By default, Word does not have such a key combination that would allow you to select the entire sentence. However, you can create keyboard shortcuts for some of the hidden commands that exist in Word. With their help, you can select entire sentences at once and move through the document from one sentence to another.
To add this keyboard shortcut, right-click on the Ribbon and select Customize the Ribbon (Setting the Ribbon).
A tab will open Customize Ribbon (Customize Ribbon) dialog box Word Options (Word Options). Click the button Customize (Customize), which is located immediately below the list of commands to the right of the inscription Keyboard shortcuts (Keyboard shortcuts).
A dialog box will open Customize Keyboard (Keyboard setting). In our example, we will set up a keyboard shortcut that allows you to select entire sentences (or part), starting from the current cursor position and up to the beginning of the next sentence.
Выберите All Commands (All commands) from the list Categories (Categories). Listed Commands (Commands) click on SentRightExtend. Place the cursor in the field Press new shortcut key (New keyboard shortcut) and press the shortcut you would like to use. We will press Alt+Shift+Right Arrowto bind the selected keyboard shortcut to the action. Click Assign (Assign).
Note: You may see that the selected keyboard shortcut is already assigned to another command. If so, then this command will be indicated in the line Currently assigned to (Current Destination) below the field Current keys (Current combinations). In our case, the selected combination is already assigned to the command OutlineDemote. If you do not often use the assigned action, you can replace it with the command SentRightExtend.
The keyboard shortcut will appear in the field Current keys (Current combinations). Click Fermer (Close) to close the dialog box Customize Keyboard (Keyboard setting).
We are back to the dialog Word Options (Word Options). Click OKto close it too.
Now you can select the entire sentence (or part) to the right of the cursor position by simply pressing the combination Alt+Shift+Right Arrow. To add keyboard shortcuts for highlighting a sentence to the left of the cursor position and for moving through the document’s sentences in both directions, follow all the steps described earlier, selecting the appropriate commands and assigning a shortcut to each. The keyboard shortcuts shown in the following table are the options we offer. You can also customize your own.
| Action | Team | keys |
|---|---|---|
| Move the cursor to the beginning of the previous sentence | SentLeft | Alt+Left Arrow |
| Move the cursor to the beginning of the next sentence | SentRight | Alt+Right Arrow |
| Extend selection to the beginning of the previous sentence | SentLeftExtend | Shift+Alt+Left Arrow |
| Extend selection to the beginning of the next sentence | SentRightExtend | Shift+Alt+Right Arrow |
How to highlight words, sentences and entire paragraphs?
There is another way to select text fragments in Word – using the key F8:
- Pressing F8 once, you turn on advanced mode.
- Pressing F8 a second time highlights the current word.
- When you press F8 a third time, the current sentence is highlighted.
- Press F8 a fourth time, and the current paragraph is highlighted.
- The fifth press will select the entire document.
Note: Please note that the key F8 expands the selection of text when you move the cursor around the document.
Translator’s Note: To disable advanced mode, just press the key Esc.