column formatting with pages

Hi, thanks for the help. I actually can do what you derscribe except my problem is that sporadically it is not the result I get. The command takes the material beyond the selection and also puts it into columns. I am sorry I wasn't clear about explaining that. You and the post below this both tried to help. In trying to figure out how to explain the problem, I accidently solved the problem. I believe the problem is a programming oversight way beyond my understanding that occured when Apple tried to simplify the process for neophyte apple users. Please read what I wrote below to understand further, and thank you for reaching out, Barbara

thanks. I actually did that but it is formatting the entire page this way not just the material I selected and I could not identify nor delete the material when I show the hidden signals to fix it however, you did show it with the column breaks. What was happening was it was not accepting the column breaks and the material below it which I did not select was also put into the column. However, in writing this email I recalled that the inspector separates and defines layout differently from the other invisibles, and layout (to simplify the process) and I actually worked out the correct sequence, was able to cut and paste the correct command into the correct spaces in sequence and make two sets of columns followed by full length text lines as i planned.

To make this work I have to select the material I want to column, open view on the tool bar and make sure I select format with ✔︎ then scroll down and make sure both hide layout and hide invisbles are not checked. I can copy and paste the command for column symbol into where I want the new column to end and paste it in. If it extends the copy beyond the material I wanted in the column (by adding and unwanted extra command as it did in this case, I can delete the extra by edit>cut, or I did command X. I figured it out because trying to explain it with this message systems limitations. I think the trick is to understand the simplification that apple programed. Apparently we all do not have the same version of Pages even though we religiously update our system when notified. I am trying to be clear to explain to you and any one else with the same problem, but suspect I am failing. Thank you for helping, Barbara