Use the Control key

Hold Control to use a shortcut

Control is usually labelled Ctrl near the bottom of the keyboard. A shortcut combines it with another key. Hold Ctrl, press the other key, then release both.

In a text box, Ctrl+A selects all its text. Ctrl+C copies the selected text to a temporary holding place called the clipboard. Ctrl+V pastes the copied text where you are typing. Copy leaves the source text in place.

Choose the text box first

Click inside the source note before selecting or copying. Click inside the destination note before pasting. The webpage practice uses its own clipboard for these sample words.

Copy text into another note

Follow the instruction popup on the practice desktop. Carry out each action yourself. The guide moves to the next step when you complete the action. On the last step, click Check the result. Afterwards, Try it gives you a fresh desktop to practise independently. Click Check my work when you finish, or use the optional hints underneath.

Follow the popup to select and copy Holiday plans in the source text, then place the typing cursor in the destination and paste. The original words remain in the source.

Copy the sample words

You are going to copy Holiday plans from one text box into another. This fresh practice desktop stays inside the webpage. Try the task independently, using the optional hints underneath if you need help.

Click the writing area of Source.txt in Notes, which contains Holiday plans. Hold Ctrl, press A and release both keys to select its text. Hold Ctrl, press C and release both keys to copy. Click File Explorer’s yellow folder icon on the bottom taskbar, then double-click Paste here.txt in Documents, clicking twice quickly. Click its blank writing area. Hold Ctrl, press V and release both keys. The destination should show Holiday plans, while Source.txt keeps its original words.

Check the idea

You use Copy on selected text, then Paste in another box. What happens to the text in the source box?

It stays there after both actions.

Try this outside the practice desktop

You have practised inside this webpage. If you feel ready, you can repeat the skill in Windows on the same computer, outside the practice desktop. This is optional. The steps below use your actual apps and files, so use only disposable practice items. Files made in the webpage do not appear in Windows File Explorer.

The same sequence works in many apps: choose the source, select, copy, choose the destination and paste.