Selecting Text in PowerPoint 2010
Author: Geetesh Bajaj
Product/Version: PowerPoint 2010
OS: Windows 7 / Vista / XP
Date Created: September 18th 2012
Last Updated: September 18th 2012
Excerpt/Capsule: Explore various ways of selecting text in PowerPoint 2010.
PowerPoint and indeed all Microsoft Office programs allow you to work with a particular object only if it is selected. For example, you select a shape to make changes to the shape. You similarly select a chart to edit the chart. And yes, you can select a text container object such as a text placeholder, a text box, or even a shape -- and then make changes to its position, formatting, size, etc. However, this changes the entire object -- and leaves the actual text content within that object largely unchanged. To make changes to the actual text, you first need to select the text and then make changes by using the options available within the Home tab of the Ribbon or the Mini Toolbar.
Let us now explore some guidelines that will help you in selecting text within PowerPoint 2010:
- To select a word, place the cursor within the word and double-click.
- To select a paragraph, place the cursor within the paragraph and triple-click -- yes this might seem difficult at first but go ahead and try this.
- To select all text in a text object, place your cursor anywhere within the text area and then press the Ctrl+A keyboard shortcut.
- To select a block of text, place the insertion point before the text you wish to select, then click and drag the mouse over the text which you want to select. Keep dragging until you have selected the text you want.
- Click on the edge of the text placeholder to select the placeholder, and not any text (see Figure 1). Then press the Enter (or F2) key on the keyboard to select the entire text within the text object (see Figure 2). Press the Esc key (or toggle the selection with the F2 key) to deselect the text.
Figure 1: Text Placeholder selected
Figure 2: Entire text selected within the text object
- To select all text in a text object, place your cursor anywhere within the text area and then press the F2 keyboard shortcut. Press F2 again to deselect the text
- To select all text in the Outline pane, place your cursor anywhere within the pane, and then press the Ctrl+A keyboard shortcut. Or click and drag the mouse over the text which you want to select.
Additionally, here are some keyboard shortcuts that will help you select text:
-
Ctrl + Shift + Left Arrow
Select or cancel selection for one word to the left -
Ctrl + Shift + Right Arrow
Select or cancel selection for one word to the right -
Ctrl + Shift + Up Arrow
Select or cancel selection for one paragraph above
-
Ctrl + Shift + Down Arrow
Select or cancel selection for one paragraph below - Shift + Up Arrow
Select or deselect text one line up
- Shift + Down Arrow
Select or deselect text one line down
- Shift + Left Arrow
Select or deselect one character to the left
- Shift + Right Arrow
Select or deselect one character to the right
- Shift + Home
Select or deselect text until the beginning of the line.
- Shift + End
Select or deselect text until the end of the line
- Shift + Ctrl + Home
Selects or deselect all text from the cursor to the start of the active text object
- Shift + Ctrl + End
Selects or deselects all text from the cursor to the end of the active text object
PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts:
PowerPoint
2013, 2010, 2007 and 2003
Have your ever used keyboard shortcuts in PowerPoint? Or are you a complete keyboard aficionado? Do you want to learn about some new shortcuts? Or do you want to know if your favorite keyboard shortcuts are documented?
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PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts E-book
