Cut and Paste are used to move text from one place to another. In this way you can easily edit text in a document or move text into a completely different document in a different program. This could be a sentence or paragraph in a Word document, it could be something in an e-mail you are typing, or it could be some numbers in a program for doing calculations. Most programs allow you to use Cut and Paste keyboard shortcuts, which are simpler and faster than using the tool bar or pull-down menus.

To Cut and Paste text using keyboard shortcuts:

1. With the flashing text cursor, highlight the text you want to cut.

2. Press the ‘Ctrl’ key (or ‘Command’ key for Mac) and ‘X’ key at the same time. This will cut the text and store it in the computer’s memory until you cut or copy something else.

3. Put the text cursor where you want to paste what you just cut.

4. Press the ‘Ctrl’ key (or ‘Command’ key for Mac) and ‘V’ key at the same time. This will paste the text you cut (which the computer remembered) in its new location.

To Copy and Paste:

Use Copy and Paste when you want to place text from one location into another, without deleting it from the source you’re copying it from.

Follow the instructions for Cut and Paste above, but instead of pressing the ‘Ctrl’ key (or ‘Command’ key for Mac) and ‘X’ key, press ‘Ctrl’ and ‘C'.

The Paste shortcut remains the same as above.

Be aware that the computer will only remember the last item that you cut or copied, so be sure to place that text before you cut or copy more.