Quick Links
Selecting text is a common thing to do on a computer.
Just click and drag your mouse to highlight the desired text.
Couldn’t be simpler, right?
There’s actually a much better way of doing this, and you’ll never go back.
The text is highlighted letter by letter, as shown below.
This works fine, but there’s one problem—and you’ve probably noticed it.
You might not have the cursor in the exact right spot to start or you miss the last letter.
It can be annoying.
Why is this method “wrong”?
Think about the times when you’ve highlighted text.
Are you trying to highlight full words or only parts of words?
I’m willing to bet that, most of the time, you’re aiming for full words.
So let’s make that easier.
Related:Why Is a Computer Mouse Called a Mouse?
The Better Method
Prepare to have your mind blown.
This will highlight word by word rather than letter by letter, which is much more efficient.
Check it out below.
Punctuation marks are highlighted independently from the words.
This method makes a lot more sense for most situations.
You don’t have to worry about dragging to the exact right spot.
The best part is this isn’t an exclusive trick for any specific platform.
It works on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chromebooks.
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered too.
There arekeyboard shortcuts for selecting textboth by letter and by word.
To select by word, place the cursor at the starting point or double-pick the first word.
Now hold Shift + Ctrl and press the Left or Right arrow keys.
Little tricks like this can make a world of difference.
You may have never even considered there was another way to highlight text.
The buttons on amouseare a lot more versatile than we realize.
