Be able to move or delete a slide

Cambridge IGCSE ICT 0417 – Topic 19: Presentations

Learning Objective

Be able to move or delete a slide in a presentation.

1. Introduction to Slide Management

Effective slide management helps you organise your ideas, keep the presentation logical and remove unnecessary content. The two most common tasks are:

• Moving a slide to a different position in the deck.
• Deleting a slide that is no longer needed.

2. Moving a Slide

Slides can be moved using the mouse, keyboard shortcuts, or the ribbon/menu commands, depending on the software (e.g., Microsoft PowerPoint, LibreOffice Impress, Google Slides).

2.1 Using the Mouse (Drag‑and‑Drop)

1. Open the Slide Sorter view or the thumbnail pane on the left side of the screen.
2. Click and hold the thumbnail of the slide you want to move.
3. Drag the thumbnail to the desired position. A vertical line will indicate where the slide will be placed.
4. Release the mouse button to drop the slide.

2.2 Using Keyboard Shortcuts

Most presentation packages provide shortcuts to move slides up or down without using the mouse.

Software	Shortcut to Move Slide Up	Shortcut to Move Slide Down
Microsoft PowerPoint	Alt + Shift + ↑	Alt + Shift + ↓
LibreOffice Impress	Ctrl + Alt + ↑	Ctrl + Alt + ↓
Google Slides	Ctrl + ↑ (Windows) / ⌘ + ↑ (Mac)	Ctrl + ↓ (Windows) / ⌘ + ↓ (Mac)

2.3 Using Ribbon/Menu Commands

1. Select the slide thumbnail you wish to move.
2. Go to the Home tab (or equivalent) on the ribbon.
3. Click Move Up or Move Down in the Slides group.

3. Deleting a Slide

Removing a slide is straightforward but it is good practice to confirm that the slide is not needed before deleting it.

3.1 Deleting with the Mouse

1. In the thumbnail pane, click once on the slide you want to delete to select it.
2. Press the Delete key on the keyboard, or right‑click the slide and choose Delete Slide from the context menu.

3.2 Deleting with Ribbon/Menu Commands

1. Select the slide thumbnail.
2. Navigate to the Home tab.
3. Click the Delete button in the Slides group, then choose Delete Slide.

3.3 Undoing a Deletion

If you delete a slide by mistake, you can restore it using the Undo command (Ctrl + Z or the Undo button on the Quick Access Toolbar).

4. Practical Tips

• Always work in Slide Sorter view when you need to rearrange many slides; it gives a clear overview.
• Use duplicate (Ctrl + D) before deleting a slide if you are unsure – you can keep a copy for reference.
• Save your presentation frequently, especially after major re‑ordering, to avoid losing work.
• Consider numbering slides (Insert → Slide Number) before major changes; it helps you verify the order after moving slides.

5. Summary Checklist

1. Identify the slide to move or delete.
2. Choose the preferred method (drag‑and‑drop, shortcut, or ribbon).
3. Confirm the new position or deletion.
4. Use Undo if an error occurs.
5. Save the presentation.