(This page may load slowly-please be patient)
Do not underestimate how often you will use tables. Most people (including the author) use tables to format their documents all the time. They are wonderful! They allow you to put text exactly where you want it, allowing you to bypass many other formatting techniques. Tables can also be made invisible, so one one needs to know they are even there.
Helpful Hint: The hardest thing about working with tables, is manipulating the mouse correctly, so that you can carry out your desired commands.
1- Click the Insert Table button on the standard toolbar.
2- While holding down the left mouse button, drag the mouse:
down for how many rows you will need
and
across for how many columns you will need.
Helpful Hint: Make a mistake? Use the Back button. 
Helpful Hint: Notice that as you drag your mouse, the bottom will tell you the dimensions of the window, (in this case 3 x 3)
Your table will look something like this: 
(Note: this is a 4x2 table)
Resizing your table is just like resizing clip art. You can hover the cursor over the resize handle (above), click and drag.
Change the column widths and row heights by clicking on the cell dividers. When you do this your cursor will become a double sided arrow. Then simply click and drag to the left or right (or up or down) to change the size of the rows and columns. (See below)
If you are anything like me when you do this, your rows and columns will be uneven. There is a quick remedy for this problem.
1- Place your cursor in the first cell of the table.
2- Then click and drag down and to the left so that all your table cells are highlighted.
4- With the cells highlighted, right-click. On the drop-down menu choose, Distribute Rows Evenly, or Distribute Columns Evenly. Your columns and/or rows will then be nice and even.
1- To add a row to your table, place your cursor in the first cell of one of the rows. 2- Click and drag across the row.
3- When you do this, the Insert Table button , will change to the Insert Row Button. 
Simply click on this button to insert a row.
1- To add a column to your table, place your cursor in the first cell of one of the columns. 2- Click and drag down the column.
3- When you do this, the Insert Table button , will change to the Insert Column Button. 
Simply click on this button to insert a column.
To change the borders of your table, or make them invisible, right-click on the table and choose Borders and Shading from the drop-dowm menu.
The Borders and Shading Dialog Box gives you many options for changing the borders of your table. The commands here are pretty self explanatory. Make sure you click on the Borders tab.
Sometimes you may want to add color to one or more of your cells. For instance, I would like to make my first row blue.
1- To do this, place your cursor in the first cell of the first row. 2- Click and drag across the row.
3- Right-click on the table and choose Borders and Shading from the drop-dowm menu.
4- This time click on the Shading tab. Either choose a color shown, or click More Colors for a larger choice of colors.
5- Click OK when you have chosen a color.
Your table will then look like this:
1- To change the direction of text in your table, highlight the cell or cells you would like to change. 2- Right-click and choose Text Direction.
3- The dialog box here is very self explanatory. Simply choose the desired direction of your text and click OK when you are finished.
Text alignment allows you to choose how the text will look in your table. Highlight the cell or cells you would like to change. Right-click and choose Cell Alignment. Again, the options here are self explanatory. The slide-out menu will show you how the text will look in your cells. Simply click the way you want the text to look.
Lesson 7: Working With Graphics 
Tutorials Index Lesson 9: Spelling and Grammar