IGCSE ICT 0417 – Document Production: Text Enhancement
17 Document Production – Text Enhancement
Learning Objective
Students will be able to apply text enhancement techniques – bold, underline, italic, superscript, subscript and case changes – using word‑processing software.
Why Text Enhancement Matters
Improves readability and visual hierarchy.
Highlights key information such as headings, definitions, formulas and references.
Ensures professional presentation of reports, letters and assignments.
Common Text‑Enhancement Features
Bold – makes text darker and heavier.
Italic – slants text to the right.
Underline – draws a line beneath the text.
Superscript – raises characters above the normal line (e.g., \$x^{2}\$).
Subscript – lowers characters below the normal line (e.g., \$H_{2}O\$).
Case changes – convert text between uppercase, lowercase and Title Case.
Applying Enhancements Using the Toolbar
In most word processors (e.g., Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer) the toolbar contains icons for each enhancement.
Select the text you wish to modify.
Click the appropriate icon:
Bold – B icon.
Italic – I icon.
Underline – U icon.
Superscript – x² icon.
Subscript – H₂ icon.
Case change – Aa or similar icon.
Suggested diagram: Toolbar layout showing formatting icons for bold, italic, underline, superscript, subscript and case change.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Using shortcuts speeds up work and is essential for the exam.
Feature
Windows Shortcut
Mac Shortcut
Result
Bold
Ctrl + B
Command + B
Applies or removes bold formatting.
Italic
Ctrl + I
Command + I
Applies or removes italic formatting.
Underline
Ctrl + U
Command + U
Applies or removes underline.
Superscript
Ctrl + Shift + +
Command + Shift + +
Raises selected characters.
Subscript
Ctrl + =
Command + =
Lowers selected characters.
Change to UPPERCASE
Shift + F3 (cycle)
Shift + F3 (cycle)
Cycles through UPPER, lower, Title Case.
Changing Case – Step by Step
Highlight the text whose case you want to change.
Open the Case menu (often found under Format → Change Case).
Choose one of:
UPPERCASE – all letters become capital.
lowercase – all letters become small.
Title Case – first letter of each word capitalised.
Sentence case – first letter of the first word capitalised.
Confirm the change; the text updates instantly.
Practical Activity
Create a short report (150‑200 words) on a topic of your choice. Apply the following formatting:
Bold the main heading.
Italicise any foreign language terms.
Underline the key conclusion.
Insert a superscript for a footnote reference (e.g., “see note¹”).
Insert a subscript for a chemical formula (e.g., \$CO_{2}\$).
Convert the paragraph that lists the report’s objectives to UPPERCASE.
Save the document and be prepared to demonstrate the shortcuts used.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applying formatting to invisible spaces – always select visible characters.
Mixing superscript and subscript in the same word unintentionally.
Using case change on headings that already have a specific style – may disrupt heading hierarchy.
Relying solely on the toolbar; learn shortcuts for speed and exam efficiency.
Summary
Effective document production requires mastery of text‑enhancement tools. By using the toolbar, keyboard shortcuts, and case‑change functions, you can produce clear, professional documents that meet IGCSE standards.