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: Adjusting Spacing After a Paragraph.
If you use a typewriter, or even some rudimentary word processors, to add space between paragraphs you simply press the Enter key a few times. While you can also do this in Word, the program gives you much greater control over the spacing between paragraphs—if you choose to use it. To modify the amount of space left between the end of one paragraph and the start of the next, follow these steps:
Figure 1. The Paragraph dialog box.
To adjust the value in the After box, you can use the up and down arrows to the right of the box, or you can enter a value directly. Values can be entered in any of the standard measurements accepted by Word.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (171) 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: Adjusting Spacing After a Paragraph.
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2013-11-03 05:47:56
Richard Bramhall
The problem that brought me to your site is that my legal copy of Word 2000 (its’ a legal one) has started refusing to show “Paragraph” in the format drop-down menu. I think this happened right after I pasted a block of text from a Wikipedia page forgetting to launder it through Notepad. I have reinstalled Word 2000, removed a further version of Word (I think it was in Microsoft Office) installed Word 2000 again and still no progress. When I use the same disc to load it onto another computer the paragraph format menu is there. Have you any idea what I can do? I tend to use the paragraph formatting dialogue quite frequently and this is a real nuisance.
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.
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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: 
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