In Microsoft Word, an indent refers to the space between the margin and the beginning of a line of text. Indenting text adds structure to a document by allowing you to separate information. There are several ways to indent text in Word, including:

• Using the Tab key: To indent the first line of a paragraph, put your cursor at the beginning of the paragraph and press the Tab key. When you press Enter to start the next paragraph, its first line will be indented.

• Using the Indent commands: If you want to indent multiple lines of text or all lines of a paragraph, you can use the Indent commands. The Indent commands will adjust the indent by 1/2-inch increments. To customize the indent amounts, select the Layout tab near the desired values in the boxes under Indent.

• Using the Indent markers: Word provides indent markers that allow you to indent paragraphs to the location you want. The indent markers are located to the left of the horizontal ruler, and they provide several indenting options.

To change the indentation for paragraphs that have already been written, use the Tab-key method on the first paragraph, as described above. Then put your cursor at the beginning of the next paragraph, press Backspace, and then Enter. Repeat the process for subsequent paragraphs. If you always want first-line indentation, modify the Normal style by selecting the cursor anywhere in the paragraph, right-clicking the Normal style on the Home tab, and choosing Modify. Then select Format, choose Paragraph, and under Indentation, select First line.