Using Space Bar, Backspace, Delete, and Enter
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What you will learn
- 1State what each of six special keyboard keys does - Space Bar, Backspace, Delete, Enter, Tab, and Caps Lock
- 2Explain the difference between Backspace and Delete
Mini Lesson
In Lesson 9 we learned to place our fingers on the home row and type letters. Now let’s explore the special keys that help us control and edit what we type. These keys do not add a letter - they perform an action.
Space Bar
- The longest key at the bottom of the keyboard.
- Pressing it inserts a single space between words.
- Press it once per word gap - not twice. Both thumbs rest near it.
Backspace
- Located at the top-right of the letter area (usually labeled with a left arrow or Backspace).
- Deletes the character immediately to the LEFT of the cursor - the last letter you typed.
- Hold it down to delete several characters quickly.
- Think of it as "un-typing" - it erases backward.
Delete (Del)
- Found on the right side of the keyboard, sometimes in a separate cluster.
- Deletes the character immediately to the RIGHT of the cursor.
- Useful when you have moved the cursor into the middle of a word and want to remove the letter just to the right of the cursor.
- Key difference: Backspace = erase left; Delete = erase right.
Enter (Return)
- Pressing Enter moves the cursor to the start of a new line.
- Also used to confirm or submit an action - like pressing OK in a dialog box or sending a search query.
- Press Enter once to start a new paragraph.
Tab
- Pressing Tab moves the cursor forward by a set amount of space - used to indent the beginning of a paragraph.
- Also jumps between fields in a form (e.g., from the name field to the email field).
Caps Lock
- Pressing it locks the keyboard into capital-letter mode - every letter you type becomes a capital.
- Press it again to turn it off. A light on the keyboard usually shows when it is on.
- Useful for acronyms - short words made from first letters, like NASA or USA - but not for whole sentences.
Words to know
Space bar
The long key that adds a space between words
e.g. I press the space bar after each word.
Backspace
The key that deletes the letter to the left
e.g. I used Backspace to fix my typo.
Delete
The key that erases the letter to the right
e.g. Delete takes off the next letter.
Enter
The key that starts a new line
e.g. I press Enter to begin a new line.
Caps Lock
A key that makes every letter you type a capital
e.g. Turn off Caps Lock to type small letters.
Ask yourself: "What is the difference between Backspace and Delete? When would I use Enter?"
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