Alternative to Drag and Drop for "identity" copying cells?

Question

hi all.
right now when i want an "identity copy" of a single cell i do an equation where i enter the equals size and i click in the cell i need. this maintains a link with the original cell.
right now i need multiple cells (like five in a row) to get "identity copied" to a set of five new destination cells.
is there a way to do this so that i don't have to /drag/ the origination selection all the way down my spreadsheet or is this the only way to do it?
i have about 800 rows to travel and i have to do this about thirty times and it is going to get really tiresome.
i tried copy paste but it just entered five cells with "0.00" for some reason likely having to do with it being a copy of the format of the cell but not the actual content...
TIA for any advice or terms or search words etc

Answer 1

HW,
It is time for you to download the manual and read the material in chapter six.
http://support.apple.com/manuals/#productivitysoftware
This manual is still usaeble for understanding how to select cell, reference cells and copy and paste.  If is free and downloadable AND you can search it-- if you know the terms to search.  It is a valuable tool. 
when they are contiguous in both the source and destination, you can select the one, then copy, then select the grounp and paste.
In this example there are two tables:
1) a source table
2) s destination table
in the destination table highlight cell A1 then type the "=" (equal sign) :
now click the cell in the source table (A1):
Now hit the return key.  Select cell A1, copy.  Now select the whole table (or the group of cells you want to reference in the Source table).  In this example select all.  To select all use the menu item "Edit > Select All":
Now paste:
If you only wanted to reference A1, A3, B4, B6, and B8 you would enter the formula in any cell you want-- I choose A1.  Then you select A1, copy, then hold the command key then click those cells, then paste: