Which application software is commonly used to create, edit, and format documents?

Microsoft Word is a word processing application that is widely used for creating, editing, and formatting a variety of documents, including letters, reports, and essays. It offers a range of tools and features that facilitate text manipulation, such as spell check, grammar correction, font styles, and layout options, making it a powerful tool for document creation.

In contrast, other software options serve different primary functions. Excel is primarily a spreadsheet application utilized for data analysis and numerical calculations; it allows users to perform complex calculations, create formulas, and analyze data visually through charts and graphs. PowerPoint is designed for creating presentations, enabling users to combine text, images, and multimedia elements in slideshows. Access is a database management system that focuses on data organization, storage, and retrieval, rather than document formatting and editing.

Thus, Microsoft Word stands out as the correct choice for those specifically looking to develop text-based documents.