Insert text within an oval - Word 2000

How was the "oval shape" created?

Have you thought of using Word Art?

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010552731033.aspx

Is the "oval" created in some other program?

Or are you needing to create text in an oval shape?

If the oval was created in some other program, you may not be able to easily set text into the shape with Word.

A possibility would be to create the shape and the text in Visio.

Click on the "Oval" tool in the drawing menu.
Draw your oval, then right click on it and hit the "add text" option.
You can format the text from there.

As a test, do this:

1. Open a new doc
2. Type "This is only a test!"
3. Click on the Oval (called Oval on hover), if not visible, go to View, Toolbars, Drawing)
4. Click and drag to position and size the oval on the page (but not on a word yet)
5. Once drawn (about a 2" x 2" oval), right click on the oval and select Format AutoShape and click on the Layout tab and select In Front of Text - this allows the oval to float to any position you drag it to.
6. Single clicking on the oval allows you to resize.
Additionally, you can position the oval by holding CRTL and using the arrow keys to move the oval at a pixel at a click. Moving the oval without CTRL moves it about 1/8" per keystroke using the arrows keys.

Also, when you created the oval and if it is inside the textbox, CUT and PASTE it outside for additional control/movement and don?t forget to make the FILL color transparent (No fill) to allow oval over words such as ONLY in the sentence we created in step 2.

You can download this example here:
http://eparisek.com/OvalTest.zip

Hope this helps.