Formatting a Paragraph

Last Updated: May 7, 2003

A word processor defines a paragraph as anything between two hard returns. Two popular styles are seen below.

To create these effects:

• In Word
• In Word Perfect

Word

Hanging (Outdented)Paragraph

1. Select the paragraph that you wish to have indented.
2. On the menu line, click on Format>Paragraphs
3. Click on the Indents and Spacing tab
4. Drop down the box labeled "Special" in the middle right of the screen and select "Hanging." You can change the length of the outdent by changing the information in the box labeled "By:" that is next to the special box. (0.5 is half an inch.)
5. Click OK
6. All the paragraphs following this one will be in the hanging format until you repeat instructions 1 to 5, but under 4 select none.

Indented Paragraph

1. Place the insertion point in the paragraph for which you wish the left margin to be indented.
2. On the menu line, click on Format>Paragraphs
3. Click on the Indents and Spacing tab
4. Under Indentation on the left side of the pop-up window, enter a number for indentation for left margin. Generally this is .5 for half an inch.
5. Click OK.
6. All the following paragraphs will be indented. To reverse this, follow instructions 1 to 5, but under 4 select 0.

Word Perfect

Hanging (Outdented) Paragraph

Select the paragraph to be formatted, or before you start to enter the text for the paragraph do one of the following::

1. Tap Ctrl-F7
   OR
2. On the menu line, click on Format/Paragraph/Hanging Indent

Indented Paragraph

Either select the paragraph to be formatted, or before you start to enter the text for the paragraph either:

1. Tap F7
   OR
2. On the menu line, click on Format>Paragraph> Indent

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Copyright 2003/2008 Linda Q. Thede
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