Many writers know how to read comments that have been added to a document in Microsoft Word; however I’ve discovered that many do not know how to add comments of their own, or remove comments once added. So they add comments by inserting a different color text into the body of the document — a practice that easily introduces errors into the writing — or they leave all the old comments embedded in their “final” versions for someone else to clean up.
Does this situation sound familiar? If so, then read on. In this article, you’ll discover the different options available for comments and how to manage them quickly and easily.
Comments Section Appearance
The Comments section of the Review tab looks almost identical on Mac and Windows, except that the comments section is in the middle of the Review tab on the Windows version, and on the far left side of the Review tab on a Mac:
MS Word 2010 (PC)
MS Word 2011 (Mac)
To add a comment to a document
- Select a section of text or word that the comment relates to, then press the New Comment button. The text will be highlighted, and a comment box opens in the review pane on the right.
- Type your comment in the comments box. Comment colors are set in the Track Changes Options dialogue box. I like mine set to yellow (as illustrated in the Track Changes dialogue box below), but if you’re collaborating with two or more writers or editors, you might prefer to select the “by author” option, so that each person’s comments are a different color.
- You may add to a comment or change it at any time, simply by placing your cursor in the comment box and typing.
To navigate quickly between comments
- Click the Previous and Next Comment buttons in the Ribbon.
To delete a comment
- Place your cursor anywhere within the highlighted text or in the comment box and press the Delete Comment button.
- Alternatively, click the “X” in the upper right corner of the comment.
To delete all comments within a document at once
- Select the small triangle below (or next to) the Delete Comment button, and select Delete All Comments in Document.
Summing Up
That’s really all there is to comments — a valuable tool, whether you use them for yourself or to communicate your thoughts and feedback to another writer.
In Word for Writers, Part 6, we’ll finish up the Review Tab with how to manage the Track Changes feature.
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Amber, thank you for the massive amount of work you are putting into these AWESOMELY helpful posts. I eagerly await the Track Changes one.
Thanks for this concise overview, Amber. I use comments all the time and still picked up a few tips for doing it more effectively.
Thanks, Carol and Sharon. It’s nice to know this series is helpful even for those who already use Comments and Track Changes. 🙂
For computer users like me: unsure and fearful, your comments are especially helpful. Thank you.
Incredibly helpful, Amber. I just upgraded to a newer version of Microsoft Word and had vowed to learn how to use the comments feature. So, you’re timing was perfect. The process seems easy now!
Although I hat to admit it, because I still like working with my quill, all these helpful hints are gradually dragging me into the twenty-first century. Sharon’s explanations are really clear, even for a computer idiot like me. I only come a cropper when I find she’s using a more advanced version of word than me and I can’t find the option she calls for. Even so, I’m learning!
That’s quite an admission!
Hi Ian — glad I could help. For some reason, everyone wants to give Sharon credit for these articles (I already edited one response that also used her name). Don’t get me wrong — I very much appreciate Sharon’s comments and sharing of my posts (yay, Sharon!), but last time I checked, my name was Amber, and I do like to take credit for my writing. Okay … ’nuff said. I’m just happy the articles are beneficial.
Although I hat to admit it, because I still like working with my quill, all these helpful hints are gradually dragging me into the twenty-first century. Sharon’s explanations are really clear, even for a computer idiot like me. I only come a cropper when I find she’s using a more advanced version of word than me and I can’t find the option she calls for. Even so, I’m learning!
That’s quite an admission!
Hi Ian — glad I could help. For some reason, everyone wants to give Sharon credit for these articles (I already edited one response that also used her name). Don’t get me wrong — I very much appreciate Sharon’s comments and sharing of my posts (yay, Sharon!), but last time I checked, my name was Amber, and I do like to take credit for my writing. Okay … ’nuff said. I’m just happy the articles are beneficial.
Using Comments is definitely helpful when editing my students work. And for group collaboration on a project.
I found it helpful to know how to change colours.
Amber: These are great tips. Your instructions are very clear and I like that you use pictures. I’m going to take an old bit of writing and practice just for fun. I can’t believe I just wrote that–practice techy stuff for fun!
Amber: These are great tips. Your instructions are very clear and I like that you use pictures. I’m going to take an old bit of writing and practice just for fun. I can’t believe I just wrote that–practice techy stuff for fun!
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