Typewriting and Keyboarding: Shift Keys

Helpful hints:

There are two shift keys; each is pressed by the right or left fourth finger (your pinkie finger).
Use the right shift key when typing letters or symbols with the left hand.
Use the left shift key when typing letters or symbols with the right hand.
To strike a shift key, reach finger outward and back, quickly tap shift key and then return finger to home row.
Be sure to keep your striking finger slightly curved as you reach to strike the shift key.

Continually practicing using the shift key will greatly improve your typing speed. For most notes, letters, documents, etc., you'll be using the shift key quite often--for capital letters, punctuation and symbols. If you have to pause each time you need to shift, it will not only be taking up time, it will also interrupt your typing rhythm.

Practicing the shift keys:

Important note: After hitting the shift key, move your finger back to its home key (; or a) before striking the next letter or punctuation key.

Practice Exercise 1:

Right shift AND home row KEYS:

1.         Gg   Gg   Gg   Gg   GgG   gGg   GgG   gGg

2.         Ff   fF   Ff   fF   FfF   fFf   FfF   fFf

3.         Dd   dD   Dd   dD   DdD   dDd   DdD   dDd

4.         Ss   sS   Ss   sS   SsS   sSs   SsS   sSs

5.         Aa   aA   Aa   aA   AaA   aAa   AaA   aAa

Use the Text Area below to practice the above the RIGHT SHIFT key with the home keys outlined in steps 1-5.

Practice this 5 times. When you finish it, click the Start Over button and try again.

Practice Exercise 2:

Left shift AND home row KEYS:

6.         Hh   hH   Hh   hH   HhH   hHh   HhH   hHh

7.         Jj   jJ   Jj   jJ   JjJ   jJj   JjJ   jJj

8.         Kk   kK   Kk   kK    KkK   kKk   KkK   kKk

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9.         Ll   lL   Ll   lL   LlL   lLl   LlL   lLl

10.       :;   ;:   :;   ;:   :;;   ;:;   :;;   ;:;

11.       " ' "   ' " '   " ' "   ' " '   " ' "   ' " '

Use the Text Area below to practice the above the Left shift AND home row KEYS outlined in steps 6-11.

Practice this 5 times. When you finish it, click the Start Over button and try again.

Practice Exercise 3:

Right shift AND top row KEYS:

12.       Tt   tT Tt   tT   TtT   tTt   TtT   tTt

13.       Rr   rR   Rr   rR   RrR   rRr   RrR   rRr

14.       Ee   eE   Ee   eE   EeE   eEe   EeE   eEe

15.       Ww   wW   Ww   wW   WwW   wWw   WwW   wWw

16.       Qq   qQ   Qq   qQ   QqQ   qQq   QqQ   qQq

Use the Text Area below to practice the above the Right shift AND top row KEYS outlined in steps 12-16.

Practice this 5 times. When you finish it, click the Start Over button and try again.