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Word 2019: Working with Tables
A table is made up of rows and columns. The intersection of a row and column is called a cell.
Tables are often used to organize and present information, but they have a variety of uses as well.
You can use tables to align numbers and create interesting page layouts.
Creating a Table
1) Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon
2) Click on Table
3) Highlight the number of columns and rows you’d like OR
4) Click Insert Table
5) Click the arrows to select the desired number of columns
6) Click the arrows to select the desired number of rows
7) Click OK
Navigating in a Table
Please see below to learn how to move around within a table.
Action
Description
Tab key
To move from one cell in the table to another.
When you reach the last cell in a table,
pressing the Tab key will create a new row.
Shift +Tab keys
To move one cell backward in a table.
Arrow keys
Allow you to move left, right, up and down.
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Selecting All or Part of a Table
There are times you want to select a single cell, an entire row or column, multiple rows or columns,
or an entire table.
Selecting an Individual Cell:
To select an individual cell, move the mouse to the left side of the cell until you see it turn into a
black arrow that points up and to the right. Click in the cell at that point to select it.
Selecting Rows and Columns:
To select a row in a table, move the cursor to the left of the row until it turns into a white arrow
pointing up and to the right, as shown below. To select multiple rows this way, drag the mouse
down over the other rows once you’ve selected one row.
To select a column, move the mouse over the column until you see a black down arrow and then
click to select that column. To select multiple columns, hold the mouse down when you click in the
first column to be selected using the black arrow cursor and drag over the other columns to select
them.
Selecting an Entire Table:
To select an entire table, move your mouse over the table until you see the table selection icon in
the upper-left corner of the table and click on it to select the table.
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When working within a table, the Table Tools tab appears in the Ribbon, and includes the Design
and Layout tabs.
To Insert a Row:
1) Position the cursor in the table where you would like to insert a row
2) Select the Layout tab under Table Tools
3) Click either the Insert Above or Insert Below row buttons in the Rows & Columns group
To Insert a Column:
1) Position the cursor in the table where you would like to insert a column
2) Select the Layout tab under Table Tools
3) Click either the Insert Left or Insert Right column buttons in the Rows & Columns group
To Delete Columns or Rows:
1) Position your cursor in the row or column you would like to delete
2) Select the Layout tab under Table Tools
3) Click the Delete button in the Rows & Column group
4) Select either Delete Columns or Delete Rows
Formatting a Table
Adding a Table Style:
1) Position your cursor in the table
2) Click the Design tab under Table Tools
3) Choose a style from the Table Styles group
To Shade the Cells/Table:
1) Position your cursor in the table, column or row
2) Click the Design tab under Table Tools
3) Click the Shading button in the Table Styles group
4) Choose a color
To Add a Border to Cells/Table:
1) Position your cursor in the table, column or row
2) Click the Design tab under Table Tools
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3) Click the arrow on the Borders button in the Borders group
4) Choose a border
To Merge Cells in a Table:
1) Select the cells that you would like to merge in the table
2) Click on the Layout tab under Table Tools
3) Click the Merge Cells button in the Merge group
Sorting Data in a Table
You can easily sort data in a table in either ascending or descending order.
To Sort Data in a Table:
1) Position your cursor in the table
2) Select the Layout tab under Table Tools
3) Click the Sort button in the Data group
4) Select the field to sort by
5) Select the order (ascending, descending)
6) Choose if your table has a header row (in the example below, the table has a header row)
Name
Hours Worked
Mike
10
Ann
16
Steve
25
Michele
50
7) Click OK
Repeat a Table Heading on Subsequent Pages
When you work with a very long table, it will be divided into several pages. You can make
adjustments to the table so that the table headings appear on each page. Repeated table headings
are visible only in Print Layout view or when you print the document.
1) Select the Layout tab under Table Tools
2) Click Repeat Header Rows in the Data group OR
3) In the table, right-click the row that you want to repeat, and then click Table Properties
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4) In the Table Properties dialog box, on the Row tab, select the Repeat as header row at
the top of each page.
5) Click OK
Split a Table
Once you have a table in Word, you might decide to split that table into two or more tables. This
way, you can create smaller tables, or add text in between two tables.
1) Put your cursor on the row that you want as the first row of your second table. In the example
table, it’s on the third row.
2) Select the Layout tab under Table Tools
3) Click Split Table in the Merge group
The table splits into two tables.
