How To Indent Only One Line In Word

Lesson eight: Indents and Tabs

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Introduction

Indenting text adds structure to your document by allowing you to split information. Whether y'all'd like to movement a single line or an entire paragraph, you tin apply the tab selector and the horizontal ruler to set tabs and indents.

Optional: Download our practice document.

Picket the video beneath to larn more well-nigh how to employ indents and tabs in Word.

Indenting text

In many types of documents, you may desire to indent just the first line of each paragraph. This helps to visually split paragraphs from 1 another.

paragraphs with first line indents

It'southward also possible to indent every line except for the first line, which is known equally a hanging indent.

Works Cited page with hanging indents

To indent using the Tab fundamental:

A quick way to indent is to apply the Tab key. This will create a commencement-line indent of i/2 inch.

Identify the insertion betoken at the very beginning of the paragraph you desire to indent.
Press the Tab key. On the Ruler, you lot should see the beginning-line indent marker motion to the right by one/ii inch.
The first line of the paragraph will exist indented.

If you can't see the Ruler, select the View tab, then click the checkbox next to the Ruler.

enabling the Ruler

Indent markers

In some cases, you may want to have more than control over indents. Word provides indent markers that allow you to indent paragraphs to the location you desire.

indent markers on the Ruler

The indent markers are located to the left of the horizontal ruler, and they provide several indenting options:

To indent using the indent markers:

Place the insertion betoken anywhere in the paragraph you lot want to indent, or select one or more paragraphs.
Click and drag the desired indent marker. In our example, nosotros'll click and elevate the left indent marker.
Release the mouse. The paragraphs volition be indented.

To indent using the Indent commands:

If you want to indent multiple lines of text or all lines of a paragraph, you lot can use the Indent commands. The Indent commands will accommodate the indent by 1/ii-inch increments.

Select the text yous desire to indent.
On the Home tab, click the Increase Indent or Decrease Indent control.
The text will indent.

To customize the indent amounts, select the Layout tab near the desired values in the boxes under Indent.

customizing indent amounts

Tabs

Using tabs gives you more command over the placement of text. Past default, every fourth dimension you printing the Tab cardinal, the insertion signal volition move one/ii inch to the right. Calculation tab stops to the Ruler allows y'all to alter the size of the tabs, and Word even allows you lot to use more than one tab terminate to a single line. For instance, on a resume you could left-marshal the kickoff of a line and right-align the end of the line by adding a Correct Tab, equally shown in the image below.

example of tab stops

Pressing the Tab key tin can either add a tab or create a first-line indent, depending on where the insertion point is. Generally, if the insertion point is at the first of an existing paragraph, it will create a kickoff-line indent; otherwise, it will create a tab.

The tab selector

The tab selector is located higher up the vertical ruler on the left. Hover the mouse over the tab selector to see the name of the active tab stop.

tab selector

Types of tab stops:

Although Bar Tab, First Line Indent, and Hanging Indent announced on the tab selector, they're not technically tabs.

To add together tab stops:

Select the paragraph or paragraphs yous want to add together tab stops to. If you don't select any paragraphs, the tab stops volition utilize to the current paragraph and whatsoever new paragraphs you type below it.
Click the tab selector until the tab stop you want to use appears. In our example, we'll select Right Tab.
Click the location on the horizontal ruler where you want your text to announced (it helps to click the bottom edge of the Ruler). You tin can add as many tab stops as you want.
Identify the insertion point in front of the text you want to tab, then printing the Tab primal. The text will jump to the next tab stop. In our example, we volition motion each engagement range to the tab stop we created.

Removing tab stops

It's a expert thought to remove whatsoever tab stops yous aren't using then they don't get in the fashion. To remove a tab stop, first select all of the text that uses the tab cease. Then click and elevate information technology off of the Ruler.

removing a tab stop

Word can as well brandish hidden formatting symbols such as spaces ( space symbol ), paragraph marks (), and tabs ( tab symbol ) to help yous run across the formatting in your document. To testify hidden formatting symbols, select the Home tab, then click the Bear witness/Hide command.

showing hidden marks

Challenge!

Open our practice certificate.
Use the Tab key to indent the kickoff of each paragraph in the body of the cover letter of the alphabet. These first with I am exceedingly interested, While working toward, and Enclosed is a copy.
When you're finished, the first page should wait like this:
Scroll to folio 2.
Select all of the text beneath Training & Teaching on page 2.
Place a right tab at the six" (fifteen.25 cm) mark.
Insert your cursor before each date range, then press the T ab key. These dates include 2008, 1997-2001, and 1995-1997.
Select each job description nether the Experience section, and move the left indent to the 0.25" (l mm) mark.
When yous're finished, page 2 should look something similar this: