Changing a text box's appearance In Word

To change the text box shape:

1. Select the text box. A new Format tab appears with Drawing Tools.
2. Go to the Format tab.
3. Click the Edit Shape command.
   
4. Click Change Shape to display a drop-down list.
   
5. Select the desired shape from the list.

To choose a shape style:

Choosing a shape style allows you to apply a preset fill and outline color, and in some cases other effects such asbeveling and shadow. You don't have to pick a style for your text box, but it can help you save time or experiment with different appearances.

1. Select the text box. The Format tab appears.
2. Select the Format tab.
3. Click the More drop-down arrow in the Shape Styles group to display more style options.
   
4. Hover your mouse over the styles to see a live preview.
5. Select the desired style.

To change shape fill:

1. Select the text box. The Format tab appears.
2. Click the Format tab.
   
3. Click the Shape Fill command to display a drop-down menu.
4. From the drop-down menu, you can select a color from the list, choose No Fill, or select More Fill Colors to use a color that's not on the list.

To change the shape outline:

1. Select the text box. The Format tab appears.
2. Click the Shape Outline command to display a drop-down list.
   
3. Select a color from the list, choose No Outline, or select More Outline Colors to use a color that's not on the list.
4. From the drop-down menu, you can change the outline color, weight (thickness), and whether it is a dashedline.

To change shadow effects:

1. Select the text box. The Format tab appears.
2. Select the Format tab.
3. Click the Shape Effects command.
4. Click Shadow.
5. Move your mouse over the menu options to see a live preview in your document.
   
6. Click the desired option to select the shadow effect.
   

To choose a different shadow color for your shape, select Shadow Options from the drop-down menu, then click the Color button.

Inserting and modifying tables

Video: Working with Tables in Word 2010

In Word, tables are useful for organizing and presenting data. You can create a blank table, convert text to a table, and apply a variety of styles and formats to existing tables.

Optional: You can download this example for extra practice.

To insert a blank table:

1. Place your insertion point in the document where you want the table to appear.
2. Select the Insert tab.
3. Click the Table command.
4. Hover your mouse over the diagram squares to select the number of columns and rows in the table.
   
5. Click your mouse, and the table appears in the document.
6. You can now place the insertion point anywhere in the table to add text.

To convert existing text to a table:

1. Select the text you want to convert.
2. Select the Insert tab.
3. Click the Table command.
4. Select Convert Text to Table from the menu. A dialog box will appear.
   
5. Choose one of the options in the Separate text at: section. This is how Word knows what text to put in each column.
   
6. Click OK. The text appears in a table.
   
7. you can also make a table manually.