Find the six keys that matter, then copy and paste
Find the six keys that do most of the work, and copy something from one place to another.
A keyboard looks busy. Six of the keys account for nearly everything.
Key points
- Shift makes one capital; Caps Lock makes all of them
- Backspace rubs out; Enter confirms; Tab jumps forward; Esc backs out
- Ctrl+C copies, Ctrl+V pastes, Ctrl+A selects everything
- Select first, then act. That order is universal
What to remember
- Your fingers will remember these long after you have stopped thinking about them. That is why finding them on your own keyboard matters more than reading where they are.
- This catches out everyone, including people who have used computers for thirty years.
- Copy takes a copy. Paste puts it down. The original never moves. Select first, then act.
Try this
Copy a sentence from something on your screen and paste it somewhere else — a search box, a note, an email to yourself.
Practice: Find the six keys that matter, then copy and paste. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.