Using the Ribbon
The Ribbon is an interface element that groups related commands into tabs. Each tab displays buttons, boxes, and other objects for executing commands. For example, the Home tab on the Word Ribbon has a set of commands for editing text:
Some buttons display text to indicate what they do. If a button only displays only a graphic, point to it to display a ScreenTip with its name and information about it. For commands such as Font, a box is used for entering the desired font name or selecting it from a list. There are also drop-down arrow buttons that have other options to choose from. If you click Home and then the Font Color button, the text color will change to the last selected color. However, if you click the drop-down arrow to the right of the Font Color button, you'll be able to select a color from the drop-down list.
You can also press the Alt key and an access key to access commands. Access keys are shortcut keys that execute a specific command when combined with the Alt key. To see access keys for the Quick Access Toolbar and the Ribbon, just press Alt once.
The Ribbon changes based on the activity. If you inserted a graphic, a Picture Tools Format tab would be added to the Ribbon. The Format tab is an example of a contextual tab. Contextual tabs only stay on the Ribbon for as long as it may be needed. In this example, the contextual tab will go away as soon as the image is deselected.
To minimize the Ribbon and view more of the document, click the Minimize the Ribbon button. 
To restore the Ribbon, just click the Expand the Ribbon button. 
Within a tab, buttons are grouped. The Home tab, for example, contains the Clipboard, Font, Paragraph, Styles, and Editing tab groups. Tab groups often have a Dialog Box Launcher. Click the launcher to open a dialog box of options related to that group. For example, clicking the Paragraph Dialog Box Launcher displays the following:
Click the Help button to display a window with information about this dialog box. 
Click the Close button to exit a dialog box without applying any changes. 
Alternatively, click Cancel or press the Esc key.