Touch typing lesson 21: [, ], {, }, <, >, |, \

Keys and finger movements

Keyboard layout: English US.

When characters share a key, use the same finger to reach it. Adding Shift or AltGr changes the character, not that finger's destination. Keep the reach familiar while you learn to coordinate the extra key; trying a different finger for every combination can make the position harder to remember.

• Right little finger: Move from ; to [, then return to ;.
• Right little finger: Move from ; to ], then return to ;.
• Right little finger: Move from ; to \, then return to ;.

+ means hold the keys together.

• {: Shift + [
• }: Shift + ]
• <: Shift + ,
• >: Shift + .
• |: Shift + \

US and GB QWERTY place some punctuation differently. On US, @ is Shift + 2 and a double quote is Shift + '. On GB, @ is Shift + ' and a double quote is Shift + 2; £ is Shift + 3. Follow the selected layout rather than a shortcut learned on the other one.

If a key produces a different character, check that your system's input source matches this layout. On a Mac, Keyboard Viewer shows what Option and Shift produce; Command does not replace Option.

Is fast typing still important?

Despite the prevalence of touchscreen keyboards on smartphones, typing on a traditional keyboard remains useful for professional work. For longer documents, a physical keyboard can be easier to use than a small smartphone keyboard. Dictation may be faster for some tasks, but touch typing also lets you enter text quickly.

The keyboard gives you direct control over the text and its corrections. As you type, you can see your sentences in the context of the document and make precise changes. Voice commands are another way to edit, though you may prefer using keys for individual corrections.

You can also type without speaking aloud, even if you are still learning to type quickly. This is useful when dictating would disturb other people or when you do not want to read your text aloud.

Editing also involves moving through a document, selecting a passage and replacing a few words. When you know the keyboard by touch, you can keep your eyes on the sentence during these changes. Learn editing shortcuts in the application you use most, checking its commands: the same combination can do something different in another program or operating system.