←Module 2
Lesson · 12 min

Cell Basics

Learn how to insert and delete cells and cell content, drag and drop cells, use the fill handle, and use cut, copy, and paste.

By the end of this lesson you can

  • Enter, edit, and clear cell content, and distinguish clearing from deleting
  • Use the fill handle to copy values and extend patterns
  • Use Paste Special to paste values, formats, or formulas selectively
  • Explain why Excel treats some entries as text and others as numbers

Video

Watch the lesson video, then complete the reading and challenge.

Lesson Notes

Read through the key concepts before you try the challenge.

Excel is always deciding what you typed

On the job

You are entering supply orders at Lakeside Medical Associates.

You type a catalog number as 03-4521 and Excel displays a date. You type another as 1/2 and get January 2nd. Your totals column will not sum, because half its values are text that merely looks numeric.

Your task: Understand how Excel interprets what you type, so your data behaves as data.

Every entry is classified the moment you press Enter: number, date, or text. That classification governs everything afterwards — whether it sums, how it sorts, whether a formula can use it. Numbers align right by default and text aligns left, which gives you a free visual check: a column of right-aligned figures with one left-aligned entry has one text value hiding in it.

To force text, format the cells as Text before typing, or begin the entry with an apostrophe: '03-4521. The apostrophe is not stored — it tells Excel to keep what follows verbatim. This is the standard fix for catalog numbers, account codes, and any identifier with leading zeros.

You enter and dragExcel producesWhy
One cell containing 55, 5, 5, 5A single value is copied
Two cells containing 5 and 1015, 20, 25Two cells establish a pattern — a step of 5
A cell containing MondayTuesday, Wednesday…Excel knows built-in lists for days and months
A cell containing =A1+B1=A2+B2, =A3+B3Relative references shift as the formula moves down
Ctrl held while draggingCopies instead of extendingOverrides Excel's pattern detection
The fill handle's behaviors
Delete clears a cell's contents but leaves the cell in place. Right-click > Delete removes the cell itself and shifts its neighbors, which will break formulas that referred to the shifted cells. When you mean to empty cells, press Delete; when you mean to remove rows, select the whole row.

Understanding Cells and Ranges

A cell is the intersection of a row and column. A range is a group of selected cells.

Excel cell example
Selecting a range in Excel

Insert and Delete Cells

You can insert new cells or delete existing ones to reorganize worksheet data.

Insert cells
Delete cells

Cut, Copy & Paste

Use Cut, Copy, and Paste to move or duplicate data.

Copy command in Excel
Pasting in Excel

Using the Fill Handle

The fill handle allows you to quickly copy data or create series.

Fill handle selection
Fill handle result

Knowledge Check

Check your understanding

What does the fill handle do in Excel?

Practice File

Download this file and follow along with the lesson.

Cell Basics Practice File

Challenge

Apply what you've learned in this lesson.

Complete the following tasks:

  1. Insert a new row.
  2. Delete a selected cell.
  3. Copy and paste data.
  4. Use the fill handle to extend a series.

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Modifying Columns, Rows, and Cells →