Workstation topics · Office tools
What office tools are for
🏠The everyday picture
Think of a shop counter. There's a register where every sale is written in rows and columns, a letter pad for notices and replies to suppliers, and a notice board where the owner pins up what everyone should see. Office software gives you all three on a computer: a register that can do its own sums, a letter pad that never runs out, and a board you can show to a room.
📘What it really is
There are three main kinds of office tool:
| Kind | What it's good at | Microsoft | Free choices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheet | Lists, numbers and sums that update themselves | Excel (.xlsx) | Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc |
| Document | Letters, notices, reports, CVs | Word (.docx) | Google Docs, LibreOffice Writer |
| Presentation | Slides to show while you talk | PowerPoint (.pptx) | Google Slides, LibreOffice Impress |
The letters after the dot (.xlsx, .docx, .pptx) are the file type. They tell the computer which program opens the file. The free tools open and save these types too, so you can share files with people who use Microsoft Office.
Two habits matter more than any menu:
-
Save early, and give the file a clear name, such as
stock-sheet-2026-11.xlsx, notBook1.xlsx. The shortcut is Ctrl+S (Cmd+S on a Mac). Google's tools, and Word or Excel files saved to OneDrive with AutoSave on, save by themselves as you type. -
Undo is your friend. Ctrl+Z (Cmd+Z) takes back the last change. You can press it again and again.
🧭Pick this when...
- Mostly numbers or a list you'll sort, count or add up: a spreadsheet.
- Mostly sentences someone will read or print: a document.
- Something you'll show to a group while you speak: a presentation.
A common mistake is typing a price list in Word as a table, then adding it up on a calculator. If it has sums, it belongs in a spreadsheet.
🖱️Try it
Open the spreadsheet tool you have (Excel, Google Sheets at sheets.google.com, or LibreOffice Calc). Make a new blank
sheet and save it straight away as stock-sheet in a folder you'll find again, such as Documents. Close it, then open it
again from that folder. If you can find it, you're ready for Lesson 2.
✅Quick check
A shopkeeper wants a list of 40 items with prices and a total at the bottom. Which tool?
Show the answer
A spreadsheet. It can add the prices for you and update the total when a price changes. In a document you'd have to add them up yourself, and the total would go wrong the moment someone changed a price.
Your friend uses Microsoft Word and you use Google Docs. Can you share a letter?
Show the answer
Yes. Google Docs can open a .docx file and download your letter as .docx (File, then Download). Check the layout after opening it, because fonts and spacing can shift a little between programs.
🧩Check yourself
Tap an answer to see why every option is right or wrong. There's no score and nothing is saved, so try as often as you like.