Activating Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 is tricky but doable. If you've upgraded machines, or changed hard drives, you need this.
How to activate Microsoft Office 2011 for the Mac
Essential Mac Keyboard Shortcuts: ⌘-I for Italics
Add Command-I to your list of essential Mac keyboard shortcuts. It turns selected text into italics. If it's already italicized, it turns italics off.