How to create a new paragraph in Word. How to make a paragraph indent in Word

If you are typing a report, writing a term paper or a diploma, typing any other text in Word, then creating paragraphs is one of the mandatory items that must be followed for the correct formatting of the document. Moreover, paragraphs in Word make text easier to read.

In this article, we will look at how make a red line in Word so that your text matches the formatting rules that are set for the document.

Make sure your document is open in "Page layout". In this case, the corresponding icon will be highlighted at the bottom of the window.

If you have selected another mode, click on "Page Layout".

A ruler should appear at the left and top of the document. If it is not displayed on the sheet, go to the "View" tab and in the "Show" group, check the box "Ruler".

Now pay attention to the top line, we will be interested in it. On it you will see one marker on the right side and three markers on the left side. We need the ones on the left.

By moving the bottom marker, you will indent all text in the paragraph. Middle marker - will make a protrusion for the text in the entire paragraph, except for the first line. But the top marker is just what you need in order to make a paragraph in the Word.

So, in order to make paragraphs in a document, select all the text, press the key combination "Ctrl + A", and move the top marker to the desired distance on the ruler. The division price of the ruler is 0.25 cm, so the distance for the paragraph can be set quite accurately.

If you have not yet typed text in the document, then immediately set the marker on the ruler to the required distance. Now, when typing, when you finish typing in one paragraph, press "Enter" and move on to the next paragraph, the indent for the first line will appear automatically.

You can put a paragraph in Word in another way. To do this, select all the text, go to the "Home" tab and in the "Paragraph" group, click on the small black arrow in the lower right corner.

The following dialog box will open. In it, on the tab "Indents and Spacing", in the field "first line" select from the drop-down list "Indent". Next, in the "to:" field, specify the desired distance for the indents. Click OK.

To make a non-breaking paragraph in Word, open the dialog box shown above. In it, go to the tab "Position on the page" and check the box "do not break paragraph". Click OK.

Now, if the paragraph is at the end of the page, Word will either raise one line up, placing it on this page, automatically changing the spacing, or move the entire paragraph to the beginning of a new page.

I think now you definitely won’t have questions about how to make a paragraph in Word.

A paragraph (or a red line) is a structural element that is logically complete and includes a micro-topic of the main text. This is a necessary element of any document, helping the text not to merge into a single whole, but to have a logical structure. From the point of view of computer programs, a paragraph is any text that ends with the enter key.

Paragraph Width Rules

There are two ways to change the width of a paragraph indent in a Word document. First, you can select the text with the left mouse button, then right-click on the selected text. In the window that opens, select "Paragraph", then "Tab". You can see at the same time that the default paragraph indent is 1.25 cm. If the paragraph should be of a different size, then you must enter the data and save the changes. Now the indent will be as needed. This is a way in which the paragraph will be set exactly to the millimeter.

The second way to change the red line is implemented using the "ruler" tool located on the toolbar. The ruler is located on the left and top, but it can be hidden. To activate the tool, left-click in the upper right corner on a small square - a scale with divisions and a marker will appear on it.

When you hover over the marker, or slider, of the horizontal ruler, you will see tooltips "", "protrusion" and "first line indent". You need to indent the first line to change the paragraph width. Fix the mouse cursor near the first line, left-click on the marker at the top, where the indent of the first line appears, and use the ruler to set the desired size. If the text has already been typed, but there are no paragraphs yet, then you need to select the entire text in full, then again use the slider. Paragraphs of the right size will appear throughout the text. This is more of a visual way of forming a paragraph, less precise than the previous one.

The paragraph indent can be positive, zero (when the text is centered), and negative when the first line is closer to the left edge of the sheet. Paragraph indents in Word documents are measured in centimeters.

Need to know

It is important to remember that paragraph indents should never be done with the space bar. In this case, there will be problems with further formatting, since the lines can "move out". Proper formatting of paragraphs will save time later when restructuring the document.

How to indent in Word?

If you are interested in how to indent in a Word, then learn how to work with the built-in paragraph setting function. Using the automatic paragraph adjustment, you can indent in the text auto-formatting mode.

Open the paragraph settings window

Before you make a paragraph indent, open the automatic settings window. This can be done in two ways:

1. Find the "paragraph" tab in the top menu of the program. It is located between the tabs "font" and "styles" and is available in the main settings mode. To expand the paragraph settings window, click on the small arrow in the lower right corner of this tab. The paragraph settings window will open, in which we select the "Indents and Spacing" tab.
2. Click with the left mouse button anywhere in the text. In the menu that opens, select "Paragraph". In the new paragraph settings window, select the "Indents and Spacing" tab.

Adjusting paragraph indents

How to indent left and right? Select the "Indent" section in the paragraph settings window. In the boxes next to the inscriptions "left" and "right" set the desired shift distance of the left and right edges of the paragraph. Click the "ok" button at the bottom of the window.

How to indent from above? To do this, select the "Interval" section in the settings window. In the box next to the inscription "on top" set the desired distance to shift the paragraph down. Click the "ok" button at the bottom of the window.

To indent the red line of one paragraph, select the "indent" section. in the window below In the inscription "first line" select the item "indent". Set the desired distance to shift the left edge of the first line of the paragraph. Click the "ok" button at the bottom of the window.

If you are interested in how to indent the red line in tab mode, then follow these steps:

1. Open the paragraph setup window.
2. At the bottom of this window, press the "tab" button.
3. In the "Tab positions" field, set the desired numerical parameters.
4. In the "Alignment" section, select the item "Aligned to the left".
5. Press the "Install" button.
6. We press the "ok" button.

That's all. If you still have questions, then read our articles.

This article will focus on setting up paragraphs. If you need to properly and beautifully format documents, you cannot do without knowing how paragraphs are set up. The main ways of formatting paragraphs will be described here.

Paragraph Format

A paragraph is a structural component of the text, usually logically connected and highlighted graphically, for example, in the form of indents. As you type, each time you press the Enter key, you create a new paragraph. The paragraph type setting determines its format, which is responsible for the placement of text on the page.

Setting (formatting) a paragraph implies:

• spacing to the right or left of a paragraph;
• paragraph line spacing;
• paragraph line alignment relative to the left and right margins;
• indent or indent the first line of a paragraph;
• spacing before and after a paragraph;
• pagination of a paragraph.

First of all, starting to set up a paragraph, you need to be able to select it. To do this, do the following:

1 way:

• Triple left-click on any word in the paragraph;

2 way:

Use keyboard shortcuts:

• - selection from the location of the text input cursor to the beginning of the paragraph;
• - selection from the location of the text input cursor to the end of the paragraph.

Paragraph line alignment

By default, paragraph text is left-aligned. But documents are different, and alignment may also be required differently. For example, for university tests, width alignment is accepted.

In order to set the desired alignment of the lines of a paragraph, use one of the following methods:

1 way:

Go to the "Home" tab, and then select the necessary paragraphs (the order does not matter).

In the Paragraph group, click one of the four available alignment buttons:

• "Left" - align the lines of the paragraph to the left;
• "Centered" - align the lines of the paragraph in the center (proportionately equidistant from the right and left edges);
• "Right" - align the lines of the paragraph to the right;
• Justified - alignment of the lines of the paragraph both on the left and on the right margin. In this case, the text will visually “stretch” (fill the space of lines), and additional space will appear between words.

2 way:

Select the paragraphs you need, and then use keyboard shortcuts:

• – alignment on the left edge;
• – center alignment;
• – alignment on the right edge;
• - alignment in width.

Figure 1 - Paragraph line alignment

Indent the first line of a paragraph

The most commonly used when formatting paragraphs is setting the first line indent. How many times have you seen how “experienced assistant secretaries” and representatives of other professions related to the creation of text electronic documents have no idea how to set a paragraph using the Word 2010 interface. Usually they use double or triple pressing the spacebar for this purpose , or, at best, a key . And although clicking this key visually sets an indent of 1.25 cm (0.5 inches) and everything looks “correct” on the surface - in general, this approach is not rational. There is no need to do the work for which the program for editing text documents was created. In addition, by using the "correct" paragraph formatting, you will save time later on a lot of unnecessary spacebar (or ). In the subsequent editing of the document, avoid the routine associated with restructuring the general appearance of the document.

Now let's look at how to adjust the indents, and you can do this visually (by eye) or exactly (by setting a certain value in the "Paragraph" window). Visual adjustment involves the use of a horizontal ruler, when you can quickly change the size of the indent, guided by the feeling of the desired size "by eye". Fine tuning allows you to set the indentation value in the units used in the document - it is worth using it when you know the size of the indentation value.

Visual setting of first line indent

To indent the first line of a paragraph, do the following:

1 way:

1. Select the required paragraphs;
2. On the horizontal ruler, move the cursor to the "First line indent" icon;
3. Click and hold the left mouse button, and then drag the icon along the ruler to the desired location.

2 way:

1. Click the tab indicator button until the First Line Indent icon appears;
2. Click on the horizontal ruler where you want the first line to be indented.

Fine-tuning the indentation of the first line

1 way:

1. Select the required paragraphs;
2. Right-click on the selected fragment;
3. In the context menu (Fig. 1), select the "Paragraph" item (you will go to the "Paragraph" window);
4. On the "Indents and Spacing" tab, in the "Indent" group in the "First Line" column, set the desired indent value (default is 1.25 cm).

2 way:

1. In the open document window, go to the "Home" tab;
2. Select the required paragraphs;
3. Further, in the "Paragraph" window, proceed in the same way as in the first case.

Figure 2 - Using the context menu to go to the "Paragraph" window

Setting the first line protrusion

In rare cases, in addition to the usual indentation of the first line of a paragraph, a ledge is used. This technique is often used to design poetic prose and a number of works of art, in particular, magazine articles.

To create a ledge, do the following:

1 way:

1. Select the required paragraphs;
2. Click on the tab indicator button (Fig. 3) until the "Protrusion" icon appears;
3. Click the horizontal ruler where you want the first line indent to end, and then enter the text for the first line of the paragraph. Now, starting on the second line, the text will start below the tab position on the horizontal ruler.

Figure 3 Tab indicator button

2 way:

1. In the document, select the necessary paragraphs, and then go to the "Home" tab;
2. In the Paragraph group, click the Paragraph button;
3. In the "Paragraph" window, on the "Indents and Spacing" tab, in the "Indent" group, in the "First Line" column, select the "Indent" value;
4. Set the desired value manually or with the knobs.

Figure 4 - Indent and indent of the first line of a paragraph

Quick left indent setting for a paragraph

Sometimes you need to quickly adjust the position of a paragraph relative to the edges of the document. In particular, when it seems to us that the indent set for lists is too large, or the inserted images are too far from the left margin, and this spoils the overall look of the document. In this case, we can very quickly, on the fly, change the indent value, choosing the optimal one. To set the left indent for all lines of a paragraph by a given amount (a multiple of the standard), do the following:

1 way:

1. Select the necessary paragraphs, and then go to the "Home" tab;
2. In the "Paragraph" group, click on the "Decrease Indent" and "Increase Indent" buttons. All lines of paragraphs will indent (or move to the side) from the left margin by 1.25 cm.

Note. Please note that each repeated click on these buttons shifts the lines of paragraphs by 1.25 cm. Do not get carried away, if you click too much on the button to reduce the indent, you will remove it altogether, and on the contrary, by constantly increasing the indent, you will ensure that the words completely disappear from view (more precisely, they will go beyond the edges of the visible area). To remove the first line indent for a paragraph, use the "Paragraph" window and select "None" in the "First line" field or enter zero in the "On" field. You can also use the Undo button on the Quick Access Toolbar to go back a few steps.

2 way:

1. Highlight the required paragraphs;
2. On the horizontal ruler, move the mouse cursor over the Left Indent icon and, holding down the left button, move it to the desired position.

If you get confused when adjusting the indents, you can easily fix it by removing them, to do this, do the following:

1 way:

1. Select the required paragraphs;
2. On the Home tab, in the Paragraph group, click the Decrease Indent button.

2 way:

1. Select the required paragraphs;
2. On the horizontal ruler, click (and hold) the left mouse button on the Left Indent icon;
3. Drag it to its starting position on the ruler, at the level of the left margin.

Quick adjustment of padding on the right

It is also possible to quickly adjust the indent on the right. This is useful when you are typing text that should look like a block, such as when you are writing poetry, thangka, or poetic prose. In these cases, right-alignment gives the text a special look, also emphasizing its subject matter.

To quickly set the indent to the right, do the following:

1. Select the required paragraphs;
2. On the horizontal ruler, click and hold the left mouse button on the Right Indent icon;
3. Drag it to the desired position on the ruler.

To remove the indent on the right, do the following:

1. Select the required paragraphs;
2. On the horizontal ruler, click (and hold) the left mouse button on the Right Indent icon;
3. Drag it to its starting position on the ruler, at the level of the right margin.

Fine tune paragraph indentation

By default, paragraph lines start directly at the left margin and end at the right margin (if you fill the page with text, in one large paragraph, it will look like a text block, the size of a page). It is often necessary to specify the exact distance from the left margin, or from the end of lines to the right margin. In particular, this is necessary when you have clear requirements for the design of the work, in particular, the value of the indentation values. To do this, do the following:

1 way:

1. Select the required paragraphs;
2. Go to the "Home" tab and in the "Paragraph" group, click on the "Paragraph" button;
3. On the "Indents and Spacing" tab of the "Paragraph" window, in the "Indent" group, in the "Right" and "Left" items, set the desired value.

2 way:

1. Select the required paragraphs;
2. Go to the "Page Layout" tab and in the "Paragraph" group in the lines "Left Indent" and "Right Indent", set the desired value.

Figure 5 - Paragraph indent setting

Line spacing

Line spacing is very often used when formatting documents, and its most common values ​​are single and one and a half. The spacing itself is determined based on the baselines of the lines that run through the center of the letters (taking into account their tops and bottoms, such as superscript/subscript characters). So, single spacing, corresponds to the text font size, and is the “default” spacing in Word 2010. One and a half spacing is used in most business documents, in term papers and essays. To set line spacing, do the following:

1 way:

1. Select the desired paragraphs and right-click on the selected area;
2. In the context menu, select "Paragraph";
3. In the "Paragraph" window, "Indents and Spacing" tab, in the "Spacing" group in the "Interline" column, select the required one from the list:

• "Single" - the interval corresponds to the font size of the text of the paragraph;
• "1.5 lines" - the spacing is equal to one and a half paragraph text font size;
• "Double" - the spacing is equal to the double font size of the text of the paragraph;
• "Minimum" - the interval is not less than the size specified in points;
• "Exactly" - the spacing exactly corresponds to the size specified in points (that is, if the font is 12pt, then the spacing will be exactly the same);
• "Multiplier" - a multiplier for spacing equal to the font size of the paragraph text (the larger the multiplier, the larger the spacing).

2 way:

1. In the "Paragraph" group, click on the "Line Spacing" button (you will go to the "Paragraph" window on the "Indents and Spacings" tab);
2. In the Interval group, in the Value field, enter the desired value and click OK.

3 way:

1. Select the required paragraphs;
2. Using keyboard shortcuts, set the required interval:

• Ctrl+1 – single spacing;
• Ctrl+5 – one and a half interval;
• Ctrl+2 - double spacing.

Adjusting the spacing between paragraphs

In most cases, when special care is not required in the design of a document, the vertical distance between paragraphs (interval) is set by pressing the key at the end of a paragraph. At the same time, this distance can visually spoil the general appearance of the document, and the more paragraphs, the more noticeable it is. In addition, it may be necessary to set the interval, independent of the size of the fonts used. To do this, do the following:

1 way:

1. Select the required paragraphs;
2. In the “Paragraph” window of the “Indents and Spacing” tab, in the “Spacing” group, in the “Before” (above the paragraph) and “After” (after the paragraph) items, use the sliders to set the desired value. Please note that each click on them corresponds to a step multiple of 6pt (points). To enter an arbitrary value, use the data entry area.

2 way:

1. Select the paragraphs you need and go to the "Page Layout" tab;
2. In the "Paragraph" group in the "Interval" column, set the desired value;

Figure 6 - Line spacing

Breaking paragraphs into pages

When working with large documents, it may be necessary to set the proportional placement of paragraphs of text on pages. For example, you are writing a document with large paragraphs, and you want each new paragraph to start on a new page. To break paragraphs into pages, do the following:

1. Highlight the required paragraphs;
2. Right-click on the selected fragment and in the context menu that appears, select "Paragraph";
3. In the Paragraph window, go to the Page Position tab;
4. In the "Pagination" group, select the desired items:

• "Prohibition of hanging lines" - prohibition of the transition of one line to the next page or the first line to the previous one;
• “Do not tear away from the next” - prohibition of the transition of the next paragraph to the next page;
• “Do not break paragraph” - prohibition of splitting a paragraph into two pages;
• “From New Page” - inserts a page break before a paragraph (each subsequent paragraph starts on a new page).

Figure 7 Breaking a paragraph using the tools of the Page Position tab

To quickly set the spacing at the top of a paragraph, which corresponds to the font size of a standard line (12pt), do the following:

1. Place the cursor on the desired paragraph;
2. Press key combination .

Please note that pressing the keys again removes the interval.

Paragraph sorting

Sometimes it is necessary to sort paragraphs, for example, when you have created a bibliography (for a test or abstract) and it needs to be sorted alphabetically. Another example is when you form a news sample and you need to select articles and comments by date. To sort, do the following:

1. Go to the "Home" tab and select the necessary paragraphs;
2. In the "Paragraph" group, click on the "Sort" button and in the "Sort Text" window in the "First by" column, select the value "Paragraphs";
3. In the "Type" column, select the value "Text", "Number" or "Date", depending on where the paragraph begins (from a number, date or text);
4. Set the sort direction - "Ascending" (from smallest to largest), or "Descending" (from largest to smallest);
5. Click OK.

Figure 8 - Sorting paragraphs

Highlight paragraphs with the same formatting

This technique can be used when you insert text fragments with different formatting, for example, you are preparing a review of a new car from Aston Martin and you need as much information as possible from various sites. At the same time, you insert text fragments from sites as you download (read) the article. The sites are different and the formatting is also different there, but, for example, you most trust a couple of sites that specialize in covering the automotive industry. Accordingly, you need to find all the articles from these sites that you have copied into your document. You can do this by setting just one paragraph as an example - all other paragraphs with similar formatting will be selected, and you, for example, can rebuild them into a block for subsequent actions (editing, formatting).

To highlight paragraphs with identical formatting, do the following:

1. Select a paragraph with the desired formatting options;
2. Right-click on the selected fragment and in the context menu, hover over the "Styles" item;
3. From the Styles pop-up menu, click Highlight Text That Same Format.

Reverting formatting in a paragraph

To remove changes made when formatting paragraphs, do the following:

1. Select the desired paragraph;
2. Press key combination

Setting the default paragraph style

To use a specific default paragraph style other than the base paragraph style (Normal style), do the following:

1. Click the "File" tab, then "Word Options", "Advanced";
2. In the "Editing Options" group, in the "Default Paragraph Style" item, select the desired style;
3. Click the OK button.

Figure 9 Setting the paragraph style

This technique is useful if you are using a paragraph style that is different from the usual one.

Conclusion

Adjusting paragraphs allows you to completely change the look of a document. By changing the line spacing values, you can visually increase or decrease the size of the document. In this case, you can set quite standard values ​​for the indentation of the first line, and at the same time, give the document a correct and complete look. This has a definite bearing on the overall look of the document, as the lack of visual appearance of a paragraph detracts from the "readability" of the document.

Knowing how to format paragraphs is essential for anyone who works with documents that require at least minimal formatting.

Visual perception is an important component when working with any kind of information, including text. Visual memory "works" more efficiently when clearly structured text is in front of your eyes.

The most common and popular text editor is MS Word. It is this application that is used by the lion's share of users when it is necessary to prepare any text document. One of the essential attributes of formatted text is indentation. Properly spaced paragraphs will help not only improve the visual perception of information, but also highlight semantic blocks for a better understanding of the content of the document.

How to make a paragraph in a Word: a ruler and its markers

One of the tools of the MS Word editor, which is actively used when creating paragraph indents, is a ruler. This attribute is located above and to the left of the main field of the document. If you don't see "Ruler", check:

• Is the "Page Layout" mode set? If not, turn it on.
• Whether the "Ruler" option is enabled. To do this, go to the "View" tab and in the "Show" section, check the box next to the "Ruler" field.

As for the attribute itself, it is represented by 4 markers. 3 of them are located on the left side, 1 - on the right.

• Bottom left marker - will create an indent for the entire text (or its fragment) without highlighting the first line.
• Middle marker - will indent (shift to the right) for the entire block except for the first line of text.
• Top marker - for the design of a paragraph in the text. Will create an indent exclusively for the first line - the red line.
• The lower right marker is used to set the amount of indentation on the right (distance to the right margin).

Starting to edit the text, decide what kind of indentation you need and what its size will be. Next, proceed to formatting.

How to make a paragraph in a Word: paragraph indent on the left side

You can create this indent in several ways.

Ruler

• Position the mouse cursor in the fragment in which you want to select the red line or select the entire text (Ctrl + A).
• By moving the bottom marker, set the required indent size.

MS Word Menu

• Select a part of the text that requires an indent, or the entire document.
• Go to the document menu: "Page Layout" - "Paragraph" and click the icon in the corner with the arrow.
• Set the desired parameters for the indent to the left (the distance is measured from the set left margin).
• Click "OK".

How to make a paragraph in a Word: paragraph indent on the right side

In addition to the traditional - left - indent, in the course of text formatting, you may need to indent on the right side.

• Select the document (pressing the keys Ctrl + A) or part of it.
• Go to the "Paragraph" section of the "Page Layout" tab and click the arrow icon in the box (in the lower right corner).
• Set the required number of cm in the "Indent to the right" field.

Another way to set the right margin is to go to the bottom right marker on the Ruler and place it where you want it. By setting the right and left indents at the same time, you can achieve the desired location of the text fragment (in the center, with a shift to the left or right).

How to make a paragraph in a Word: red line

To select the next logical block of your document, it is rational to use the "red line". This term implies the formation of an indent (or ledge) exclusively for the first line of a semantic fragment.

• If the user is working with the "Ruler" - you need to turn to the top marker and move it to the left - to create a ledge or to the right - to create a paragraph.
• Or go to the "Page Layout" tab and in the "Paragraph" block click on the arrow icon. In the "Red line" field, set the type of indent (protrusion or paragraph) and its value.

How to make a paragraph in a Word: mirror indents

This option is especially in demand when printing a document in the "Book" format.

• Select text or part of it.
• Go to "Page Layout" - "Paragraph" - "arrow icon".
• In the formatting window, set the values ​​​​for indents (left and right) and check the "Mirror margins" field.
• The Left and Right Padding options will change to Inside and Outside Padding.
• Press the "OK" key to apply the specified changes to the text.

If you want your text to be interesting and understandable, make a well-formed and competent document.