You may not have numbering enabled for all the lines in your Word document. Even so, Microsoft Word tracks all lines in a document with numbers. Thus, going to a specific line in your document is a very simple task for Word.
Most of us do not think of our document as containing a certain number of lines. We tend to look at documents as chapters, sections, pages, paragraphs, sentences, etc
But Word has a special feature that takes you to a specific line.
The feature allows you to jump not only to a specific line in your document. You can also use it to move backward or forward relative to your current position in the document. To select the line, you must use the mouse or a keyboard shortcut.
Furthermore, you may also want to select a specific line without knowing its line number. You can do this by using the keyboard. Thus, we can select a line in a Word document in one of two ways:
- Using the line number
- Without using a line number
Let us see how to do the above in simple steps.
Method #1: Selecting a Line using its Line Number
Note: This method is useful if you know the number of the line you want to select.
If you do not know the line number, proceed to method #2.
Step #1: Open the Word document
Open the Word document where you want to select a line using its line number.
Step #2: Use the Go To feature
Click on the Home tab in the top menu bar to change the ribbon.
Under section Editing, click on the Replace button.
The Find and Replace dialog box opens.
Click on the tab Go To.
Under the section Go to what, click on Line.
In the box under Enter line number: enter the number of the line you want to reach.
Here, you have a choice to move forward or backward from your current position.
- To move x number of lines forward, enter +x
- To move y number of lines backward enter -y
Click on the tab Go To at the bottom of the dialog box. Click on the Close tab to exit the dialog box.
Word moves the cursor to the beginning of the line you have indicated.
Step #3: Select the line using mouse
Position the mouse on the cursor.
Click and hold the left mouse button. Drag the mouse to the end of the line.
Release the mouse button. Word selects the line.
Step #3A: Select the line using keyboard shortcut
On your keyboard, press and hold the left or right Shift button.
Press the End button.
Word selects the line.
Method #2: Selecting a Line without using its Line Number
Note: This method is useful if you do not know the number of the line you want to select.
Step #1: Open the Word document
Open the Word document where you want to select a line.
Step #2: Select the line using mouse
Place the cursor at the beginning of the line you want to select.
Position the mouse on the cursor.
Click and hold the left mouse button. Drag the mouse to the end of the line.
Release the mouse button. Word selects the line.
Step #3A: Select the line using keyboard shortcut
Place the cursor at the beginning of the line you want to select.
On your keyboard, press and hold the left or right Shift button. Press the End button.
Word selects the line.
Conclusion
Follow our stepwise instructions here. You will learn various methods of selecting a line in your Word document.