Use of Reviewing Toolbar in MS Word

The Review Toolbar allows the editor to insert comments and edit aspects of your paper. It also allows you to delete the editor’s comments. There may be several areas highlighted in yellow throughout your thesis. When you place your arrow/cursor over the highlighted area, you can read the editor’s comments. Your thesis may also have areas edited in red. The Reviewing Toolbar also allows you to remove those markings.

To activate the Reviewing Toolbar:

1. Open/Create Word document
2. Click View and scroll down to Toolbars
3. Click Toolbars
4. Scroll down toolbar options and click Reviewing; there should be a check mark to the left of Reviewing on the Toolbar. This lets you know the Toolbar has been activated

The Reviewing toolbar will display above your document. You will notice a yellow square icon to the far left of the Reviewing Toolbar, followed by several icons to the right. Take your arrow and slide across each of the icons to learn each function (Ex: insert comment, edit comment, previous comment, etc.).

To remove editor’s comments and highlights:

When you are ready to delete the highlights and comments in your thesis, place your cursor over the highlight and click over it with your mouse. Once you click the highlighted areas, you will notice another icon on the Reviewing Toolbar; it is a yellow square icon with a red x on its top left corner. This is the delete comment icon. Clicking this button with your mouse will delete the editor’s comments and yellow highlighting.

To remove editor’s red markings:

Place cursor over a red comment in your thesis and click your mouse. Look at the Reviewing Toolbar for a square icon with red lines and asterisk on its top left. This is the track changes icon. Ensure this icon is deactivated. De-activate it by clicking it with your mouse.

Once the track changes icon is de-activated, you can place your cursor in front of the red text and tap the delete button on your keyboard to remove the editing remarks. You can also place the cursor behind the text and tap the backward button on your keyboard to delete the red editing remarks. To remove entire comments in red, you can place the cursor over the text and click the mouse. You will then notice an icon on the Reviewing Toolbar activated. It is the reject change icon. It is a square with red lines and a red x on its top left corner. Clicking on this icon with your mouse will delete the entire edited comment.

If more red comments are showing up when your attempt to delete them, this is an indicator the track changes function is still activated. If this happens, go to the track changes icon and click it with your mouse to de-activate.

There is another option for accepting the editor’s changes and/or corrections. To accomplish this, place the cursor over the red edits and click the mouse. Another square icon with red lines will appear in the toolbar. It has a checkmark on its top left corner. Clicking this icon will automatically accept the changes. The editor’s changes/corrections will disappear and return the font to its original black color.