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How to Use Track Changes in Word for Your Essay? [For Students]

May 13, 2024
2.4K Views

My essays and assignments were far from perfect, but I managed to get through them thanks to teachers who pointed out my mistakes. After correcting those errors, I had to send the revised versions for review, making sure to highlight where I made changes. If you need to highlight changes in your document to help your teacher or reviewer track your revisions, I'll show you how to track changes in Word for students.

How to Use Track Changes in Word for Your Essay For Students

How to Compare and Highlight Differences in Two papers?

Students often share group project documents to collaborate on adding their parts or revising the content. But what if you forgot to enable the "Track Changes" feature? Fortunately, WPS Writer, a free office suite solution, offers a "Compare" tool. This tool allows students to compare the original document with the revised version to track or acknowledge any changes made. The tool is very straightforward, so let's simplify the steps for comparing documents.

Step 1: Let's open the original or updated document in WPS Writer.

Step 2: Go to the "Review" tab in the toolbar and click on the "Compare" button.

WPS Writer Review Tab


Step 3: Select "Compare..." from the drop-down menu.

WPS Writer Compare Tool


Step 4: The Compare dialog will open. First, browse and upload the original and revised documents by clicking on the "Folder" icon.

Browse original and revised document to compare

 

Step 5: Once the documents are selected, click on the "More" button for advanced settings.

WPS Writer more Compare features


Step 6: In the "Comparison settings" section, choose what to include in the comparison.

WPS Writer Comparison settings


Step 7: In the "Show changes" section, select how to view differences and where to display them in the document.

WPS Writer Show changes settings in Compare feature


Step 8: After exploring advanced settings, click "OK" to proceed.

WPS Writer Compare documents


Step 9: And here we have the comparison details. It appears that my group member decided to remove some words from a passage that I wrote.

WPS Writer Comparison report


Comparing documents is useful in academic settings as it allows you to learn more in a group setting. Just like how I reviewed the changes made by my group members and tried to understand their purpose, which helped me learn from my mistakes. Additionally, comparing documents can help track changes made by group members at a glance, saving time compared to scrolling through the entire document.

Word is a great tool, especially for students who need to write essays. However, if you want to ensure compatibility across devices—whether mobile, Windows, or Mac—WPS Office is a better choice. It's a free office suite that works with all Word document versions and can even convert your papers to PDF without compromising the original formatting.

How to Use Track Changes in Word for Revising Your Essay?

When writing an essay and you want to draw attention to a specific part, especially one that marks a significant change or correction, highlighting is an effective method. By highlighting, you can ensure that your reader or reviewer notices the changes quickly, making it easier to identify key sections of your work. This is particularly useful when collaborating with teachers or peers for feedback and revisions. Follow these steps to learn how to track changes in Word.

Step 1: Firstly, let's open the report document in WPS Writer to make some revisions.

Step 2: Now, to remember the changes made, head to the Review tab and click on the "Track Changes" button. Alternatively, use the shortcut key "Ctrl +Shift + E" to activate this feature.

WPS Writer Track Changes


Step 3: You'll notice the icon changes color from white to gray, indicating that Track Changes is now active.

WPS Writer Track Changes activated


Step 4: Scroll down and make changes in the document; added content will be highlighted in a different color.

Step 5: Similarly, if content is removed, it will be struck through to highlight the changes

WPS Writer Track Changes features


Step 6: To adjust settings like highlight color or author name, click on the small arrow in the "Track Changes" icon.

Step 7: Now select "Track Changes Options.." to customize the settings.

WPS Writer Track Changes options


Step 8: Here, you can change how content insertion or deletion is highlighted in the "Markup" section.

WPS Writer Track Changes markup section


Step 9: In the Balloons section, users can choose whether revisions appear inline or in a separate pane on the right side of the WPS Writer interface.

WPS Writer Track Changes balloon section


Step 10: Once changes are made, exit the Track Changes option dialog by clicking "OK".

WPS Writer Track Changes exit options


Step 11: Furthermore, click on the small arrow in the Track Changes icon and select "Change username".

WPS Writer change username displayed while tracking changes


Step 12: Here, students can update the username, ensuring it reflects their preference. Sometimes, your nickname may be shown based on your email ID, so it's possible to change it if needed.

WPS Writer Track Changes new username


As a student, particularly when tackling projects and theses, the ability to track changes over time is crucial. WPS Writer excels in this area.  When I receive feedback from instructors, I utilize the "Track Changes" feature. This allows me to easily see their suggestions and incorporate them into my work while retaining a record of the original text. The "Compare" feature comes in handy when collaborating with classmates. It helps us effectively visualize and merge changes made by different team members.  Overall, WPS Writer's constant evolution provides a comprehensive set of features and tools that streamline my workflow and simplify academic life.

Use AI Tools to Perfect Your Paper

As a student, you might wish things were a bit less tedious so you could focus on your studies instead of worrying about the tiny details. This is where WPS Office can make a huge difference. It not only saves you from the hassle of manual tasks like formatting and highlighting, but also provides the tools to create, edit, and organize your work efficiently. Whether you're preparing a thesis, crafting an assignment, or writing an essay, WPS Office has you covered.

WPS AI Writer


WPS AI takes this further by offering assistance to correct grammar and spelling errors, ensuring your document looks professional and polished. It can even generate paper outlines and suggest topic ideas, giving you a head start on your assignments. With these capabilities, you can let WPS Office handle the heavy lifting while you concentrate on creating meaningful content. It's an invaluable tool for students who want to focus on the quality of their work without getting bogged down in the technicalities.

To ensure your thesis or assignment is error-free, let's utilize WPS Writer's AI Spell Check feature.

Step 1: Open your document and activate the "AI Spell Check" option located at the bottom of the screen.

WPS AI Spell Check in Status bar


Step 2: If you see a word or phrase highlighted with a colored line, simply click on it.

Step 3: A panel for WPS AI Spell Check will appear on the right side, offering suggestions.

Step 4: Review the suggestions provided and select the most suitable one.

WPS AI Spell Check


Besides WPS AI Spell check, WPS Writer's AI feature is an excellent tool for tackling projects. It assists in creating detailed outlines, offering valuable assistance from start to finish. Let's delve deeper into its capabilities.

Step 1: First, open WPS Office and click "New" on the left side.

WPS Office


Step 2: Then, select "Docs" to start a new document.

WPS Office create a new document

Step 3: Now, click "WPS AI" at the top right.

WPS AI button


Step 4: A panel for WPS AI will appear on the right.

Step 5: With WPS AI, I usually share project details and let it create an outline for me.

WPS AI


Step 6: After getting the outline, I review it and make any changes needed. Finally, I click "Insert" to add it to my document and format it the way I like.

Outline generated with WPS AI

Bonus Tips: How to Convert Word to PDF without losing Format

WPS Office goes beyond traditional word processing software.  It offers a comprehensive set of PDF tools that empower students to efficiently manage their documents.  Fueled by advancements in AI, WPS PDF delivers an increasingly immersive learning experience.

WPS PDF


Students can leverage WPS Writer to meticulously format their work.  With the seamless conversion to PDF offered by WPS Office, all those formatting efforts are preserved, ensuring a polished final product.  Furthermore, the versatile WPS PDF tools allow for further manipulation and management of these documents.

Here's a simple way for students to convert their papers to PDF using WPS Writer:

Step 1: Open your paper in WPS Writer and click on the Menu button at the top left corner.

Step 2: Then, select the "Export to PDF" option from the menu.

WPS Writer Export to PDF option


Step 3: In the Export to PDF dialog box, choose "Common PDF" from the "Export Type" dropdown, and then click "Export to PDF" to convert your Word document to PDF.

WPS Writer Export to PDF

FAQs about Remove Page Breaks in Word

1. Can Everyone See The Tracked Changes in Word?

Yes, by default, the tracked alterations are visible to all individuals who access the document. However, you have options to control visibility. You can safeguard the tracked changes with a password or limit editing to specific users, ensuring that only authorized individuals can see or modify the tracked modifications. This feature is particularly beneficial for maintaining confidentiality and control over sensitive information within your document.

2. What is the purpose of using track changes in Word for essays?

Tracking changes in Word serves multiple functions when working on essays:

  • Revision Tracking: It records all modifications made to the document.

  • Collaboration: It enables collaboration among peers or instructors.

  • Feedback: It allows others to give feedback on the essay's content and structure.

3. What is the significance of using WPS Office for demonstrating track changes in Word?

Employing WPS Office to demonstrate track changes in Word holds significance due to its compatibility across various devices and operating systems, including mobile phones, Windows PCs, and Mac computers. It ensures that students can effectively engage with the track changes feature regardless of the device they are using.

Highlight And Track Your Change With WPS Office

When you're tracking errors and correcting them in your work, you would want to highlight the changes to ensure your teacher notices and gives you credit for the corrections and of that you must know how to track changes in Word for students. WPS Office is an excellent choice for students, offering intuitive tools to make highlighting and tracking changes simple. It's designed with students in mind, making it easier to get your work done efficiently. Download WPS Office today to streamline your editing process and ensure you earn those extra marks for your efforts.

15 years of office industry experience, tech lover and copywriter. Follow me for product reviews, comparisons, and recommendations for new apps and software.