[Evolution] How to highlight/color the background for particular words, in HTML

[Swarup <dinbandhu sprynet com>]

I am using Evolution 2.26.1. (I know, I'm sure it is quite an older
version, but I haven't upgraded my Ubuntu since 2009. I'll be upgrading
it when the new one comes out in April 2013!).

In evo, is it possible to highlight/color the background for particular
selected words in an HTML email?

I created a document using my word processor, open-office.org. In the
document I highlighted i.e. colored the background of some words in red,
some words in yellow, and some words in blue. Then I opened a new evo
email screen, set the text to HTML, and pasted the document into the
email. The colored background for the selected words was preserved in
the email. But when I then SENT the email, the colored background was
gone both from my email in the sent box, and in the email that arrived
at the other party's inbox. Is there a way to highlight/color the
background of select words in evo?

Thanks,
Swarup