Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Working with Table Columns and Rows.

Working with Table Columns and Rows

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 18, 2018)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


As you work with tables in Word, there will be times when you need to add columns to a table. To insert a column or row in Word 97, follow these steps:

  1. Select the column or row before which you want the column or row added.
  2. Choose Insert Column (for a column) or Insert Row (for a row) from the Table menu.

If you are working with a later version of Word (Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003) the steps are only slightly different:

  1. Select the column or row adjacent to where you want the column or row added.
  2. Choose Insert from the Table menu. Word displays a submenu.
  3. Choose one of the Columns or Rows options, depending exactly where you want the column or row inserted.

Another way to add rows is simply to move the insertion point to the very last cell marker on a row. (This is the marker to the right of the last column. It is clearly visible if you have non-printing characters displayed.) You can then press Enter and a new row appears.

To delete a column or row in a table, start by selecting the row or column you want to delete. Then, use one of these techniques, depending on your version of Word:

  • Word 97: Choose Delete Column (for columns) or Delete Row (for rows) from the Table menu.
  • Word 2000, Word 2002, and Word 2003: Choose Delete from the Table menu, and then choose either Columns or Rows.

You can also use the Cut option from the Edit menu to remove the column or row you have selected. The Clear option from the Edit menu will have no effect, however, other than to clear the contents of the cells in the row or column you selected.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (107) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Working with Table Columns and Rows.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Double-Spacing Your Document

Need to produce a quick double-spaced printout of your document? You can do it by using the simple steps in this tip.

Discover More

Grabbing a Screen Shot

There are times that a picture is worth a thousand words. When you need to capture a picture of what is on your screen, ...

Discover More

Removing All Comments

Need to get rid of all the comments in your document that are added to your text? You can do so by using the regular Find ...

Discover More

Do More in Less Time! Are you ready to harness the full power of Word 2013 to create professional documents? In this comprehensive guide you'll learn the skills and techniques for efficiently building the documents you need for your professional and your personal life. Check out Word 2013 In Depth today!

More WordTips (menu)

Adjusting Column Width Using Menus

If you want to resize the width of your table columns, you can do it using a mouse, but you can get more precise widths ...

Discover More

Distributing Columns Evenly

When you want the horizontal space in a table to be divided evenly among the columns in the table, you'll love this tip. ...

Discover More

Splitting a Table

Table getting too long? Need to move part of a table to somewhere else in your document? You can easily split an existing ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is three minus 2?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.