Word 2007 list formatting
February 7, 2010 10:16 AM Subscribe
Help on formatting a multi-level list in Word 2007
I want to make a multi-level list that will automatically format content like this, including the spaces between levels:
1. Test question:
A. answer 1
B. answer 2
C. answer 3
2. Test question 2:
A. answer 1
B. answer 2
...and so on. I figured out how to do this without skipping spaces between questions and answers and next questions, but is there any way to do it including those skipped lines?
I want to make a multi-level list that will automatically format content like this, including the spaces between levels:
1. Test question:
A. answer 1
B. answer 2
C. answer 3
2. Test question 2:
A. answer 1
B. answer 2
...and so on. I figured out how to do this without skipping spaces between questions and answers and next questions, but is there any way to do it including those skipped lines?
NB: I'm using Word '08 on the Mac, but I believe the two are very similar.
In the ideal world, you'd be using an outline list to do this. AFAICT, Word will not let you change line spacing for one level of an outline but not another, so that's out.
I think that you'd need to define an L1 style and an L2 style; set L1 so that L2 is the style that follows it, and set your line spacing so you've got 12 pt above and below L1, and set it to continue previous numbering rather than restart. You'll still need to manually select L1 every time you "bubble up." This may not be all bad, actually, because I've found that the more complex the list, the more likely Word is to screw up the automatic numbering.
posted by adamrice at 11:20 AM on February 7, 2010
In the ideal world, you'd be using an outline list to do this. AFAICT, Word will not let you change line spacing for one level of an outline but not another, so that's out.
I think that you'd need to define an L1 style and an L2 style; set L1 so that L2 is the style that follows it, and set your line spacing so you've got 12 pt above and below L1, and set it to continue previous numbering rather than restart. You'll still need to manually select L1 every time you "bubble up." This may not be all bad, actually, because I've found that the more complex the list, the more likely Word is to screw up the automatic numbering.
posted by adamrice at 11:20 AM on February 7, 2010
Set the whole document to double-space. Then after each of the lines you just want single-spaced, hit Delete (when the cursor is at the end of said lines) and then hit Shift-Enter. Shift-Enter is the wonderful miraculous secret way to force Word to do a single-space no matter what.
The rest should be simple enough (highlight the tabbed areas and either hit Tab or Increase Indent, etc.).
Note: the above assumes I've correctly figured out what you're asking.
P.S.: Whenever I want to do any kind of barely-fancy document formatting, I avoid Word and start with Excel. Pathetic, I know, but it tends to work better.
posted by AugieAugustus at 6:35 AM on February 8, 2010
The rest should be simple enough (highlight the tabbed areas and either hit Tab or Increase Indent, etc.).
Note: the above assumes I've correctly figured out what you're asking.
P.S.: Whenever I want to do any kind of barely-fancy document formatting, I avoid Word and start with Excel. Pathetic, I know, but it tends to work better.
posted by AugieAugustus at 6:35 AM on February 8, 2010
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Workaround:
Delete any introductory automatic formatting characters for level 2
put a space on the 'skipped lines' on level 2
make the "A", "B", etc. on level 3
posted by underwater at 10:19 AM on February 7, 2010