Lesson 6: Text Basics
Introduction
If you're new to PowerPoint, you'll need to learn the basics
of working with text. In this lesson, you'll learn how
to cut, copy, paste, and format text.
Optional: Download our practice presentation.
To select text:
Before you can move or arrange text, you'll need to select it.
• Click next to the text you want to select, drag the
mouse over the text, then release your mouse. The
text will be selected.
Copying and moving text
PowerPoint allows you to copy text that is already on a slide
and paste it elsewhere, which can save you time. If you want
to move text, you can cut and paste or drag and drop the
text.
To copy and paste text:
1. Select the text you want to copy, then click
the Copy command on the Home tab.
2. Place the insertion point where you want the text to
appear.
3. Click the Paste command on the Home tab.
4. The copied text will appear.
To cut and paste text:
1. Select the text you want to move, then click
the Cut command.
2. Place the insertion point where you want the text to
appear, then click the Paste command.
3. The text will appear in the new location.
You can access the cut, copy, and paste commands by using
keyboard shortcuts. Press Ctrl+X to cut, Ctrl+C to copy,
and Ctrl+V to paste.
To drag and drop text:
1. Select the text you want to move, then click and drag
the text to the desired location.
2. The text will appear in the new location.
Formatting and aligning text
Formatted text can draw your audience's attention to specific
parts of a presentation and emphasize important information.
In PowerPoint, you have several options for adjusting your
text, including size and color. You can also adjust the
alignment of the text to change how it is displayed on the
slide.
Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn about the
different commands in the Font and Paragraph groups.
Align Text
You can use these commands to align your text at
the top, middle, or bottom of a placeholder or text box.
Challenge!
1. Open our practice presentation.
2. Select slide 4.
3. Use cut and paste or drag and drop to move the
text Lower blood
pressure between Companionship and Social
opportunities.
4. Select the list of benefits and add italics.
5. Select the text Did you Know?, remove the boldface,
and change the size to 36pt.
6. When you're finished, your slide should look like this:
