Objective 1.3: Manage Document Changes

  • 1.3.1 Track changes.
  • 1.3.2 Manage tracked changes.
  • 1.3.3 Lock or unlock tracking.
  • 1.3.4 Add comments.
  • 1.3.5 Manage comments.

OBJECTIVE 1.3: Contents

1.3.4 Add comments & 1.3.5 Manage comments.

Insert and manage comments

Comments are a tool for reviewing and annotating a document. You can use comments to do the following:

  • Highlight text or other content that needs to be revised or reformatted.
  • Pose a question or seek clarification.
  • Describe decisions to other reviewers of the document.
  • Provide context or instructions for users of the document.

Word marks each comment that’s inserted in a document with the name of the user who inserted it (or uses another identifying label; for example, a generic term such as Editor). When you point to a comment, Word displays information such as when the comment was inserted.

Depending on the current document view (Print Layout or Draft, for example) comments appear either in a pane along the side of a document, in the Revisions pane, or in ScreenTips. Comments are displayed in the Comments pane in the Print Layout, Read Mode, and Web Layout views. In Draft and Outline views, comments are displayed in ScreenTips when you point to the highlighted text. In any view (except Read Mode), you can display the Revisions pane to display comments. In Read Mode view, comments appear initially as comment icons. You can click an icon to read the comment. If you want to display the text of a comment instead of the icon in Read Mode view, you can click Show Comments on the View menu.

Tip: The setting you select in the Display For Review list in the Tracking group also affects how comments are displayed. For details, see “Manage markup options” earlier in this topic.

By using the Balloons command on the Show Markup menu (or options in the Track Changes Options dialog box), you can choose an option to view comments (and other revisions) inline instead of in balloons. In the Track Changes Options dialog box, for example, select Nothing from the Balloons In All Markup View Show list to display comments inline.

You can move directly between comments in a document, and you can reply directly to a comment. At the bottom of the active comment balloon, Word displays the Reply and the Resolve buttons.

Screenshot of a document that contains tracked changes and comments. The Review tab is active.

Resolving a comment indicates that its purpose has been fulfilled

When you reply to a comment, Word inserts the reply following the original comment. Replies are labeled with the user name and timestamp, and indented below the original comment. By resolving a comment, you indicate that the action or recommendation specified in the comment is complete or no longer active. In a document with numerous comments, marking comments as resolved helps you keep track of which comments are complete and which are active. When you resolve a comment, Word changes the comment text and label to a light gray. You can reopen a resolved comment if its content becomes relevant again.

You can also manage comments by using options on the menu that Word displays when you right-click a comment balloon:

  • Reply To Comment Inserts a comment below the original comment (or below replies entered previously)
  • Delete Comment Removes the comment from the document
  • Resolve Comment Dims the display of the comment’s text to indicate that the comment has been reviewed

If you want to emphasize the text in a comment, you can apply a limited range of font formatting from the Home tab or the Mini Toolbar. For example, you can apply bold or italic to text in a comment, highlight a comment, and change the font and font color. You cannot, however, change the size of the font.

To insert a comment

Image On the Review tab, in the Comments group, click New Comment, and then enter the comment. Depending on which document view you are using, you enter the comment in a balloon or in the Reviewing pane.

To move from comment to comment

Image On the Review tab, in the Comments group, click Next or Previous.

To delete a comment

Image Select the comment you want to delete, and then do either of the following:

• On the Review tab, in the Comments group, click Delete.

• Right-click the comment, and then click Delete Comment.

To delete all comments in a document

Image On the Review tab, in the Comments group, click the Delete arrow, and then click Delete all Comments in Document.

To reply to a comment

1. Select the comment you want to reply to.

2. Do either of the following, and then enter the reply text:

• In the comment balloon, click Reply.

• On the Review tab, click New Comment.