I have a long Word document I want to reformat. It has a lot of short lines that I want to make longer.?

Question

I know I can do that by deleting those things that look like backward Ps but there's a whole lot of them. Is there any way to mass-delete them like the way you can change words by using the find/ replace thingy.

Answer 1

Go to the Find/Replace search box (Alt-E, for the edit tab; F, to Find).
When the box opens look for a row of buttons. One says "More", another "Find Next", and another "Cancel". Click on More.
When the list of Search Options opens, look for some more buttons: "Format" and "Special". Click on Special.

Of course you won't want to kill all of those symbols, then your document would be a single mass as the sentences are all lumped into one paragraph. You might use this to, as you indicated, move from paragraph, or as we used to say carriage return, which is a different character (looks like a bent arrow).

What I would do first, is format your paragraphs for the purpose that you put those little returns on. That is where you put the extra space above or below your paragraph. The paragraph format supplied, then it is just an up-arrow or down-arrow move to the next line before or after, then a press of the delete button and they (the empty lines) are gone.

If you define your paragraph as a style, highlight ranges of your text and then apply that style, those empty lines will stand out like a deer in the headlights. Simply arrow down on your cursor and press delete when you get to one of them.

Answer 2

This is often called retracing items. It might be reformatting.
I think it could be rephrasing. The stunt here is to use sense.
You have to know your own style but you can in general go to
the plan b of writing. Make up a phrase such as in according
reports, to place as a connection. Say for example 10 words
to 10 words of data,phrase one in according reports, phrase 2
you have made a directive. This is okay and you will reread it
4 times over to watch for specific application. Other phrases,
in alignment with, dividing accords within, sensing new
compliances. Write your 20 various phrases onto a sheet,
keep the list handy,
try match them with your writing style.
http://www.goodessays.com

Answer 3

Depending on your version of Word, this should work..

Highlight one of the paragraph marks (Backwards P's), press Ctrl C to copy it, then paste it into the "Find" box. Leave the "Replace with" box empty. Press "Replace All"

Bert

Answer 4

Did you reset the margins on the page? If the margins are too narrow then the document sets the lines to be shorter.