Mouse and keyboard basics
Point, click, double-click and right-click, use a touchpad, and learn the special keys and shortcuts.
Point, click and type: how to use a mouse and a keyboard.
Using a mouse
On a laptop or desktop, the mouse is how you point at things on the screen. Move the mouse on the table, and the arrow on the screen, called the pointer, moves with it. A click means pressing the left button once. It selects things and presses buttons on the screen. A double click is two quick clicks. It opens files and folders. A right click, with the right button, shows a menu of extra options. Many laptops have a touchpad instead of a mouse. It's the flat square below the keyboard. Slide one finger on it to move the pointer, and tap or press down to click. Tapping with two fingers usually works as a right click. Now the keyboard. Most of it is letters and numbers, but a few special keys are worth knowing. Hold Shift and press a letter to type a capital letter. Shift with a number key types the symbol shown above the number. The long space bar puts a space between words. Enter starts a new line. In a search box or a chat, it sends what you typed. Backspace deletes the letter to the left of the cursor. Delete removes the one to the right. Caps Lock turns on capital letters until you press it again. Typing in all capitals can look like shouting, so use it carefully.
Handy shortcuts
Shortcuts are key combinations that do jobs quickly. Hold the Control key, written C T R L, and press a letter. Control C copies what you've selected. Control V pastes it somewhere else. Control Z undoes your last action. It's a lifesaver. And Control S saves your work. On Apple computers, use the Command key instead of Control.
Quick check
Quick check. Which key do you hold to type one capital letter? Shift. Hold it down while you press the letter. Options: Enter; Shift; Space bar; Backspace.
Recap
Click to select, and double click to open. Right click for more options. A touchpad works just like a mouse. Shift makes capitals, Enter starts a new line, and Backspace deletes. And remember: Control C to copy, Control V to paste, and Control Z to undo.
Key points
- Click to select, double-click to open, and right-click for more options. A touchpad does the same jobs as a mouse.
- Shift makes a capital letter, Enter starts a new line or sends, and Backspace deletes to the left.
- Caps Lock types ALL CAPITALS until you turn it off.
- Shortcuts: Ctrl + C copy, Ctrl + V paste, Ctrl + Z undo, Ctrl + S save. On a Mac, use Command.
Try it: Mouse and keyboard practice
Complete each task. On a phone, a tap counts as a click and a long-press counts as a right-click.