"Bordering" Paragraphs

[mutefan]

I use Word 2000 (which crashes intermittently on VISTA, but that's the
subject for another thread).

I have tried to mark up papers using a variety of WORD tools,
including suggesting a writer delete an entire paragraph. I Select the
paragraph, then go to Borders and Shading. I choose Box, and then
Text.

What happens is that the paragraph IS selected, but the borders
encircle each line of the paragraph.

If I choose Paragraph rather than Text from the drop-down menu,
nothing happens. I mean literally nothing--no border appears at all.

I'd appreciate greatly if someone told me what I'm doing wrong, and if
it's possible to select a paragraph of text and apply a border to it--
and ONLY it.

Thank you.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If you have the entire paragraph selected (including the paragraph mark),
you should be able to apply a border to the entire paragraph. But you should
be able to accomplish the same with the insertion point just in the
paragraph (no text selected). When text is selected, the default is always
going to be Text, which is not what you want.

Is there some reason you're not using Track Changes and Comments instead of
borders and such?

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[mutefan]

Is there some reason you're not using Track Changes and Comments instead of
borders and such?

I grade student papers and email them. I never thought Track Changes
and Comments could be "Saved As." But frankly, even if it can be Saved
As, it doesn't give the options I avail myself of with Drawing
Objects, Arrows, Lines, Text Boxes, etc.

On another topic, Ms. Barnhill, since this is not a WORD 2007
question, could you tell me: My students routinely ignore my demand
they employ MLA-style format. One of the ways they ignore this is by
using what appears the Default template, which, apparently, includes
Points Above and Points Below paragraphs.

I would appreciate any information or links that clearly discuss what
"Points," in the context of Microsoft WORD, exactly are, and why this
Default template (which to my knowledge conforms to NO college-level
prescribed writing style) is 2007's Default choice.

Thank you, as always.

 

[mutefan]

If you have the entire paragraph selected (including the paragraph mark),
you should be able to apply a border to the entire paragraph. But you should
be able to accomplish the same with the insertion point just in the
paragraph (no text selected). When text is selected, the default is always
going to be Text, which is not what you want.

Your suggestion worked. Thank you!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I am not privy to the thoughts of the designers (though these may be
expressed somewhere in the Word Team blog at
http://blogs.msdn.com/microsoft_office_word/default.aspx), but I think the
1.15 line spacing and 10 points Spacing After defaults may have their
origins in (a) a designer's idea of what makes "great looking documents"
(the expressed aim of Word 2007) and (b) using business documents (letters,
reports) as a standard and (c) perhaps some hope of weaning users from
pressing Enter twice at the end of a paragraph in order to get a "blank
line" between paragraphs.

To address the MLA-style issue, you might want to find or create a suitable
MLA-style template and make it available to your students. Also, to address
your markup issue, yes, markup can be saved or copied; see
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/trackchanges/HowTrackChangesWorks.html for
the magic combinations. Any student running a recent version of Word will
see the markup automatically (Word makes it very difficult to avoid). And of
course you can combine Track Changes and Comments with any drawing objects
you're already using for markup.

The advantage to using Track Changes and Comments alone is that it is very
easy for the student to revise a paper as indicated by accepting the
suggested changes and deleting the comments after implementing their
suggestions. That assumes that you want a revised version submitted. If the
marked-up paper is the final version, receiving a final grade, then this is
not an issue.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

Is there some reason you're not using Track Changes and Comments instead
of
borders and such?

I grade student papers and email them. I never thought Track Changes
and Comments could be "Saved As." But frankly, even if it can be Saved
As, it doesn't give the options I avail myself of with Drawing
Objects, Arrows, Lines, Text Boxes, etc.

On another topic, Ms. Barnhill, since this is not a WORD 2007
question, could you tell me: My students routinely ignore my demand
they employ MLA-style format. One of the ways they ignore this is by
using what appears the Default template, which, apparently, includes
Points Above and Points Below paragraphs.

I would appreciate any information or links that clearly discuss what
"Points," in the context of Microsoft WORD, exactly are, and why this
Default template (which to my knowledge conforms to NO college-level
prescribed writing style) is 2007's Default choice.

Thank you, as always.