Although much has been made of Microsoft Word 2007 and its ability to apply a wide range of fancy formats to improve the look of simple text, earlier versions also have some tricks up their sleeves.

In this Workshop, we’ll show how Word 2003 can take a simple list and turn it into an attractive table with just a few mouse clicks.

Tables have the ability to deliver more impact than a plain list of text and also have a wide range of practical uses ­ from price lists and recipes to annual statistics and so on. Tables can also help break up long pieces of text by making the end result easier to read.

Here’s how to turn your text into a table (or vice versa) with the minimum of effort.