Keyboard shortcuts are keys (or a combination of keys) that let you perform certain tasks
on your computer, so you don't always have to rely your mouse.
Once you know some of the most common shortcuts, you can use them in all kinds of situations.
First, I'm going to show you how they work.
Most keyboard shortcuts require you to press two or more keys in a specific order to complete
the task.
We'll start with something simple.
How about copy and paste?
To perform the shortcut for copy, press and hold Ctrl on your keyboard… then C… then
release.
Sometimes you have to get creative to reach the keys, so use whatever position is most
comfortable for you.
To perform the shortcut for paste, we're going to follow the same procedure, but press Ctrl+V
instead.
Let's take a look at both of these shortcuts in action, in a web browser.
Again, to copy, press Ctrl+C on your keyboard.
To paste, press Ctrl+V.
If you have a Mac, don't worry—many of these shortcuts are going to be similar.
For example, to copy, press Cmd+C on your keyboard (instead of Ctrl+C).
Then press Cmd+V to paste.
Keyboard shortcuts are a breeze once you know how they work.
Let's take a look at a few more that are bound to come in handy.
To cut and paste, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+X… followed by Ctrl+V.
To undo, press Ctrl+Z.
You can do this several times in a row to undo more than one action.
Let's try something a little more complicated.
Have you ever had to open the Task Manager to shut down your computer, or quit an application
that's not responding?
Luckily, there's a shortcut for that—Ctrl+Alt+Delete.
To perform this shortcut, press and hold Ctrl+Alt+Delete on your keyboard, then release.
You'll probably need to use both hands for this one.
The shortcut on a Mac is a little different.
This time, press Opt+Cmd+Esc.
This will open the Force Quit dialog box.
Of course, there are hundreds of different keyboard shortcuts—thousands if you count
the ones that exist for specific applications.
If you're interested in learning more, try looking at the menus and buttons in some of
the programs you use every day.
Many applications list the keyboard shortcut right next to the task.
Hopefully you'll find some that'll make your life (and your workflow) just a little bit
easier.