Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Adjusting a Range's Starting Point.

Adjusting a Range's Starting Point

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 29, 2023)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021


When I select a range of cells in a worksheet, the most common method I use is to hold down the Shift key as I use the cursor-control keys to move to the ending point in the range. Sometimes, after selecting a range, I realize that I should have started a bit earlier in my selecting. For instance, I may originally select the range C3:H12, and then realize that I should have started the selection at B2 instead of C3.

While I can start the selection all over again, there is a much simpler way to extend my selection so that it includes the revised starting point. The key is to remember that when you hold down the Shift key, selections are always expanded (or contracted) in relation to the "currently selected cell." Try these steps, and you will see what I mean:

  1. Using the keyboard, select the range C3:H12. Notice that the selected range is shaded, but one cell (C3) is a different color than the others. This tells you that C3 is the selected cell.
  2. Release the Shift key, then press Ctrl+. (that's the period) two times. Notice that the selected cell moves first to H3 (the top right corner of the selection) and then to H12 (the bottom right corner of the selection).
  3. Hold down the Shift key as you press the Up Arrow once and the Left Arrow once. Notice that the selection is extended on the top-left corner, opposite of the selected cell.

See how easy that was? All you needed to do was to modify the selected cell, without getting rid of the original range. There is another way to accomplish the same task, which involves one less keystroke. All you need to do, in step 2, is continue to hold down the Shift key as you press the Tab key. H12 immediately becomes the selected cell.

This alternative method of accomplishing the task actually brings up some interesting possibilities that you can experiment with. Again, remember that all range extending is done relative to the currently selected cell. With your initial range selected, you can press Tab or Shift+Tab to step through the cells in the range, one at a time. When you press Tab, you cycle through them from left to right and top to bottom; when you press Shift+Tab, you cycle through them in reverse order.

The interesting part comes in when you select a cell that isn't on a corner of your original range, and then try to expand your selection. Try different combinations of "active cells" and holding down the Shift key while pressing the arrow keys. You will find the different permutations rather interesting.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12468) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Adjusting a Range's Starting Point.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Stupid Web Toolbar

If the Web toolbar pops up and drives you crazy, this tip can help. Here you learn how to turn off the pop-up nature of ...

Discover More

Changing the Footnote Continuation Notice

When a footnote needs to span two printed pages, Word prints a continuation notice at the end of the footnote being ...

Discover More

Adding Page Borders to a Printout

Need a full-page border on your Excel printouts? It's not as easy to get one as you might wish. There are a few ways you ...

Discover More

Professional Development Guidance! Four world-class developers offer start-to-finish guidance for building powerful, robust, and secure applications with Excel. The authors show how to consistently make the right design decisions and make the most of Excel's powerful features. Check out Professional Excel Development today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Easily Entering Dispersed Data

Need to enter information into a bunch of cells that aren't anywhere near each other in the worksheet? Here's a handy way ...

Discover More

Colors No Longer Work

It can be disconcerting if you are editing a workbook and can no longer change colors for cells in the workbook. This tip ...

Discover More

Moving More than One Cell to the Right

Enter some data in a cell, and Excel typically moves to the next cell when you press Enter. If you want to move more than ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 2 + 2?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.