Most of those who are involved in computer work, pupils, students and teachers, among other activities have edited texts. Regardless of whether e-mails, articles, documents, theses or reports are to be composed, text editing is part of the daily routine. Keyboard shortcuts for text editing is the most useful technique when you need it select words and paragraphs, to copy fragments of text or delete from the content of a text.
All these text editing actions can be done without putting your hand on the mouse, move the cursor over the text you want to select. All you have to do is use key combinations to select words or pieces of text from a paragraph, quickly move the cursor in a text without using the mouse, plus many other actions with keyboard shortcuts for text editing.
Content
Keyboard shortcuts for text editing – Select words, paragraphs, copy
Quick commands for deleting and moving the cursor in the paragraph
These keyboard shortcuts can be used in Word, Notepad, most text editors or when composing an email.
*Users of Mac they will replace the key Ctrl cu Option.
- Ctrl+Delete : Deletes the next word from the place where the cursor is positioned.
- Ctrl+Backspace : Delete the previous word from the place where the cursor is
- Ctrl+Left Arrow : Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word
- Ctrl+Right Arrow : Move the cursor to the end of the next word
- Ctrl+Up Arrow : Move the cursor to the beginning of the paragraph
- Ctrl+Down Arrow : Move the cursor to the end of the paragraph.
- Home : Move the cursor to the beginning of the current line.
- End : Move the cursor to the end of the current line.
Text editing
Key combinations with Ctrl for copying whole words and pasting (copy & paste).
- Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Insert : Copy selected text. Copy.
- Ctrl+X, Shift+Delete : Cuts the selected text. Cut.
- Ctrl+V, Shift+Insert : Paste / insert the text copied to the cursor (Paste / Insert).
- Ctrl+Z : Cancel. Undo.
- Ctrl+Y : Recover (Redo – the reverse to Undo).
Text formatting
If you need to use underlined, bold or italicized words in a text, the following keyboard shortcuts help you save time.
- Ctrl+U : Underlines selected characters. Underline.
- Ctrl+B : Emphasizes the selected text or characters by bolding. Bold.
- Ctrl+I : Italic. Tilts the selected text to the right.
Select text and paragraphs
- Shift+Arrow Left : Select the text on the left side of the cursor
- Shift+Arrow Right : Selects the text to the right of the cursor.
- Shift+Up : Selects the line above where the cursor is, plus the text to the left of the cursor.
- Shift+Down : Select the text to the right of the cursor, plus the next line.
- Shift+Ctrl+Left : Selects the text from the place where the cursor is, until the beginning of the line.
- Shift+Ctrl+Right : Selects the text from the place where the cursor is, until the end of the line.
- Shift+Ctrl+Arrow Left : Select a box with a word on the left side of the cursor. Repeat pressing the left arrow to select further.
- Shift+Ctrl+Arrow Right : Select a box with a word on the right side of the cursor. Repeat pressing the right arrow to select further.
- Shift+Ctrl+Arrow Up : Select the paragraph from the top.
- Shift+Ctrl+Arrow Down : Select the paragraph from the bottom.
- Shift+Home : Selects from the text from the place where the cursor is and up to the beginning of the current line.
- Shift+End : Selects text from the cursor to the end of the current line.
- Shift+Ctrl+Home : Select from the place where the cursor is and up to the beginning of the text.
- Shift+Ctrl+End : Select from the place where the cursor is and until the end of the text.
- Ctrl+A : Select all text.
Maybe it won't be easy the first time you use it keyboard shortcuts for text editing, but as you start using these keyboard shortcuts, you will notice that the work in Word, Notepad or other text editors will be much simpler.
