To delete a shape, you must click its border. It is also not possible to delete background shapes, such as the arrow shapes or the divisor bar in the Counterbalance Arrows layout ( Relationship type). (Associated shapes are the shapes that together make up a larger shape.) In the example below, the associated shapes are selected. You must select all of the associated shapes together, and then you can delete the larger shape. For example, in the Bending Picture Accent List layout in the List type in the following illustration, you cannot delete just the small circular shape in any of the three larger shapes. It is not possible to delete a shape if it is part of a larger shape. When you delete Level 1 text from shape Two, the Level 2 text, C, is promoted to Level 1. In the following illustration, shapes One, Two, and Three all have Level 2 text that is composed of bullets and alphabetic characters.

If you delete a line of Level 1 text when any Level 2 text exists, then the first line of Level 2 text is promoted to Level 1 (the top shape).