Q: How can I convert a Pages document into word without changing the format?

If you want accurate document content interchange with Word users, then use a current version of Word for Mac yourself. You will open/edit/save in Word native document architecture, and avoid the inaccuracies of Pages export translation to Word.

Pages is no Word clone, and has features not present in Word that may prove worrisome on translation.

Hey ump, that's unfair advice asking the person to purchase and run Word, or effectively to buy and run both OS.  Why so they both do not compete and always get paid?  For what?  Tampering?

Your effective saying "there is import and export but they are disabled so you must buy both".

That being said, Microsoft (likely Apple as well) change document formatting frequently and are incompatible with themselves as well inter-version.  The only "sure" way is to be running the EXACT SAME VERSION OF WORD, exactly, without any room for argument.

It's simply out of bounds to tell a young person that 3/4 measure will be an answer to avoiding 1/2 measures.  The fact is it's been broken since the 1980's.

Using either Word or LibreOffice is substantially better than the very bad Pages.

You can't sweep the huge problems of Pages inaccurate export under the carpet. It is pure luck if you get an acceptable transfer and definitely going back and forth is heading into inevitable disaster. Just when is in the lap of the Gods.

Peter

Yes.  My advice is a few things.  You can start from a template, save as .docx, open that .docx to see if Pages can import and export it (then close the .docx).  However (see below) you should ask a friend to open the document on a Microsoft computer before sending it to the teacher.  Another way: Export to PDF, send PDF to teacher (looks perfect on Microsoft but cannot be edited by Word).  You might need a computer that runs the same Microsoft.  I'll try to justify those remarks as so:

Yes, well your teachers also cannot export .pages documents to you correctly.  Infact I believe there is some federal policy concerning protecting students and teachers in these situations (which i do not list).

The best choice for BOTH is to save to PDF (Adobe) and give your teacher the homework.pdf, because it's always page perfect (and perfectly printed) viewed on any device, and seldom if ever a problem going in between ms/mac, modernly.

If the teacher refuses to accept PDF format, you can say the teacher is "forcing you to to purchase a particular product (a specific version of microsoft word infact) without having said this in the "course description" for the class.  (they can't do that, if purchases are required they must be agreed before the student begins the class)

PDF and X of OS X came from Xerox Star (ie 6085) Workstation (internet transparent desktop and Xerox printing) from Palo Alto California labs in the 1970's.  PDF has always been page perfect, and though there has been version changes, the changes are much less an issue than with Word and Pages.  Only Adobe editors can use .pdf as a "native" edited format (others ca export to it but don't know how to import it and can't import their own export).

PDF is by far the most widely used format for publishing books, engineering documents, and more.

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#1 You can use Pages templates.  They export/import to Word pretty good.  There are reason why they do (they formatting style chosen).  Likely you do not want to be a style/format doc editor wiz (ie, to take a class for doing so).  Your choices there are PDF or to be forced to buy a Microsoft product**

#2 Your best move is to be quiet and pleasant as possible with the instructor.  Say you've been working on it and you wish to send a PDF in addition to a .docx, incase there is still a problem.  Instructors are infamous for downgrading students they have a prejudice against (ie, politics) and computer software does fall in the area of political for some instructors (or just "annoying students that make them think").  My advice is be careful none of all of it may be "fair".

** There are a few choices as to how to run Word: to buy Word for iMac and hope it's the same version of Word, to emulate MS OS, to have dual boot and boot into Windows (you bought), or to buy a cheap MS laptop which has Word pre-loaded free.  The fact is any one of these might work or end up being a headache, the cheap ms laptop aside.

I stand by my post, not your disoriented, and inaccurate crap into a room fan response.

iliakeapple wrote:

 

Essays for school need to be sent to tutors in word form so that they can open the document and edit the text.

You should definitely use Word for Mac or LibreOffice in such a situation and pay no attention to the stuff posted by QuietMacFan.

QuietMacFan

You really do write at enormous length considering you do not know what you are talking about.

Where do you get all that nonsense from? You have jumbled up a lot of stuff you seem to have half heard from somewhere else. Neither PDF nor OSX "came from Xerox Star". The first is a simplified version of Adobe's Postscript, the second is a variant of UNIX developed by NeXT and then rewritten with a Mac UI at Apple.. Both were developed long after Xerox Star had vanished off the face of the Earth.

I wouldn't bother arguing with the lecturer on a trivial subject of submission requirements, especially as you are arguing to use a format that is broken even for yourself let alone as an exchange format.

iliakeapple

Concentrate on getting your content right and avoid technical problems at all costs.

Peter

If you don't have MS office, try Office 365 online. It's free and not slow.

Fix your exported document there. No compatibility issue.