Introduction to Comments and Annotations

Microsoft Word offers several tools for adding feedback and notes to documents without changing the main content. Comments and annotations help you collaborate effectively with others by providing a way to suggest changes, ask questions, or leave explanations.

Adding Comments

1. Select the text you want to comment on.
2. Navigate to Review > New Comment.
3. Type your comment in the comment balloon that appears in the margin.
4. Click outside the comment balloon when finished.

Alternative method:

1. Select the text you want to comment on.
2. Press Ctrl+Alt+M on your keyboard.
3. Type your comment in the comment balloon.

Viewing Comments

Comments appear as colored balloons in the right margin of your document. You can:

• Hover over a comment to see its content
• Click on a comment to select it
• Navigate to Review > Show Comments to see all comments in a separate pane

Replying to Comments

1. Click on the comment you want to reply to.
2. Click the Reply button in the comment balloon.
3. Type your response.
4. Click outside the comment balloon when finished.

Editing Comments

1. Click on the comment you want to edit.
2. Click on the pencil icon to edit comments.
3. Make your changes, then click on the check mark to confirm edit or click on the X to cancel edit.

Deleting Comments

To delete a single comment:

1. Click on the three dots.
2. Select Delete Thread.

To delete all comments:

1. Navigate to Review > Delete.
2. Select Delete All Comments in Document or Delete All Resolved Comments.

Using Annotations

Annotations in Word include various markup tools like highlighting, strike-through, and underline to suggest changes to the document.

Track Changes

Track Changes records all edits made to a document:

1. Navigate to Review > Track Changes to toggle it on.
2. Make edits to your document. All changes will be marked up with different colors.
3. To accept or reject changes, right-click on a tracked change and select Accept or Reject.

Highlighting Text

1. Select the text you want to highlight.
2. Navigate to Home > Font > Text Highlight Color.
3. Select your desired highlight color.

Using Strikethrough

1. Select the text you want to mark for deletion.
2. Navigate to Home > Font and click the Strikethrough button (abc).

Using the Reviewing Pane

The Reviewing Pane shows all comments and changes in one place:

1. Navigate to Review > Tracking > Reviewing Pane.
2. Choose between Vertical or Horizontal display.
3. Click on an item in the pane to jump to that location in the document.

Managing Comment Display

You can control how comments appear in your document:

1. Navigate to Review > Tracking > Display for Review.
2. Choose from these options:
   • Simple Markup: Shows the final document with a red line in the margin where changes exist
   • All Markup: Shows all changes and comments inline
   • No Markup: Shows the final document with all changes accepted
   • Original: Shows the original document without any changes

Using Ink Annotations

If you have a touch-enabled device or stylus:

1. Navigate to Draw tab.
2. Select a pen or highlighter tool.
3. Draw directly on your document to make annotations.
4. To erase, select the Eraser tool and tap on the annotation you want to remove.

Printing Documents with Comments

To print a document with comments:

1. Navigate to File > Print.
2. Under Settings, click the dropdown that says "Print All Pages".
3. Select "Print Markup" to include comments and tracked changes.

Tips for Effective Commenting

• Be specific about your suggestions or questions
• Use a constructive and clear tone
• Reference page numbers or sections when discussing broader issues
• Resolve comments once they've been addressed
• Use different colors for highlighting to indicate different types of issues

Troubleshooting

Comments Not Displaying

If comments aren't visible:

1. Navigate to Review > Tracking > Display for Review and ensure All Markup is selected.
2. Navigate to Review > Tracking > Show Markup and ensure Comments is checked.

Changes Not Tracking

If your changes aren't being tracked:

1. Verify that Track Changes is turned on (it should be highlighted in the Review tab).
2. Check if you're in No Markup view, which hides tracked changes.

Need Additional Support?

This guide aims to provide useful information, but as technology changes, interfaces or steps might vary. Please use the Comment button to let us know if anything differs from your experience. Your feedback helps us keep this information accurate. Thank you!