How to insert text line between two tables in Microsoft Word?

Question

I have two tables one just below another, and I can't insert a new empty line of regular text between them.

• When I hit Enter, Microsoft Word only adds a new row to the first or the second table, or to the text contained in one of the tables.
• When I try to paste, the pasted contents (text, or table) also gets inserted into one of the tables (so I even got a table in a table...).
• I've tried the "Document Outline" mode too, but to no success either.

Any ideas?

Answer 1

Ctrl+Shift and Enter works for me on Word 14 (aka Word 2010 in Office 2010).

This works, if your cursor is at the start of the second table.

Answer 2

It sounds like the tables are actually attached to each other if there is no line between them.

Don't know what version you are using, but in Word 2010, I simply split the table.

Started with this;

Chose the row of the table where I wanted to split above and clicked the split button;

Result;

Answer 3

Table Properties -

correct

• Text Wrapping = None

incorrect (causes the problem)

• Text Wrapping = Around

If you want to have text and lines between two tables, both tables must be "inline" with the text (Wrapping = None) in order to put text between them. If one of the two tables is floating above the text (Wrapping = Around) with the text moving around it, you can't insert text in-between.

Answer 4

I had a similar problem with a table at the top of a new section--all the usual suggestions did not work. This was my answer, I suspect it will resolve your issue as well: https://superuser.com/a/175181/146915

Answer 5

I had the same problem, but I solved it. Maybe it's not the most elegant solution, but it works. In the table above I added a row at the bottom (or at the top of the table below).

Select marked row and convert it into text.

Select Layout -> Data -> Convert to Text.

In this way I got a blank line between the tables.

Answer 6

Just place your cursor to the right of the table and hit Shift and Control and Enter at the same time.

Answer 7

I know there are many answers here, this is what worked for me (and didn't) in Word 2013:

1. Position cursor to the right of the first table (where you want to insert space after that table and before the next)
2. Press Shift+Enter (Alt+Enter seems to make a page break, Ctrl+Shift+Enter does something odd with the last row of the first table.)

Answer 8

Place the cursor at the end of the first table. Then press Ctrl+Shift+Enter. It will break the last row of table to create a free row, where u could write the texts. Then the breaked table row can be deleted by selecting it and press Ctrl+X

Answer 9

Hah, just a moment after posting the question I invented some convoluted method which worked in my case:

1. Added some empty newlines at the end of the document.
2. Shift-selected text starting in the middle of the empty lines at the end and going Up ↑ till I had the whole second table selected.
3. Cut (Ctrl-X)
4. Leave some empty lines below the first table, go ↓ Down below them.
5. Paste (Ctrl-V) the second table and what follows.

Still, I'd be more than happy to learn some simpler way to do that, especially that copy&paste has potential to break some layout etc. in M$ Word, so this method might not always work.

Answer 10

I had the same problem, caused by cutting two tables out of a web page and pasting them into Word. I kicked myself when I stopped to think - if it's genuinely two tables as it was in my case, select the second one, cut it, add a new line or two below the first table then paste the second table back after the newline. Simples.

Answer 11

One solution is to right click and add a caption above the second table. Then you can simply replace the caption with normal text.

Answer 12

Click on the little box on the upper left hand side of the table to select it. Table Tools will show up on the ribbon. Click on layout and select "Split Table" in the Merge section.

Answer 13

⌘+Shift and Enter works for me in Word 2011 on OSX.

This works if your cursor is at the start of the second table.

Answer 14

Place your cursor at the end of the row you want to create space and then press Alt+Enter. Bingo! its done.