Kalley
ENG 156

Creating and Formatting Tables
 
  Once again I turn to a large file with screenshots to explain how to create and format tables into a document. Again I’d recommend saving as opposed to printing—this will keep you from eating up all your ink for ENG 156.

To create a simple table in Word, first click on table from the menu at the top.
  ""
 
 
  1. Select Insert, then Table. You will reveal the Insert Table tool. Click OK.


    ""


  2. You will then have a grid in your document: 5 columns by 2 rows.

    Screen capture of table with five columns and two rows.

    Show me how to do this.

  3. You can type in the table boxes, called cells. For instance, click in the top left box. Type in MOVIES. In the cell to the right, type in NEW YORK, next cell BOSTON, next cell ATLANTA, last cell TOTAL.

    For the informational report, you can then type in the names of the movies under that heading and the figures for each city. To make more rows, go back to Table, choose insert, and choose Rows below or Rows above. Or place your cursor in bottom right cell, and tab. This will add a new row for you. You can repeat the process for new rows.

    You can even have the table do the math for you. Select Table again; double click if you need to. One choice from the list should be Formula. If you know how to create simple formulas in Excel, you can do the same in Word. In fact, if you have figures already entered, the formula defaults to what Word thinks is correct.

    " "

  4. Once you have the title and the figures entered and formatted according to the FAQs in the course notes, you are ready to format the table to remove gridlines, add boxes, or whatever you need to do.

  5. Roll the cursor across the top left corner to reveal a small square with crossed arrows.
    Note: For the following illustrations, I am using a blank table.
    " "

    RIGHT CLICK. This will reveal the formatting options.

    " "

  6. Choose Table Autoformat. If you cannot make the options reveal with the right-click, click on Table in the menu to reveal the options from the menu.

    " "

  7. Scroll through Table Styles until you find a Preview with minimal gridlines. I might suggest Table Simple 1 or Table Classic 1 (depending on the version of Word), but choose one that conforms to the FAQs in the course notes. Once you are pleased with your choice, click Apply to format the table in your report.

    the table autoformat dialog box

    Show me how to do this.

  8. But you are not finished. You still need to title and number the table. Since you have only one table in this document, logically you will use Table 1: A Title of Your Choosing. REFER TO THE COURSE NOTES—SEE FAQs ON TABLES.

  9. Still not finished. You need to indicate the source from which you copied or modified the table. AT THIS POINT, YOU WILL NEED TO REFER TO THE COURSE NOTES—SEE “ACKNOWLEDGING THE SOURCE OF YOUR VISUALS.