CHAPTER 2 ■ NAVIGATING AND WORKING WITH WORKSHEETS

Figure 2-4. When selecting columns heads, Excel displays the number of rows and columns selected

3. Click in a blank area on the worksheet to clear the selection.

4. Position the cell pointer on row header 4. You will see a right facing arrow, hold
down the left mouse button and drag down so that row headers 4, 5, 6, and 7 are
selected. As you are dragging, you will see a box that displays the number of rows
and columns that are currently selected. See Figure 2-5.

Figure 2-5. When selecting row heads, Excel displays the number of rows and columns selected

Selecting Adjacent Cells

1. Click inside cell A3 then drag to the right through cell F3.
2. On the Ribbon’s Home tab, in the Font group, click the B (this will bold the selected
cells).

■ Note You can also select adjacent cells by clicking the cell that you want to be in the upper left cell of the
range and then hold down the Shift key while clicking the cell you want to be the bottom right cell of the range.

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3. Click inside cell B4 hold down the Shift key and click inside cell F9
4. On the Ribbon’s Home tab, in the Number group click the $ (this will add dollar
signs, commas, and decimals to the selected cells).
Selecting Nonadjacent Cells
1. Click a cell that is not part of the selection to clear the previous selection
2. Click Column Head C. Make the following selections while holding the Ctrl key
down:
a. Drag across Row Heads 3 and 4
b. Click cell E6
c. Click cell F9
d. Click cell A1
3. Choose a format for the selection such as changing the font color or changing the
font size.
Selecting all the Cells in the worksheet

1. Click the Select All button at the top left corner of the worksheet. It is above
the row heads and to the left of the column heads.
2. Click the Save button on the Quick Access Toolbar.

Now that you have learned how to select cells using a mouse, the next step is to learn how to select cells
using combinations of keys on the keyboard. The next section has a chart detailing how to do this.

Selecting Cells Using a Keyboard

Table 2-3 tells how to select different worksheet ranges using the keyboard.

Table 2-3. How to Select Workseet Ranges Using a Keyboard

To select Press
An entire column Ctrl + spacebar
Multiple columns Shift + left or right arrow key then Ctrl + spacebar
An entire row Shift + spacebar
Multiple rows Shift + up or down arrow key then Shift + spacebar
Cells in direction of arrow key Shift + arrow key
Cells from current cell to beginning of the row Shift + Home
Go to beginning of worksheet Shift + Ctrl + Home
Go to last cell in worksheet containing data Shift + Ctrl + End
Entire worksheet Ctrl + A or Ctrl + Shift + spacebar

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■ Note Ctrl+A and Ctrl+Shift+spacebar select the entire worksheet if you select a blank cell or a cell that
doesn’t have an adjacent cell containing data. If you use one of these key combinations with a cell selected that
does have adjacent cells with data, it selects the block of adjacent cells with data. Don’t worry if this isn’t clear.
We’ll try both in the following exercises, and you’ll see how they work.

EXERCISE 2-4: SELECTING CELLS USING A KEYBOARD

Continue using the same workbook from the previous practice.

Selecting an Entire Column
Pressing Ctrl + spacebar selects all the cells in the column of the active cell.
1. Click in cell D3.
2. Hold down the Ctrl key and press the spacebar.
Selecting an Entire Row
Pressing Shift + spacebar selects all the cells in the row of the active cell.
1. Click inside cell C3.
2. Hold down the Shift key and press the spacebar. Notice that the B in the Font group
on the Ribbon is highlighted. This is because you previously bolded this row. Click
the B again. This turns off the bolding for the row.
Selecting Multiple Columns
1. Move your cursor to cell D1.
2. Hold down the Shift key while you press the right arrow key twice. This will select
cells D1, E1, and F1.
3. Next hold down Ctrl key while you press the space bar. This will select all of
columns D, E, and F
Selecting Multiple Rows
1. Click cell A1.
2. Hold down the Shift key and press the down arrow twice.
3. Hold down the Shift key and press the space bar. This selects rows 1, 2, and 3.
Selecting an Area
In this exercise, you select several different ranges using different key combinations:
1. Click cell A1. Hold down the Shift key and keep pressing the down arrow key until
you are down to row 7. Hold down the Shift key and keep pressing the right arrow
key until you have selected columns A to G. Hold down the Shift key and press the
left arrow to deselect column G. This selects the range A1-F7.

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2. Click cell F3. Hold down the Shift key plus the Home key. This selects all cells from
the current cell to the beginning of the row.
3. Click cell F4. Hold down the Shift key plus the Ctrl key plus the Home key. This
selects everything from the current cell to cell A1.
Selecting from the Current Cell to the Last Cell Containing Data
1. Enter 380 in cell J23. Press Ctrl + Home to go to cell A1
2. Press Shift + Ctrl + End. This selects all cells between A1 and J23.
Selecting an Entire Worksheet or All Cells
1. Click any blank cell.
2. Press Ctrl + A. This selects all the cells in the worksheet.
3. Click a blank cell again and press Shift+Ctrl+spacebar for the same result.
Selecting an Entire Block
1. Click cell B5. Press Ctrl + A. This selects all the cells in the block.
2. Click cell B5. Press Shift+Ctrl+spacebar.
3. Click the Save button on the Quick Access Toolbar.

You have learned how to select cells using a mouse and keyboard. Next, you’ll be learning how to select
cells by entering their cell addresses.

Select Cells by Using Their Cell References in the Name Box

Referencing a value in a cell by using its address is called a cell reference. A reference can be used to identify
a single cell or a range of cells on the current worksheet or on another worksheet. You can even reference
cells in other workbooks. A reference to cells in another workbook is called a link.
When referencing a range of adjacent cells, the upper left cell address is listed first, followed by a colon,
and then the lower right cell’s address. The address B3:D5 includes cells B3, C3, D3, B4, C4, D4, B5, C5, and
D5. See Figure 2-6.

Figure 2-6. The selected range is B3:D5

In Table 2-4 the first column specifies the cells to reference and the second column gives an example of
how to select that reference.

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Table 2-4. Cell Selection Examples

Reference to Cell(s) Example

Reference a single cell. Enter column letter C12
followed by the row number
A range of cells in a single column A1:A15(column A rows 1 through 15)
A range of cells in a single row A12:E12(row 12 columns A through E)
A range of cells in multiple rows and columns A1:F15(rows 1 through 15 in columns A through F
All cells in row 8 8:8
All cells in rows 8 through 12 8:12
All cells in column C C:C
All cells in columns C through F C:F
Cell B3 on the worksheet named Sheet1 Sheet1!B3

The cell references can be entered into the Name Box to select those cells. You can enter any
combination of cell references that are separated by commas in the Name Box then press Enter to select
those cells. Figure 2-7 shows the result of having pressed Enter after typing A2, B3:C5,E4:G5 in the Name
Box. (Note that the first cell in the last range becomes the active cell.)

Figure 2-7. Enter the cell addresses you wanted selected in the Name box

EXERCISE 2-5: SELECTING CELLS USING THE NAME BOX

The previous practices have covered selecting cells using your mouse and your keyboard. In this
exercise you will practice selecting individual cells, ranges of cells, and rows and columns of cells by
entering cell addresses in the Name Box.
1. Create a new worksheet in your Chapter 2 workbook.
2. Enter C12 in the Name Box and then press Enter. Cell C12 should be selected.
3. Enter A1:A15 in the Name Box and then press Enter.
4. Enter the other cell addresses in the Example column in Table 2-4.
5. Enter A5, A8, B3:B7, and D4:F8 in the Name Box then press Enter.
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