Microsoft Excel: Proofreading

Name: Microsoft Excel: Proofreading
Author: Bob Akbar

Understanding the tools available in Excel for proofreading

Preview the first lesson free — get full access to all 3 lessons.

Course: On-Demand

Hello, my name is Bob Akbar, and in these lessons, you will learn proofreading, which consists of spelling, thesaurus, and search and replace. Let's get started. In this lesson, I will show you spelling. If we take a look at our spelling here, there's a description box, and somebody was not paying attention when they were typing. So what we're going to do is we are going to go to Review, which is the proper place for us to find Spelling. And if you notice, we have Spelling here. Describe. If you notice, it did not show up on our choices here, and that is because we still have to be able to see if somebody held down the R key too long, and that's what caused the problem. So what we can do is we can say, ignore this, and we can come back to it. If that was a proper word, we could add it. It says, not in the dictionary. We can click in here and simply correct it right here. And look at that. It moved on. All right, now we have were, which it does show up the suggestion properly. We can click on that and move on. You can double click, click Change, or Change All. I would recommend that you use the Change option if it is something this simple you are doing. The Change All, I will show you momentarily when to use. Now, for example, if the John was misspelled here, and we had it here. You notice we have John here and John there, and it's gonna show up properly on the spelling. But what if somebody had accidentally put in two Ns for both of them? Now let's go back to Review, Spelling, and we're going to look for John. We're going to ignore everything else for our example purposes. And there it is. Now John shows up with two Ns, and we only want it to have one, which is a suggestion. And by default, the change only comes up the single change, but we want it to change all. In our master information table on cell A16, as well as in our big, this is the text where described. So this is where we use Change All. And there it is. Everything is done. Says, do you want to start from the beginning? We will say yes. Spelling's complete. You're all good to go. Thanks for watching. Stay tuned for the next lesson where I will show you how you use the thesaurus.

Intermediate Provider : Bob Akbar 3 Lessons · 14m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

There are many ways one can make a mistake while using a computer. Excel is no exception to this human error factor. There are times when one may type a word with extra characters, leave out characters, or simply not remember how to spell a word. This is when the powerful tools of spell check come in to assist the user. By showing a list of possible words, one is able to correct most errors quickly and efficiently. Other options such as “ignore” for names and “replacing all” save time in editing.

Another factor may be that the user has simply used a word too many times and wishes to find alternatives or be more descriptive. This is when the thesaurus comes in handy. We explain in this module some of the user discretions that are required to properly use this tool. Further, we explore the limitations of these tools.

Finally, one of the most powerful tools in large files is search and replace. This can be used to locate as well as replace data, either individually or in bulk. By understanding these available tools, a user can better prepare for professional-level presentations.

What You'll Learn

Identify the differences between Excel's proofing tools
Understand the options available within each proofing tool
Use spell check to correct typing errors, missing characters, and misspellings
Apply the thesaurus to find alternative or more descriptive words
Use Search and Replace to locate and replace data individually or in bulk
Recognize the limitations of Excel's proofing tools

Key Takeaways

Spell check assists users by showing a list of possible words so most errors can be corrected quickly and efficiently.
Options such as 'ignore' for names and 'replace all' help save time when editing.
The thesaurus helps users find alternatives or be more descriptive when a word has been used too many times.
Search and Replace is a powerful tool in large files for locating and replacing data, either individually or in bulk.
Understanding these tools helps a user better prepare for professional-level presentations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this Microsoft Excel: Proofreading course cover?

The course covers Excel's proofing tools across three lessons: Spelling (spell check), Thesaurus, and Search and Replace, including the options within these tools and their limitations.

What skills will I gain from this course?

You will develop skills in Microsoft Excel, word processing, copy editing, error proofing, proofreading, and spell checking.

How does spell check help correct errors in Excel?

Spell check shows a list of possible words so users can correct most errors quickly and efficiently, with options such as 'ignore' for names and 'replace all' to save editing time.

When should I use the thesaurus in Excel?

The thesaurus is useful when a word has been used too many times and you wish to find alternatives or be more descriptive; the module explains the user discretion required to use it properly.

What can Search and Replace do in Excel?

Search and Replace is one of the most powerful tools in large files, used to locate as well as replace data, either individually or in bulk.