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I have several lines with text in Word 2010. (in different areas).

I need the left side to align to the left side of the page, and the right side to align to the right side of the page. Can I do this manually somehow?

I tried using the 'justified' formatting but it makes the left side aligned to the left, but the right side isn't aligned to the right.

I'd like to avoid using a table if possible.

Some text to float on left side 1                                 some right text 1
Some text to float on left side 2                                 some right text 2
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  • It's a bit unclear what you wish to achieve. Could you explain a bit further, perhaps adding some samples (screenshots)? Oct 6, 2012 at 14:53
  • i'm actually doing some formatting for my resume. the company name should align left and the dates should align on the right.
    – Saura
    Oct 6, 2012 at 15:00

2 Answers 2

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Here's your text in Word. The tab control is circled.

enter image description here

Step 1 - Click the tab control until you see the right tab symbol which looks like a backwards L.

Step 2 - Type a Tab where you want the text to split.

Step 3 - Click in the ruler at the right end to insert a right tab in the current paragraph.

enter image description here

In the illustration, the tab is not all the way to the right so you can more easily see it. You can drag the tab along the ruler to position it anywhere you want - in your case, even with the end of the line as indicated by the white area.

A right tab "anchors" the right end of the text that follows the tab character. By clicking the tab control, you can choose left, right, or center tabs. Experiment by inserting different tabs in the ruler and moving them around to see the effect on the text.

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  • 3
    This answer is also useful in LibreOffice.
    – user31389
    Dec 22, 2015 at 14:35
  • Dave's answer is misleading. His step "3" actually comes second in chronological order, then you insert the tab. Otherwise, it's just an "ordinary" tab, equivalent to about 11-12 spaces.
    – user597663
    May 25, 2016 at 0:00
  • 2
    @Logan - Not true. If you have no specific tabs set and you type a tab, it assumes the default - what you call ordinary. Then when you specify a right tab (step 3), your newly entered tab becomes the right tab. You can change the tab type or position after you have typed the tab in the text and it will follow the changes. May 28, 2016 at 14:55
  • I tried in LibreOffice and it works.
    – GC 13
    Mar 19, 2017 at 3:27
  • This "solution" does not adjust automatically when I later change the page margins. Apr 30, 2020 at 16:19
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If you have a specific spot where the text "breaks", add a Right Aligned Tab at the right margin. Then insert a Tab where you want the alignment to break.

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  • how do i insert a right aligned tab & the tab where I want the alignment to break?
    – Saura
    Oct 6, 2012 at 14:59
  • You click the tab type you want from the upper left corner at the intersection of the horizontal and vertical rulers and click on the horizontal ruler where you want the tab stop.
    – Peachy
    Oct 7, 2012 at 22:13
  • Sorry for the delay. See Dave Becker's answer, it has more in-depth info on what I suggested.
    – dav
    Oct 8, 2012 at 12:00

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