How to Extend a Selection by One Cell Right in Microsoft Excel

In Excel, extending the selection by one cell to the right refers to adding the cell immediately to the right of your current selection to the currently highlighted area. There are a few ways to achieve this:

Using Keyboard Shortcuts:

• Shift + Right Arrow: This is the most common and efficient way. Click on the cell you want to be the starting point. Then, hold down the Shift key and press the Right Arrow key. This will extend the selection one cell to the right. Keep pressing the right arrow to extend further.

Using the Extend Selection Mode:

• F8 Key: This method offers more control for precise selection.
  1. Click on the starting cell of your desired selection.
  2. Press F8 on your keyboard. This activates the Extend Selection mode, indicated by a small rectangle next to your cursor.
  3. Now, use the Right Arrow key to extend the selection one cell to the right or hold it down for continuous selection.
  4. Press F8 again to deactivate Extend Selection mode.

Using the Mouse:

• Drag and Click: While less efficient than keyboard shortcuts, this method works as well.
  1. Click on the cell you want as the starting point.
  2. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the cursor one cell to the right.
  3. Release the mouse button to select the two cells.

Important Notes:

• If you already have multiple cells selected, these methods will extend the entire selection one cell to the right, not just the active cell.
• This functionality is consistent across most spreadsheet applications, including Google Sheets.