[SOLVED] Problem with Mac and Text Edit

I have just bought the Missing Manual on web building and already have a problem which I hope some of you can solve.
I work on a Mac and have created a file in Text Edit and have written some copy with a few html commands just to try it all out. When I open the page up in Safari I can still see all the html commands.
I know I'm probably doing something very silly, but unless I get over this hurdle I'm really stuck.
All help gratefully received!

Can we see the file?

Hi Claridge. Yes you are right and I never knew that. It seems no matter what format I save some HTML code as from textedit, I get the same problem. Use that same file and open then re-save from DW or Coda, and job done, so it seems ending a textedit file ".html" is not enough for a browser.
Obviously more to it than previously met my eye - thanks, I'll beware of that in the future.

Just found it - start a new document in text edit as plain text NOT rich text and then add extension 'html and bingo, it`s ok

Hi Johnny Boy
Thanks for that but I'm still stuck. When I save my page in Text Edit it gives me the option of RTF, HTML, Word Format and Word XML Format. Which of these should I use. Also should I save my file as Claridge.extension'html or something else?
Sorry to sound so thick!

Hi - set new document to plain text in preferences then save as HTML.

Hi Johnny
You're a star - I've cracked it!
Thank you