17.1 Comments — Inserting & Viewing

Comments are annotations attached to specific text in a document — they float in the margin and do not affect the document's content or formatting. They are the primary tool for document review, proofreading feedback, and collaborative editing.

Inserting a New Comment

1. Select the text you want to comment on — or simply place your cursor at the relevant position
2. Insert a comment using any of these methods:
   • Insert tab → Comments group → Comment
   • Review tab → Comments group → New Comment
   • Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+M
   • Right-click the selection → New Comment
3. A comment bubble appears in the right margin — the selected text is highlighted with a coloured bracket
4. Type your comment text in the bubble
5. Press Esc or click anywhere in the document body to close the comment input and return to editing

Comment Appearance in Word 2024

Word 2024 shows comments in a modern threaded format:

• Each comment shows the author's name, date/time, and comment text
• Replies are nested beneath the original comment — creating a conversation thread
• Comments are colour-coded by author — each reviewer gets a unique colour for instant identification
• The commented text in the document body is highlighted with a coloured bracket matching the comment bubble

Viewing Comments

• Show comments panel: By default in Print Layout view, comments appear as bubbles in the right margin. If they are not visible, go to Review → Tracking → Show Markup → tick Comments
• Show All Comments pane: Review → Comments group → Show Comments — toggles a dedicated Comments panel on the right
• Reviewing Pane: Review → Tracking → Reviewing Pane → Vertical or Horizontal — shows all comments and tracked changes in a scrollable list on the left/bottom
• Navigate between comments: Review → Comments group → Previous / Next buttons step through comments sequentially

The Comment Author Name

Comments are attributed to the name in Word Options → General → User name. Ensure this is set correctly to your real name before reviewing any document:

1. File → Options → General → User name → type your full name → Initials → type your initials → OK

17.2 Replies, Resolution & Managing Comments

Replying to a Comment

1. Hover over the comment bubble — a Reply button (speech bubble icon) appears below the comment text
2. Click Reply
3. A reply input field appears beneath the original comment — type your response
4. The thread grows as multiple people reply — creating a discussion within the document itself

Resolving a Comment

Resolving marks a comment as addressed — it remains visible but is visually greyed out to indicate it no longer requires action:

1. Hover over the comment → click the three-dot menu (···) that appears at the top right of the comment bubble
2. Click Resolve thread — or — Review → Comments group → Resolve
3. The comment turns grey and shows "Resolved" — it remains in the document but is visually distinct from active comments
4. To reopen a resolved comment: hover over it → three-dot menu → Reopen thread

Deleting Comments

• Delete a single comment: Right-click the comment bubble → Delete Comment — or — Review → Comments group → Delete dropdown → Delete
• Delete all comments in the document: Review → Comments group → Delete dropdown → Delete All Comments in Document
• Delete all resolved comments: Review → Comments group → Delete dropdown → Delete All Resolved Comments — useful for removing addressed feedback before final distribution

Showing and Hiding Comments

Searching Within Comments

1. Open the Reviewing Pane (Review → Reviewing Pane)
2. Use Ctrl+F while the Reviewing Pane is active to search within comment text

17.3 Hyperlinks — All Four Types

Hyperlinks in Word documents create clickable connections — to websites, email addresses, locations within the same document, or other files. They make documents interactive and navigable, particularly for PDFs and digital-first documents.

Inserting a Hyperlink — The Insert Hyperlink Dialog

1. Select the text you want to make into a hyperlink (or place cursor to create a standalone link)
2. Press Ctrl+K — or — Insert → Links group → Link — or — right-click selected text → Link…
3. The Insert Hyperlink dialog opens — choose the link type from the left panel

Type 1 — Existing File or Web Page (URL)

1. In the Insert Hyperlink dialog → left panel → Existing File or Web Page
2. In the Address field at the bottom, type or paste the full URL (e.g., https://www.skailit.com)
3. Text to display — the visible hyperlink text in the document (e.g., "Visit our website" instead of the raw URL)
4. ScreenTip… — set a tooltip that appears when the user hovers over the link (e.g., "Opens Skailit website in your browser")
5. Click OK

Type 2 — Email Address

1. Insert Hyperlink dialog → left panel → E-mail Address
2. E-mail address field — type the recipient's address (e.g., support@skailit.com)
3. Subject field — pre-fills the email subject line when the link is clicked (e.g., "Enquiry from Word Course Participant")
4. Text to display — the visible text (e.g., "Email us" or the address itself)
5. Click OK
6. Clicking the link opens the user's default email client (Outlook, Gmail, etc.) with the address and subject pre-filled

Type 3 — Place in This Document (Bookmark / Heading)

1. Insert Hyperlink dialog → left panel → Place in This Document
2. A tree view shows all available jump targets in the document:
   • Top of the Document
   • Headings — all Heading 1/2/3 paragraphs in the document
   • Bookmarks — named bookmarks created via Insert → Bookmarks
3. Click the heading or bookmark to link to
4. Click OK
5. Ctrl+Click the link in the document to jump to that location — essential navigation in long digital documents

Type 4 — Create New Document or Link to Another File

1. Create New Document — creates a new Word file and links to it; you can edit the new document now or later
2. Existing File or Web Page (browse to a file) — browse to another .docx, .xlsx, .pdf, or any file; clicking the link opens that file in its associated application
3. For file links, consider whether the linked file will always be available at the same path — if the file is moved, the link breaks

Editing and Removing Hyperlinks

• Edit a hyperlink: Right-click the hyperlink text → Edit Hyperlink… — or — select it → Ctrl+K
• Remove a hyperlink (keep text): Right-click → Remove Hyperlink — the text remains but the link is deleted
• Remove all hyperlinks in the document: Press Ctrl+A to select all → Ctrl+Shift+F9 — this unlinks all fields including hyperlinks, converting them to plain text
• Follow a hyperlink (click it): Ctrl+Click the hyperlink. (In some configurations, a single click suffices — check File → Options → Advanced → "Use Ctrl+Click to follow hyperlink")

Changing Hyperlink Appearance (Colour, Underline)

Hyperlinks use the Hyperlink character style (blue, underlined by default) and the Followed Hyperlink style (typically purple after being clicked). To change their appearance document-wide:

1. Home → Styles → open the Styles Pane (Dialog Launcher ↗)
2. Find Hyperlink in the list → right-click → Modify…
3. Change the font colour, underline style, or any other attribute → OK
4. All hyperlinks in the document update simultaneously

Bookmarks — Creating Jump Targets

Bookmarks mark a specific location in the document that can be linked to, navigated to via Go To, or referenced by cross-references.

1. Place the cursor at (or select) the text to bookmark
2. Insert → Links group → Bookmark
3. Type a bookmark name — must start with a letter, no spaces (use underscores: e.g., Section_3_Results)
4. Click Add
5. A hidden bookmark marker is inserted (visible only when Show/Hide ¶ is on — shown as grey brackets)
6. To navigate to a bookmark: Ctrl+G → Go To tab → Bookmark → select the bookmark name → Go To

Keyboard Shortcuts for Hyperlinks

17.4 The Equation Editor

The Equation Editor provides professional mathematical typesetting — the ability to write equations, formulas, and mathematical notation correctly formatted, with proper superscripts, fractions, integrals, sigma notation, matrices, and hundreds of mathematical symbols.

Inserting an Equation

• Method 1 (Ribbon): Insert → Symbols group → Equation (the π icon) — or click the dropdown ▾ for built-in equations
• Method 2 (Keyboard): Press Alt+= — the fastest method; instantly inserts an equation field at the cursor position

When an equation is active, the Equation contextual tab appears in the Ribbon.

Built-In Equation Gallery

Word includes a gallery of commonly used equations ready to insert:

• Insert → Equation dropdown ▾ → gallery of built-in equations:

The Equation Tab — Structure Palette

When an equation is active, the Equation tab provides structured building blocks:

Typing Equations with Unicode Math (Linear Format)

Word supports a powerful shorthand for typing complex equations in plain text that automatically convert to formatted notation:

Equation Display Modes

• Display mode — equation sits on its own centred line, separate from the surrounding text — best for important standalone equations
• Inline mode — equation flows within the paragraph text — best for simple expressions within a sentence
• Toggle between modes: click the equation → click the dropdown arrow ▾ on the right side of the equation field → Change to Display or Change to Inline

Numbering Equations

1. Insert the equation in Display mode
2. Press Tab after the equation to jump to the right edge of the line
3. Type the equation number in parentheses: e.g., (1) or (3.2)
4. The equation number aligns to the right margin using the pre-set right tab stop in the equation field

Saving an Equation to the Gallery

1. Select the completed equation
2. Equation tab → Tools group → Equation dropdown → Save Selection to Equation Gallery…
3. Name it and click OK — it appears in the Equation gallery for future use

17.5 Symbols & Special Characters

The Symbol dialog provides access to every character in every font installed on your system — thousands of characters including currency signs, legal marks, mathematical symbols, arrows, geometric shapes, diacritics, and characters from non-Latin alphabets.

Inserting a Symbol

1. Position the cursor where the symbol should appear
2. Insert → Symbols group → Symbol
3. A small gallery of recently used symbols appears — click any to insert immediately
4. Click More Symbols… at the bottom for the full Symbol dialog

The Symbol Dialog — Full Reference

1. In the Symbol dialog, the Font dropdown selects which font's character set to browse:
   • (normal text) — the standard characters in your current font, including extended Latin characters
   • Symbol — the classic Symbol font (mathematical symbols, Greek letters)
   • Wingdings / Wingdings 2 / Wingdings 3 — decorative symbols, checkmarks, arrows, pointing hands
   • Webdings — web-oriented symbols
   • Segoe UI Emoji — emoji characters
   • Any other installed font — each has its own extended character set
2. The Subset dropdown filters by character type: Basic Latin, Latin Extended, General Punctuation, Currency Symbols, Arrows, Mathematical Operators, Enclosed Alphanumerics, etc.
3. Click a symbol in the grid to see its name and character code at the bottom of the dialog
4. Click Insert to insert it (the dialog stays open for inserting multiple symbols)
5. Click Close when done

The Special Characters Tab

The Special Characters tab in the Symbol dialog lists the most frequently needed typographic and formatting characters — each with its keyboard shortcut:

Commonly Needed Symbols — Quick Reference

Assigning a Keyboard Shortcut to a Symbol

1. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols → select the symbol
2. Click Shortcut Key…
3. In the Customize Keyboard dialog, press your desired key combination in the "Press new shortcut key" field (e.g., Ctrl+Shift+D for a degree sign)
4. Click Assign → Close
5. The shortcut now inserts that symbol from anywhere in any document

AutoCorrect as a Symbol Shortcut

1. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols → select the symbol → click AutoCorrect…
2. In the Replace field, type a memorable shortcut (e.g., :check: for a checkmark, ::deg:: for a degree sign)
3. Click Add → OK → Close
4. Now typing ::deg:: + Space automatically inserts the degree symbol

17.6 Date & Time — Static and Auto-Updating

Date and time can be inserted as a field — either a static date (frozen at insertion time) or an auto-updating date that refreshes to the current date every time the document is opened or printed.

Inserting a Date or Time

1. Insert → Text group → Date & Time
2. Choose a format from the list (e.g., "15 January 2025", "2025-01-15", "15 Jan 25")
3. Set the language to control date format conventions (day/month vs month/day ordering, abbreviated month names)
4. Tick "Update automatically" if you want the date to refresh whenever the document is opened — or leave unticked for a fixed date
5. Click OK

Updating a Date Field

• Right-click the date → Update Field — or — click the date → press F9
• All date fields update when you print if "Update fields before printing" is enabled (File → Options → Display)

17.7 Quick Parts & Building Blocks

Quick Parts are reusable content blocks — text, formatted paragraphs, tables, or entire page layouts — stored in Word's Building Blocks gallery for instant insertion into any document.

Types of Quick Parts

Creating a Quick Part (AutoText)

1. Select the text or content you want to save as a reusable block
2. Insert → Text group → Quick Parts → Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery…
3. In the Create New Building Block dialog:
   • Name — the quick-access name (also the AutoText trigger — type this name then press F3 to insert)
   • Gallery — Quick Parts / AutoText / Cover Pages / etc.
   • Category — organise related blocks together
   • Save in — Building Blocks.dotx (available in all documents) or Normal.dotm or a custom template
   • Options — Insert content only / Insert content in its own paragraph / Insert content in its own page
4. Click OK

Inserting a Quick Part

• From gallery: Insert → Quick Parts → click the saved block in the gallery
• AutoText trigger: Type the first few characters of the Quick Part name → press F3 — the full block inserts instantly
• Building Block Organiser: Insert → Quick Parts → Building Blocks Organiser → find and insert any block from any gallery

17.8 Quick Self-Check

Q1: Your manager has reviewed a 30-page policy document and added 22 comments. After you address each issue in the text, what is the correct workflow for cleaning up the document before distributing the final version to staff?

✓ As you address each comment, mark it as resolved (hover → three-dot menu → Resolve thread) to acknowledge it without deleting it yet. Once all comments are addressed: Review → Comments → Delete dropdown → "Delete All Resolved Comments". Then run File → Info → Check for Issues → Inspect Document → tick Comments → Inspect → Remove All — this catches any remaining comments. Finally save and distribute. Never distribute with comments visible unless the recipients need to see the review trail.

Q2: You want to create a hyperlink on the text "Contact our support team" that opens a pre-addressed email to support@skailit.com with the subject line "Technical Support Request". Describe exactly how to set this up.

✓ Select "Contact our support team" → Ctrl+K → in the Insert Hyperlink dialog → left panel: E-mail Address → E-mail address field: support@skailit.com → Subject field: Technical Support Request → Text to display: "Contact our support team" (already populated from your selection) → OK. Clicking the link opens the user's default email client with the address and subject pre-filled, ready to send.

Q3: You need to write the quadratic formula in a report: x = (−b ± √(b²−4ac)) / 2a. How do you insert this as a properly typeset equation in Word without using the built-in gallery?

✓ Press Alt+= to insert an equation field. In the equation field, type the linear format: x=(-b±\sqrt(b^2-4ac))/(2a) — press Space after each component to convert. Or use the Equation tab → Fraction structure for (−b ± √(b²−4ac)) over 2a. Click the Radical button for the square root, the Script button for the superscript 2. Alternatively: Insert → Equation dropdown → select the built-in "Quadratic Formula" from the gallery — it inserts already formatted, then click on placeholder boxes to fill in your variables.

Q4: The range "pages 12–45" in your document uses a regular hyphen (12-45) instead of a typographically correct en dash (12–45). How do you insert the correct en dash, and what keyboard shortcut creates it?

✓ Delete the hyphen → press Ctrl+- (the minus key on the numeric keypad, NOT the main keyboard hyphen). This inserts an en dash. Alternatively: Insert → Symbol → More Symbols → Special Characters tab → En Dash → Insert. Note: the AutoCorrect "Hyphens with dashes" option in AutoFormat As You Type can auto-convert " -- " to an en dash as you type — but you must type a space before and after the double hyphen for this to trigger.

Q5: You frequently type the text "Skailit Learning Solutions (Pty) Ltd, Reg. No: 2022/045678/07, VAT No: 4560123456" in documents. How would you make this available to insert with just a few keystrokes in any future Word document?

✓ Two methods: (1) AutoCorrect shortcut: File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options → AutoCorrect tab → Replace: skailit → With: "Skailit Learning Solutions (Pty) Ltd, Reg. No: 2022/045678/07, VAT No: 4560123456" → Add → OK. Typing "skailit" + Space auto-expands it. (2) Quick Part/AutoText: type and select the full text → Insert → Quick Parts → Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery → Name: "skailit" → Save in: Building Blocks.dotx → OK. Now typing "skailit" + F3 inserts the full text block with any preserved formatting.

Q6: What is the typographic difference between an Em Dash (—), En Dash (–), and a regular hyphen (-), and when should each be used?

✓ Hyphen (-): the shortest. Used to join compound words (well-known, mother-in-law), to break words at line ends, and in phone number formatting. En Dash (–): medium. Used for ranges (pages 12–45, 2020–2025, Monday–Friday, Cape Town–Johannesburg) and to show a connection between two equal things. Em Dash (—): longest. Used as a strong parenthetical separator — like this — or to introduce an explanation or dramatic pause. In formal South African business writing, an em dash is often used with no spaces on either side; in some editorial styles, it is spaced (text — more text).

✓ Module 17 Complete — You Have Learned:

• Inserting comments — four methods including Ctrl+Alt+M; comment appearance in Word 2024 (threaded, colour-coded)
• Viewing comments — Show Markup, Show Comments pane, Reviewing Pane, Previous/Next navigation
• Replying to comments — threaded conversation within the document
• Resolving comments — Resolve thread, Reopen thread, visual greyed-out state
• Deleting comments — single comment, Delete All, Delete All Resolved; printing without comments; Document Inspector to remove
• The five-step professional document review workflow
• Hyperlinks — the Insert Hyperlink dialog with all four link types
• Type 1 — URL hyperlinks; Text to display, ScreenTip, AutoLink behaviour
• Type 2 — Email address hyperlinks with pre-filled subject line
• Type 3 — Place in This Document (bookmarks and headings navigation)
• Type 4 — Create New Document / link to another file
• Editing, removing, and following hyperlinks; removing all hyperlinks (Ctrl+Shift+F9)
• Changing hyperlink colour document-wide via the Hyperlink character style
• Bookmarks — creating with Insert → Bookmark, naming rules, navigating via Ctrl+G
• Hyperlink keyboard shortcuts — Ctrl+K, Ctrl+Click, Ctrl+Shift+F9, Alt+←
• The Equation Editor — inserting via Alt+= and via Insert → Equation
• Built-in equation gallery (7 equations) and the full Equation tab structure palette (12 structure types)
• Linear format (Unicode Math) typing shortcuts — x^2, a/b, \sqrt, \int, \sum, \alpha, \pi, \infty, \pm
• Display mode vs Inline mode; numbering equations; saving to gallery
• Symbol dialog — Font and Subset navigation; inserting multiple symbols; the Special Characters tab
• 10 Special Characters with keyboard shortcuts — Em Dash, En Dash, Non-breaking Space, Non-breaking Hyphen, Optional Hyphen, Copyright, Registered, Trademark, Ellipsis, Smart Quotes
• Commonly needed symbols quick reference table (degree, ±, ≈, ≠, arrows, ✓, §, ¶, €, fractions)
• Assigning keyboard shortcuts to symbols; using AutoCorrect as symbol shortcuts
• Date & Time — static vs auto-updating; updating with F9; best practice guidance
• Quick Parts & Building Blocks — four types, creating AutoText/Quick Parts, F3 trigger, Building Block Organiser