What is a temporary storage area and transfer data between the application and document using cut, copy and paste options?

Learning when and how to use the cut, copy and paste commands in your word processor dramatically improves your productivity. Instead of retyping a sentence you want moved, you can cut and paste it to move it instantly. Copying lets you reproduce a section of text without having to type it each time. Most word processors, such as Microsoft Word, also have special pasting options to further simplify your job.

Cut

1. The "Cut" function removes the currently selected text and places it on the clipboard. The clipboard on a computer functions as temporary storage for the last item you've cut or copied. After you cut text, you won't see it on your screen, but you can place it anywhere in the document using the "Paste" function. You can perform a cut on selected text by pressing "Control-X" or clicking the "Cut" button on the Home tab in Microsoft Word.

Copy

1. When you press "Control-C" or click the "Copy" button on the Home tab, the computer copies the selected text into the clipboard. The text also remains in its original location. By pasting copied text, you duplicate it, making it faster to reuse the same word or sentence over and over.

Paste

1. The "Paste" button on the Home tab places the current contents of the clipboard into the document at the flashing cursor's location. You can also paste by pressing "Control-V." When you paste text, the computer does not remove it from the clipboard, so you can paste it multiple times or in several places without needing to copy it again. Turning off your computer or rebooting empties the clipboard.

Paste Options

1. Microsoft Word offers a number of options when pasting to customize how the pasted material looks. After you paste, a small box labeled "(Ctrl)" pops up. Press "Control" or click the box if you want to see the paste options. These include options such as "Keep Text Only," which removes all formatting from the pasted text, and "Merge Formatting," which alters the text's format to match the area around the paste. Hold your mouse over any icon in the paste options box to see its name and click one to select it. Press "Escape" to hide the options box without changing the setting.

Version Notice

1. Information in this article applies to Microsoft Word 2013 and 2010. It may vary slightly or significantly with other versions or programs. Most word processors other than Word feature the same cut, copy and paste functions, but you can find them in the "Edit" menu instead of on the "Home" tab.

1. Home
2. Resources
3. Word
4. Moving and Copying Text

Word enables you to cut and paste blocks of text from one part of a document to another. When you cut a selected portion of text, the text is removed from the document and placed on the Clipboard, a temporary storage area. When you paste text, a copy of the text on the Clipboard is placed into the document. The cut piece of text remains on the Clipboard until another block of text is placed on the Clipboard or until you shut down your computer. As long as the text remains on the clipboard, you can continue to paste the same text in different locations throughout your document.

For more details about our instructor-led MS Word classes in Los Angeles call us on 888.815.0604.

Word also enables you to copy and paste text from one part of the document to another. When you copy a selected portion of text, a duplicate of the text is placed on the Clipboard, but the text is not removed from the document. As when cutting and pasting text, you can continue to paste the same portion of text throughout the document as long as the text remains on the Clipboard.

To move text quickly over a short distance, you can select the text and then drag it to the desired location. As you drag, the selection appears to stay in its original position, and the mouse pointer becomes an arrow with a shaded box and insertion point drops down line by line on the page as you drag down (or the reverse if you drag up). The shaded box represents the selected text. You position the insertion point at the desired location in the document. When you release the mouse button, the text moves to its new position. This method is called drag-and-drop editing.

You can also drag to copy text. To do this, you hold down the Ctrl key as you drag the selection to an additional location.

Method to Copy and Paste Text

To move text:

1. Select the text.
2. On the Clipboard group on the Home tab, click the Cut button. or
3. Right click and choose Cut.
4. Place the insertion point where you want the text to be inserted.
5. On the Clipboard group on the Home tab, click the Paste button.or
6. Right click and choose Paste.

1. Select the text.
2. Drag the selected text, placing the mouse pointer’s insertion point at the desired location.

To copy text:

1. Select the text.
2. On the Clipboard group on the Home tab, click the Copy button. or
3. Right click and choose Copy.
4. Place the insertion point where you want the text to be inserted.
5. On the Clipboard group on the Home tab, click the Paste button. or
6. Right click and choose Paste.

1. Select the text.
2. Press and hold the Ctrl key as you drag the selected text, placing the mouse pointer’s gray line at the desired location.

Also see Modifying Page Breaks in Word.

What is the use of cut, copy, and paste?

What is cut and paste in computer?

Where are files saved temporarily by COPY command?

What is shortcut for cut and paste?