Be able to use editing techniques to manipulate text and numbers including highlight, delete, move, cut, copy, paste, drag and drop

Topic 13: Layout

This topic covers the basic editing techniques used to manipulate text and numbers in documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Mastery of these techniques is essential for creating clear and well‑structured layouts.

Learning Objective

Be able to use editing techniques to manipulate text and numbers including highlight, delete, move, cut, copy, paste, drag and drop.

Key Editing Techniques

• Highlight (Select) – Marking text or cells so that they can be edited.
• Delete – Removing highlighted content.
• Move – Relocating highlighted content to a new position.
• Cut – Removing highlighted content while storing it on the clipboard.
• Copy – Duplicating highlighted content onto the clipboard without removing it.
• Paste – Inserting the clipboard contents at the cursor location.
• Drag and Drop – Using the mouse to move or copy content by dragging it to a new location.

Keyboard Shortcuts (Common to Most ICT Applications)

Using the Mouse for Drag and Drop

Drag and drop is useful for moving text blocks, rows/columns in spreadsheets, or objects in presentations.

1. Position the cursor at the start of the text or on the object you wish to move.
2. Press and hold the left mouse button.
3. Drag the highlighted area to the new location.
4. Release the mouse button to drop the content.

Practical Examples

Example 1 – Editing a Paragraph in a Word Processor

Suppose the following paragraph is typed:

"The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

To change the word lazy to sleepy:

1. Double‑click the word lazy to highlight it.
2. Press Delete to remove it.
3. Type sleepy.

Example 2 – Moving a Row in a Spreadsheet

Given a table of numbers, you need to move the third row to the top.

1. Click the row header of row 3 to highlight the entire row.
2. Press Ctrl + X (or Command + X) to cut the row.
3. Select the row header of row 1.
4. Press Ctrl + V (or Command + V) to paste the cut row above row 1.

Example 3 – Copying a Chart in a Presentation

To duplicate a chart on the same slide:

1. Click the chart to select it.
2. Press Ctrl + C (or Command + C) to copy.
3. Click anywhere on the slide where you want the duplicate.
4. Press Ctrl + V (or Command + V) to paste.
5. Drag the new chart to the desired position.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• Accidentally deleting instead of cutting: Use Ctrl + X for cut; Delete removes without storing on the clipboard.
• Over‑selecting text: Zoom in or use the arrow keys while holding Shift for precise selection.
• Forgetting to deselect before pasting: Click the intended insertion point before pressing Ctrl + V.
• Drag and drop errors: Ensure the destination area accepts the content type (e.g., you cannot drop a spreadsheet row into a word processor document).

Practice Activities

1. Open a new document. Type the sentence: “Data can be stored, processed and presented.” Highlight the word “processed”, cut it, move the cursor to the start of the sentence and paste it. Observe the new sentence structure.
2. In a spreadsheet, create a list of five numbers. Highlight the second cell, copy it, and paste it into the fourth cell. Then delete the original second cell by using the Delete key.
3. In a presentation slide, insert a text box with the words “ICT Skills”. Use drag and drop to move the text box to the bottom‑right corner of the slide. Duplicate the box using copy‑paste and change the duplicate text to “Layout”.

Assessment Checklist

• Can you highlight text or cells accurately?
• Do you know the difference between Delete, Cut and Copy?
• Can you move content using both keyboard shortcuts and drag‑and‑drop?
• Are you able to paste content in the correct location without overwriting unintended data?
• Do you understand how to undo and redo actions if a mistake is made?

Summary

Effective layout creation relies on precise manipulation of text and numbers. Mastery of highlighting, deleting, moving, cutting, copying, pasting and drag‑and‑drop equips you with the skills required for the IGCSE ICT examination and real‑world ICT tasks.