What is the basic method of copying and pasting?

How do you copy and paste a small phrase to another place on the same page?

Only keyboard option:

  • Position the cursor to the left of the first character, press and hold Shift while using the Arrow keys, until all phrase is selected;¹
  • Press Ctrl+C;
  • Position the cursor where do you want to paste the previously copied text; and
  • Press Ctrl+V.

Keyboard and mouse/touchpad option:

  • Press and drag with the mouse left button from one end of the phrase to the other;²
  • Release the mouse button;
  • Copy & Paste variant:
    1. Press Ctrl+C;
    2. Click where do you want to paste the previously copied text; and
    3. Press Ctrl+V.
  • Drag variant:
    1. Using the mouse left button, drag the selected text, hold down Ctrl and release the mouse button when the insert bar is in the place where you want to paste the dragged text.

Only mouse/touchpad option:

  • Press and drag with the mouse left button from one end of the phrase to the other;²
  • Release the mouse button;
  • Using the mouse left button, drag the selected text, and release the mouse button when the insert bar is in the place where you want to paste the dragged text. Edit: As @newbie-02 remarks, this will move the selection.
  • Right-click on the selection and choose Copy.
  • Click in the place where you want to paste the text.
  • Right-click and choose Paste. /Edit

¹ Give a try to holding Shift and pressing keys End, Home, Ctrl+Arrow Left, Ctrl+Arrow Right, Arrow Down, Arrow Up.

² See also third option in @ajlittoz’s answer.


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‘Only mouse/touchpad option:’ - will likely move instead of copy?

Thanks @newbie-02.

In addition to @LeroyG’s answer, here is another text selection method with the mouse:

  • (for the record) a single click puts the cursor where you clicked
  • a double-click selects a word
  • a triple-click selects a phrase
  • a quadruple-click selects a paragraph

You the copy and paste or drag and drop.

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