Aligning numbers in Table of Contents in Microsoft Word

Try this:

1. First, delete all those periods and spaces you put in. Your page number (shown below in Roman numerals) should be butted up against the end of the last word in the heading.

ABSTRACTix

2. Insert a tab immediately in front of the page number.

ABSTRACT ix

3. Access the paragraph formatting window. In Word 2007, you do this by clicking on the arrow to the right of the word “Paragraph” on the “Home” tab. In Word 2003, “Paragraph” is one of the options on the drop‐down “Format” menu.

4. In the paragraph formatting window, click “Tabs.”

5. Under “Tab stop position,” enter 6. Under “Alignment,” click “Right.” Under “Leader,” click 2. Click “Set,” and then click “OK.” ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................................ix

6. Do this to all of your TOC headings, and your numbers will be aligned perfectly.

7. HINT: You can copy this formatting to other headings in your TOC so that you don’t have to change them individually. Make sure your cursor is on the line that you just formatted and then double‐click Word’s Format Painter (the icon that looks like a paint brush). Now click on the other lines that you want to have the same format. Just remember that the Format Painter copies all formatting, so for example, you don’t want to copy the formatting for an A‐level heading and apply it to a 1‐level heading. Otherwise, you will lose the indents and numbering that you set up for your 1‐level heading.

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