By the end of this lesson you will be able to
- select one cell, a range, a whole row or a whole column
- type text, numbers and dates into cells, and tell them apart on the sheet
- change, replace and clear what a cell holds, and undo a mistake
- make a heading bold and show numbers as rupees, percentages or dates
In each exercise the cells you may change are tinted pale yellow; the rest of the sheet is locked, so you cannot spoil the data by accident. Do the task, then press Check my answer. The checker looks at the sheet and tells you what is still wrong. Show the expected result reveals a picture of the finished sheet, and Show solution (available after your first check) gives one correct answer. Reset sheet starts the exercise again.
Selecting cells
Before you can do anything to a cell, you select it. Click a cell to make it the active cell. To select a range, drag across it, or click the first cell and then hold Shift while you click the last. Click a column letter to select the whole column, or a row number to select the whole row. You can also type an address in the Name Box (the small box at the top left) and press Enter: try B2:C5.
Below is a term's marks. Select the marks in column B and look at the bar under the sheet: it shows the Average, the Count and the Sum of whatever is selected, without you writing a single formula. Real spreadsheets have the same bar.
The arrow keys move one cell; Tab moves right and Enter moves down (with Shift, the other way). Ctrl + arrow jumps to the edge of a block of data, which is a great time-saver on a long list. Ctrl + A selects the whole sheet.
Typing into a cell
Select a cell and simply start typing, then press Enter to finish (the selection moves down, ready for the next entry) or Tab (it moves right). The text appears both in the cell and in the formula bar. If you change your mind, press Esc and the cell stays as it was.
A spreadsheet decides what you typed, and the result shows on the sheet:
| You type | The sheet treats it as | How it looks |
|---|---|---|
Masala Tea | Text | Lined up on the left |
250 or 12.5 | A number | Lined up on the right |
14/03/2025 | A date | On the right, because a date is really a number (Module 7 explains). Here the day comes first; a computer set up for the United States expects the month first |
15% | A number: 0.15, shown as a percentage | On the right, with the % sign |
=5+3 | A formula | Shows the answer, 8 |
This matters more than it seems. The sheet can only add up numbers. If a number is stored as text, it looks the same but it is ignored by totals. The quick test is where it sits in the cell: numbers on the right, text on the left. Type the entries from the table into the practice sheet below, one to each cell, and watch how each one is lined up.
Changing and clearing
- Replace a cell's contents: select it and type. The new entry replaces the old one completely.
- Edit part of a cell's contents: select it and press F2 (or double-click it, or click in the formula bar). Now the arrow keys move inside the text. Press Enter to keep the change.
- Clear a cell or range: select it and press Delete.
- Undo the last change: Ctrl + Z or the ↶ button. Redo is Ctrl + Y. Undo is your safety net: use it freely.
Making it look right
Formatting changes how a cell looks, never what it holds. Select the cells first, then use the toolbar above the sheet:
- B makes the selection bold (Ctrl + B). Headings are usually bold.
- The number format list shows a number as rupees (Rs. 1,250.00), as a percentage, as a date, and so on. The number underneath is unchanged: 0.15 is still 0.15 when shown as 15%.
- .0← and .00→ take away or add one decimal place.
Try it on the invoices below: make the amounts show as rupees, and the dates as long dates. Then click one of the cells and look in the formula bar: the real number is still there.
In a real spreadsheet, a number that does not fit its column is shown as ########. Widen the column (drag the edge of its letter) and the number returns. The number was never damaged; it just had no room to show.
Exercises
Now it is your turn. Each task tells you exactly what to type, so that the checker can compare your sheet with the model answer. Type carefully: the checker is case-sensitive for text, so Total and total are different.
Exercise 1 · Add a row
The list is missing its last line. In A5 type the word Rose Milk and in B5 type the number 7.
Exercise 2 · Change two prices
The prices have gone up. Change the price of Filter Coffee to 22 and of Lemon Soda to 28. Type over the old numbers.
Exercise 3 · Clear a row
Rose Milk is no longer sold. Clear everything in its row: select A5:D5 and press Delete. Do not delete anything else.
Exercise 4 · Rupees and a bold heading
Show the prices in C2:C13 as rupees (use the number format list), and make the headings in A1:D1 bold.
Exercise 5 · Set up a small table
The sheet below is empty. In A1:B3 build this table: Item and Cups in row 1, then Masala Tea and 40 in row 2, then Filter Coffee and 25 in row 3. Make the two headings bold.
Quick check
Four questions to confirm the main ideas. Choose an answer to see the explanation.
1. You type 2500 into a cell and it appears on the left-hand side of the cell. What is the most likely reason?
Numbers line up on the right and text on the left. A number that sits on the left has been stored as text, so it will be ignored by totals. Size and boldness do not change the alignment.
2. You select a cell that shows Rs. 15.00. What does formatting a cell as rupees change?
Formatting changes appearance only. The cell still holds 15; the format just adds “Rs.” and the two decimal places.
3. Which key do you press to change part of what is already in a cell, without retyping it all?
F2 (or a double-click) opens the cell for editing, so the arrow keys move inside its contents. Delete would clear the cell, Ctrl + A selects the whole sheet, and Tab moves to the next cell.
4. What does the range B2:D4 mean?
A colon joins the first and last corner of a block: B2:D4 is 3 columns (B, C, D) by 3 rows (2, 3, 4), which is nine cells.
Summary
- Click to select a cell; drag or Shift+click to select a range; click a letter or number to select a column or row. The bar under the sheet shows the Sum, Count and Average of a selection.
- Type to replace a cell's contents; press Enter or Tab to finish; F2 to edit part of it; Esc to give up; Delete to clear.
- Text lines up on the left, numbers and dates on the right. A number on the left has been stored as text.
- Undo with Ctrl + Z. It is your safety net.
- Formats such as bold, rupees, percentages and dates change how a cell looks, not what it holds.
Found a mistake on this page, or something unclear? Report a problem and mention “Sheets Lesson 1.2”.