1. Proofing & Quality

Proofing helps ensure your document is free of spelling, grammar, and style mistakes.

• Spelling/Grammar: Automatically checks spelling and grammar.
  • Shortcut: F7
  • Manual: Go to Review > Spelling & Grammar and follow suggestions.
• Readability Statistics: Shows readability scores like Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level.
  • Enable: File > Options > Proofing > Show readability statistics
  • Custom Dictionaries: Add words you use frequently so Word won’t flag them.
  • Exclusions: Words you want Word to ignore when checking.
  • Thesaurus: Find synonyms to improve writing.
    • Shortcut: Shift + F7
  • Translate: Translate text into another language.
    • Manual: Review > Translate
  • Language Detection & Proofing Settings:
    • Set proofing language: Review > Language > Set Proofing Language
    • Do not check spelling/grammar: Check "Do not check spelling or grammar" for specific text.

2. Track Changes

Track Changes is used to monitor edits in a document. This is crucial when multiple people are reviewing a document.

• Enable Track Changes: Review > Track Changes or Ctrl + Shift + E
• Display Options: Simple Markup, All Markup, Balloons, Inline.
• Lock Tracking: Prevent others from turning off tracking.
• Show Markup Filters: Filter by comments, insertions/deletions, or formatting.
• Reviewing Pane: View all changes in a side pane.
  • Manual: Review > Reviewing Pane
  • Shortcut: Alt + Shift + C
• Accept/Reject Changes: Process each change individually or all at once.
  • Manual: Review > Accept/Reject
• Combine & Compare: Compare two versions of a document to see differences.

3. Comments

Comments are used to give feedback without modifying the text directly.

• Add Comment: Review > New Comment or Ctrl + Alt + M
• Mentions: Use @name to mention a reviewer.
• Resolve/Reopen: Mark comments as resolved or reopen them.
• Print with Comments: Include comments when printing.
• Hide Author Names: Useful for anonymous review.

4. Protect Document

Protect your document to control editing and secure it.

• Restrict Editing:
  • No changes
  • Comments only
  • Filling forms only
• Password to Modify: Require a password to make changes.
• Mark as Final: Indicate the document is complete and ready to share.
• Digital Signatures: Sign documents electronically to verify authenticity.

5. Document Inspector & Sensitivity Labels

• Document Inspector: Check your document for hidden information like comments, metadata, or personal info.
  • Manual: File > Info > Check for Issues > Inspect Document
• Sensitivity Labels: If available, mark your document as Confidential, Internal, or Public.

Lab Example: Using Review & Proofing

Follow these steps to practice:

1. Open a Word document with text (or type some sentences).
2. Enable Track Changes (Ctrl + Shift + E).
3. Make some edits (insert, delete, format text).
4. Click Review > Show Markup to see changes.
5. Add a comment: Select text > Review > New Comment (Ctrl + Alt + M).
6. Check spelling/grammar: Press F7.
7. Accept or reject changes: Review > Accept/Reject.
8. Protect document: Review > Protect > Restrict Editing, set password if needed.

Before you start, make sure:

• Track Changes is turned on if you want to monitor edits.
• Proofing language is set correctly: Review > Language > Set Proofing Language.
• Custom dictionaries contain specialized words to avoid false flags.