About message: Formatting error. Please ensure that the text entry has not been pasted

[SuSorensen]

Wondering about the error message: “Formatting error. Please ensure that the text entry has not been pasted from a different source. Type text to submit response.”

If you see this message, and are in a high pressure exam situation not to worry. Here is the TL;DR:

Problem:

If you have copied and pasted content from the web or a word processor (.docx/ google doc), invisible formatting is added when you paste the content into new quizzes.  Entering your response directly will prevent this message in the future. 

Fix:

Highlight your entry then choose the “Clear Formatting” button. 

Clear formatting then try to resubmit