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Using AutoCorrect in Word (1)

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In this and the next issue, I will talk about the AutoCorrect feature of Word, which is a huge time-saver when you work on documents. It will help to fix common typos and punctuation errors automatically, and you can expand the list of typos it will correct. In Word 2000, it is even more intelligent, because not only can it work from a list of corrections you supply, but it also automatically uses suggestions from the spelling checker to correct what you type as you type it.

Now let's see whether the AutoCorrect option has been turned on. Start Word and begin a new sentence with a lowercase character, you will see that Word capitalizes it.

There are many AutoCorrect rules. Some make it easy to enter special characters, Word converts (r) to , and others fix common typos, punctuation, or grammar problems. Besides, you can add or change these rules using the AutoCorrect dialog box, and you can also set a handful of options to adjust the way Word applies a few key rules.

To add a rule, follow the steps below:

1. Choose 'AutoCorrect' from the 'Tools' menu and you will see the AutoCorrect dialog box.

2. Enter a new typo in the 'Replace' field of the 'AutoCorrect' tag in the box. The list below will scroll to that alphabetical section so that you can see if your typo is already listed. You can also enter typos in capital or lowercase letters.

3. Press the key and enter the replacement text in the 'With' field. Take care of the capitalization, because Word will exactly duplicate whatever you enter. Besides, if you select text in your document before choosing 'AutoCorrect' from the 'Tools' menu, the selected text will be automatically entered in the field.

4. Click the 'Add' button.

5. Click the 'OK' button when done.

You can add as many typos as you like, but be careful not to use letter combinations that are likely to occur in normal words. For example, if you replace 'PC' with 'Police Constable', you will end up with sentences like 'Acquiring Police Constable knowledge is very easy'.

As your needs change, you may need to edit or delete AutoCorrect rules. For example, you might notice that you create a rule to enter a project name and the project is now complete, hence you no longer need the rule.

To edit or delete an AutoCorrect rule, follow these steps:

1. Choose 'AutoCorrect' from the 'Tools' menu.

2. Select the rule in the list.

3. Type new text in the 'With' field to edit the rule and then click the 'Replace' button, or click the 'Delete' button to remove the rule.

4. Click 'OK' when done.

There is still more to learn about 'AutoCorrect' and I will tell what it is in the next issue.

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(Email address: "Daniel_KC_To@police. gov.hk")
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