Using Read & Write
textHelp
to
Edit and Proofread
your assignments
Disability Support Service
February 2013
1. Spell checking with Read&Write textHelp _________________________________________ 3
2. Spell checking with MS Word ___________________________________________________ 4
3. Checking for similar sounding words and easily confused words _______________________ 5
4. Reading text _________________________________________________________________ 7
5. Comments and tracked changes in MS Word _______________________________________ 8
6. Formatting in MS Word ________________________________________________________ 9
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1. Spell checking with Read&Write textHelp
1. Open your assignment in MS Word. Launch the Read&Write Texthelp toolbar.
2. Click on the
‘Spell Check’ button on the toolbar. You will see the Spelling Helper
window displayed with the first misspelt word in your document highlighted in red.
Note: Ensure the check box for ‘Move to next error after solving this one’ is selected.
3. Use the following buttons to correct your spellings:
a. Change – select a word from the Word list box and click this button to change the
misspelt word to the selected word.
b. Change all – select a word from the Word list box and click this button to change all
instances of the misspelt word in your document.
c. Add custom – click on this to add the selected word to your Custom Spelling
Dictionary.
d. Auto Correct – select a word from the Word list box and click this button to add the
misspelt word to the auto correct file. In future your mis-spelt word will be
automatically corrected.
e. Ignore – click this button to ignore the misspelt word.
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2. Spell checking with MS Word
1. Click the ‘Review’ tab and go to the ‘Proofing’ group. Click ‘Spelling & Grammar’
.
2. The ‘Spelling and Grammar’ dialog box appears, with the first suggested correction
highlighted.
3. Use the following buttons to correct your spelling and grammar:
a. Ignore Once – Ignore this word once, but check it again
b. Ignore All – Ignore this word throughout the document
c. Ignore Rule – Ignore this rule throughout the document
d. Next Sentence – Check the next sentence
e. Add to Dictionary – Include this word in the dictionary
f.
Change – Use the suggested word in the Suggestions pane
g. Explain – See an explanation for the suggested change
h. Change all – Use the suggested word to change all instances of this word
i.
AutoCorrect – Use the first suggested word each time you click AutoCorrect
j.
Undo – Undo the change. Continue clicking for previous corrections.
k. Options – The ‘Options’ dialog box appears. Select how the programme corrects
spelling and grammar for all documents.
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3. Checking for similar sounding words and easily confused words
1. Click on the
button on the toolbar. You will see the Same Sounding Words window
displayed. The homophones and confusable words in your text are highlighted in blue.
Note: Ensure the check box for ‘Move to next homophone after this check’ is selected.
2. In this example, you decide the word ‘Affect’ is the correct word. Click on the Ignore button.
3. With the next word displayed in the Homophones list box, read the definition in the Word
meaning list box. To hear it read aloud, click on the definition and then click on the
button on the toolbar.
4. Select ‘Summary’ from the Homophones list box.
5. Click on the Replace button.
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6. The Same Sounding Words window moves on to the next homophone or confusable word,
which is ‘the’.
7. Click on the Always Ignore button if you want to ensure that the word ‘the’ will no longer be
identified as a homophone.
Note: You can reset the always ignore list if you have added a word that should be identified
as a homophone.
8. To reset the always ignore list, click the Options button if the Same Sounding Words window
is open or click the drop down arrow beside the
button on the toolbar and select ‘Edit
Homophones’.
9. Click on the Reset ignore list button and check the check box beside the word you want to
remove from the list.
10. Click the OK button.
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4. Reading text
1. Click on the
drop down list on the toolbar and ensure ‘Read by sentence’ and
‘Automatically read next block of text’ are both selected.
a. When using ‘Read by sentence’ the
button and
button will fast forward and
rewind by a sentence.
b. ‘Automatically read next block of text’ allows for continuous reading of document.
2. Place the cursor before the text in your document. Click on the
to have that text read aloud. Click on the
button on the toolbar
button to stop the system from reading the
text.
3. Click on
drop down list on the toolbar and select ‘Speech Options’. You will see the
Speech tab of the Speech Options window
4. Select your preferred voice from the ‘Select a voice’ drop down list.
5. Drag and drop the track bars to your preferred settings:
Note: complex documents should be read at a slower speed such as 40%
6. Click on the ‘Test voice’ button to hear your new settings.
7. Click on the ‘OK’ button.
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5. Comments and tracked changes in MS Word
To remove tracked changes and comments from your document you need to accept or reject the
changes and delete the comments.
1. Click on the ‘Review’ tab.
2. Under the ‘Review’ tab in the ‘Changes’ group, click ‘Next’ or ‘Previous’.
3. Do one of the following:
a. In the ‘Changes’ group, click ‘Accept’
b. In the ‘Changes’ group, click ‘Reject’
c. In the ‘Comments’ group, click ‘Delete’
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all the tracked changes in the document have been accepted or
rejected and all the comments have been deleted.
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6. Formatting in MS Word
When submitting academic assignments you may be asked to format the document in 1 and a half
line spacing.
1. Under the ‘Home’ tab in the ‘Editing’ group, click ‘Select’.
2. Click ‘Select All’.
3. With all the text in your document selected, click the arrow in the ‘Paragraph’ group to
show the ‘Paragraph dialog box’
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4. Under the ‘Spacing’ section, click the drop down for ‘Line spacing’ and select ‘1.5 lines’.
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