Copy and Paste

One of the handiest single things to learn for use with a computer is called Cut and Paste, or Copy and Paste. This allows you to take something which is written in one place and have it repeated exactly as typed at another location, even in another program.

This is good for copying a passage from an email you have received, or from one you've already written, and being able to copy it into another email. You can do it with a word, a phrase, a paragraph, a whole page, a picture.

First, you must have the item in front of you that you want to copy. Then you need to highlight it, so the computer knows the part you want to copy. Then you will tell the computer to copy it. You can then open the program or page where you want to item copied. You position the cursor so the computer knows where to place the item, then you will tell the computer to paste it in.

Step 1: To highlight something written, place your mouse pointer at the start of the first word. In that position, click and hold down the left mouse button. Then, with the button held down, move it along the line of text, or down the paragraph. As you move the mouse, a block of color appears around the words. That is called highlighting. If you go farther than you want, just keep the button held down and move back until only the part you want is highlighted. When you're done highlighting, let go of the mouse button.

Step 2: To tell the computer to save the highlighted portion for copying, go up to the Edit menu at the top of the window. Click on Edit, and from the menu, click on Copy. Nothing will change on the page, but the computer now has made a copy of what you have highlighted and is ready to place it where you want it. You can leave this page or program open, or you can close it at this time, whatever is convenient.

Note: if you want to copy an entire page you won't need to highlight with the mouse. Go to the Edit menu and click on Select All. The entire page is now highlighted. If there is a picture on the page, it is highlighted. To copy this, you would need to proceed to Step 2.

Step 3: Now open the window where you want to copy the item in. This may be a new email message, a new word processing document, or just somewhere else on the same page where you have the original highlighted and copied. Click in the window so the cursor is situation where you want the item to begin.

Step 4: With the cursor situated, go up to the Edit menu at the top of the window. This time, when you click on Edit, choose Paste from the menu. Immediately, the item will appear in the window.