Position the mouse pointer in a table and this displays in the lower right corner

by Avantix Learning Team | Updated March 14, 2021

Applies to: Microsoft® Word® 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 and 365 (Windows)

There are many different ways of selecting in tables in Microsoft Word. Check out these Word tips, tricks and shortcuts to select an entire table, a single cell, an entire row or column or even multiple rows or columns in tables.

Recommended article: 10 Microsoft Word Shortcuts for Navigating in Tables

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1. Select an entire table using a mouse

To select an entire table, move your mouse over the table until an icon with 4 arrows appears in the upper-left corner of the table and then click the icon to select the entire table.

Below is the table selection icon which appears on the top left of tables:

2. Select an entire table using a keyboard and mouse

If your press Alt and double-click anywhere in a table, the entire table will be selected (Word also opens the Research pane).

3. Select an entire table using a keyboard

To select an entire table using a keyboard, position the cursor in the first cell of the table. Press Alt + Shift + End on your keyboard to select to the end of the first row and then press Alt + Shift + Page Down to select to the last cell.

4. Select a cell using a mouse

To select an individual cell, move the mouse to the left side of the cell until it turns into a black right arrow and then click to select the cell.

5. Select a cell using a keyboard

To use the keyboard to select a cell, position the cursor at the beginning of the cell and then press Shift + right arrow on your keyboard. Keep pressing Shift + right arrow until the entire cell is selected.

6. Select a row or rows using a mouse

To select a row in a table, move the cursor to the left of the row until it changes into a right arrow. Click to select the current row or drag up to down to select multiple rows.

Below is the right arrow that appears when you position your cursor to the left of rows and is used for selecting rows in tables:

7. Select rows using a mouse and keyboard

To select multiple contiguous rows, move the cursor to the left of the first row until it changes into a white right arrow and then click to select the row. Press Shift and click with the white right arrow on the last row you want to select.

To select multiple non-contiguous rows, move the cursor to the left of the first row until it changes into a white right arrow and then click to select the row. Press Ctrl and click with the white right arrow on subsequent rows.

8. Select a row or column using a keyboard

To select a row using a keyboard, position the cursor in the first cell of the row you want to select and then press Alt + Shift + End on your keyboard to select to the end of the row.

To select a column using a keyboard, position the cursor in the first cell of the column you want to select and then press Alt + Shift + Page Down on your keyboard to select to the end of the column.

9. Select a column or columns using a mouse

To select a column in a table, move the cursor to the top of the column until it changes into a down arrow. Click to select the current column or drag right or left to sele9.ct multiple columns.

Below is the down arrow that appears when you position your cursor at the top of a column and is used for selecting columns in tables:

10. Select columns using a mouse and keyboard

To select multiple contiguous columns, move the cursor to the top of the first column until it changes into a black down arrow and then click to select the column. Press Shift and click with the black down arrow on the last column you want to select.

To select multiple non-contiguous columns, move the cursor to the top of the first column until it changes into a black down arrow and then click to select the column. Press Ctrl and click with the black down arrow on subsequent columns.

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The text you type appears wherever the insertion/cursor point is positioned in the current document. Moving the insertion point around the screen is a critical part of creating and editing documents. To move the insertion point around the screen, you can use either the keyboard or the mouse. Table 1-1 lists ways to move the insertion point by using keystrokes.

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To use the mouse to move the insertion point, first position the desired section of text in the document window by using the scroll bars. Then, position the mouse pointer in the desired location and click the left mouse button. If you are using a Microsoft IntelliMouse, you can display and move the insertion point to a different part of the document by using the wheel button.

Do not use the Enter key to move the insertion point unless you want to add hard returns, or blank lines, to your document. If, however, you want to move the insertion point to an area of your document into which you have not yet entered text, you need to press the Enter key until the insertion point is positioned in the desired location.

Table 1-1: Moving the Insertion Point by Using Keystrokes

You can also use Word’s Find feature to help you move the insertion point. Instead of scrolling or paging through the document to find occurrences of specific text, you can have Word perform the search by defining the desired text on the Find and Replace dialog box’s Find tab. Figure 1-4 illustrates the Find tab. Finding is not limited to letters and numbers; you can search for a phrase, including punctuation and spaces, as well.

When Word finds the desired text in the document, it highlights the text, suspends the search, and leaves the Find and Replace dialog box open. You can then place the insertion point at the found text, move to the next occurrence of the text, or end the search. If the text cannot be found in the current document, Word displays a message box indicating the text does not appear in the document.

In Word 2013 the find option also activates the Navigation Pane to search within a documents.

The Replace option helps to replace the particular word selected or it changes the particular word throughout the document. This feature saves our time in searching the word and replacing one by one.

Method

To move the insertion point using the keyboard:

1. Press the appropriate directional arrow, key, or keystroke combination.

To move the insertion point using the mouse:

1. Position the mouse pointer at the desired location in the document.
2. Click the left mouse button.

To move the insertion point using the Find feature:

1. On the Editing group on the Home ribbon tab, choose Find.
2. In the Find and Replace dialog box, make sure the Find tab is selected.
3. On the Find tab, in the Find what text box, type the desired word or phrase.
4. Choose Find Next to find the next occurrence of the text.
5. Repeat step 4 as required. or
6. In the information box, choose OK. or
7. In the Find and Replace dialog box, choose Cancel.
8. If the desired text is found, in the document, click the highlighted text.

Exercise

In the following exercise, you will move the insertion point.

1. Make sure Regional Information is open in the current window
2. Press Ctrl+End. [The insertion point moves to the end of the document].
3. Press Ctrl+Page Up until you reach the top of the document. [The insertion point moves to the top of each page as you move up through the document.]
4. At the top of the document, position the mouse pointer at the beginning of the first paragraph (beginning with In addition to).
5. Click the mouse button. [The insertion point is placed at the beginning of the paragraph].
6. Press the Down Arrow key as many times as necessary to move to the beginning of the second paragraph (beginning with Syon House). [The insertion point moves to the new location].
7. Press the Right Arrow key as many times as necessary to move the insertion point to the beginning of the word park.
8. Press Home. [The insertion point moves to the beginning of the line].
9. Press End. [The insertion point moves to the end of the line].
10. Press Page Down. [The insertion point moves down one screen].
11. Press Ctrl+Home. [The insertion point moves down one screen].
12. The Editing group on the Home ribbon tab, choose Find. [The Find and Replace dialog box appears].
13. In the Find and Replace dialog box, make sure the Find tab is selected.
14. On the Find tab, in the Find what text box, type London.
15. Choose Find Next. [Word locates the first occurrence of the phrase London and highlights it in the document].
16. Choose Find Next. [Word locates the next occurrence of the phrase London and highlights it in the document.]