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: Quickly Moving Text with the Mouse.

Quickly Moving Text with the Mouse

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 5, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

There are two ways you can use the mouse to quickly move text as you are editing. They both result in the same effect, but the method you choose is entirely up to you. To utilize the first method, do the following:

Select the text you want to move.
Position the mouse cursor over the selected text and click the mouse button. Make sure you hold it down. Soon you will notice some dotted lines appear near the mouse pointer.
Drag the highlighted selection to where you want it moved.
Release the mouse button. The highlighted text is moved to the location you specified.

The other method is actually a bit easier for some people:

Select the text you want to move.
Hold down the Ctrl key and right-click where you want the selected text moved.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1216) 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: Quickly Moving Text with the Mouse.

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. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Changing Line Color in a Drawing Object

Don't like the color of the lines that Excel chose for your drawing object? It's easy to choose your own colors, as ...

Discover More

Creating a Table of Contents Involving Multiple Documents

Word can handle very large documents, but some people find it preferable to break large documents into multiple ...

Discover More

Minimizing the Ribbon for a Document

Want the ribbon to be minimized for a particular document? Word may not allow you to get the exact result you want, as ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!

More WordTips (menu)

Creating Custom Document Properties

Word allows you to keep track of any number of custom properties about a document. Here's how to create those properties ...

Discover More

Creating the 'Mils' Symbol

Different industries use their own terminologies and symbols. In the military, one symbol is referred to as the "mils" ...

Discover More

Getting Rid of Automatic Page-Break Lines

A little trick to get rid of pagination marks when you have background pagination turned off.

Discover More

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.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is 0 + 9?

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.