Be able to apply text alignment including left, right, centre, fully justified

Topic 14 – Styles

Objective

Be able to apply text alignment including left, right, centre, and fully justified.

1. What is Text Alignment?

Text alignment determines how the text is positioned horizontally within a paragraph or a text box.

2. Types of Alignment

• Left‑aligned – Text starts at the left margin and the right edge is ragged.
• Right‑aligned – Text ends at the right margin and the left edge is ragged.
• Centre‑aligned – Text is centered between the left and right margins.
• Fully justified – Text stretches to both left and right margins, creating a straight edge on both sides.

3. Applying Alignment in Common Word Processors

1. Place the cursor in the paragraph you wish to format, or select multiple paragraphs.
2. Choose the required alignment command from the toolbar or the Format menu.
3. Check the result on the screen; the alignment can be changed at any time.

4. Demonstration Using HTML Align Attribute (No CSS)

Left‑aligned example: This paragraph is aligned to the left margin. The right edge is uneven.

Right‑aligned example: This paragraph is aligned to the right margin. The left edge is uneven.

Centre‑aligned example: This paragraph is centered between the margins.

Fully justified example: This paragraph is stretched so that both the left and right edges line up evenly, creating a clean block of text.

5. When to Use Each Alignment

Alignment	Typical Use	Advantages	Disadvantages
Left	Most body text in English documents	Easy to read; natural start point	Right edge appears uneven
Right	Captions, footnotes, dates	Creates a clean right margin	Left edge uneven; can be hard to read in long blocks
Centre	Headings, titles, invitations	Visually striking; draws attention	Not suitable for long paragraphs
Justified	Newspapers, magazines, formal reports	Creates a tidy block of text; professional look	Can produce uneven spacing between words (rivers)

6. Practice Activities

1. Open a new document in your chosen word processor.
2. Type four short paragraphs (about 3–4 sentences each).
3. Apply a different alignment to each paragraph: left, right, centre, justified.
4. Observe how the appearance changes and note which alignment works best for each type of content.
5. Save the document and label it “Alignment Practice – YourName”.

7. Summary Checklist

• Know the four main types of alignment.
• Be able to select and apply alignment using toolbar icons or menu commands.
• Understand when each alignment is most appropriate.
• Recognize the visual impact of fully justified text and when to avoid it.