google’s suggested edit.

• Spelling errors are indicated by a wavy red underline.
• Grammar errors are indicated by a wavy blue underline.

1. 1. 
      To access Google’s suggested edits, Right-click on the error (wavy red underline or wavy blue line).
   2. 
      A dialog window will popup with suggestions for the misspelled word or the grammatical error.
   3. Select the suggestion you want to use and the error is automatically corrected.

Ignore a Spelling or Grammar Error

Docs may identify some misspellings and grammar mistakes that are not actually errors. For example, proper names may be marked as misspelled words, even when they are spelled correctly.

You can mark these errors so that they are no longer underlined and will not be flagged in future spelling and grammar checks.

1. 1. 
      Select the error you want to ignore by right-clicking on the error.
   2. Select Ignore or Ignore All (depending on the error clicked). The error will no longer be flagged.

Add a Word to the Dictionary

If you frequently encounter a correctly spelled word that is flagged as an error, you may want to consider adding it to your personal dictionary.

1. 
   Right-click on word you want to add and select Add to dictionary. The word is added to the dictionary.

How to Find and Replace Text

The “Find and Replace” feature allows you to quickly locate and replace specific words or phrases within your document. This can be useful for making global changes or fixing typos.

Find Text

1. 1. 
      Click Edit on the menu bar, then select Find and replace.
   2. 
      A dialog window will popup with tools to find or replace words with options for case matching, expressions, and diacritics.
   3. Enter a search phrase in the Find field. A search is automatically run and results are highlighted throughout the document.
   4. Click Next and the next word matching the “Find” operative will be highlighted. You can continue clicking Next (or Previous) to search through the results.
   5. Click the Close button to close the dialog box.

Shortcut: Press Ctrl + H

Replace Text

If you have a word in your document that needs to be changed, you can use Find and Replace to fix it instead of manually replacing each instance of the word.

1. 1. 
      Click Edit on the menu bar, then select Find and replace.
   2. 
      Enter a search phrase in the Find field.
   3. Enter a replacement phrase in the Replace field.
   4. (Optional) Select additional search options.
      • • Match case: Match using case-sensitive filtering.
      • Match using regular expressions: Matches any character.
      • Ignore Latin diacritics (e. g. ä = a, E = É)
   5. Select a replacement option:
      • Replace: Replaces the first instance of the word. Keep clicking to fix them one at a time.
      • Replace All: Fixes all instances of the word at once.
   6. Click the Close button to close the dialog box.