Gregg Speed Studies/Speed Study 14

by John Robert Gregg

Layout 2

SPEED STUDY XIV
FOURTEENTH LESSON

The Technique of Writing.—A point to be observed in writing such words as "contribute," "intervene," "intelligence," etc., is to start far enough above the line of writing to give the full-length stroke its proper length. For example, the base of b, v, and j in the foregoing words should rest on thehne of writing. Observe the following examples (the dotted line represents the line of writing)

Key: contribute, intervene, intelligence, contraband, interrupt, contract, extract.

Learn to pass directly from the prefix to the rest of the word without any "pen motions in the air" or stops. Place the prefix so you will have the shortest possible distance to travel in starting the remaining part of the outline.

A little special attention should be given to the formation of the prefixes "agri," "anti," and "incli." The loop should be made perfectly distinct and the sizes of circles made positive. Study the following:

Key: aggravation, antipathy, include.

Do not neglect the practice on the compound prefixes.

The Value of Reading Ability.—The ability to read one's notes is of even greater importance than the ability to write. That this is a well-recognized fact is attested by the number of articles that have been written on the subject. One of the best teachers of shorthand has this to say:

A great amount of writing from dictation every day and continuously with no further thought but to write, and write rapidly, is often mistaken for general improvement. I believe students in general would rather perform this one small task than any other, and the task which seems the most difficult to perform, in the proper manner, is for the student to sit down quietly, and alone, and read over a long article which has just been written. Few students there are who have the grit to do it. The common way is for half a dozen or more to join forces and together hash over the pages, first one suggesting a word, and then another. This is a great mistake, and the more the student indulges in it the more certain he may be that he will fail to read his notes alone when he accepts a position."

Another teacher and writer says:

"if teachers would compel learners to read clear, accurately written or printed shorthand as they progress with the study of the textbook, and continue the practice during the entire shorthand course, there would be a marked increase in speed and a wonderful facility in the transcription of notes. It is important that students should be able to read their writing fluently, but if they are confined to the practice exclusively they will develop personal peculiarities that will lead them away from the clear, facile standard outlines of printed shorthand that will eventually render their writing difficult to be read by others, if not wholly illegible. . . . When this plan is more generally adopted we will hear less of 'sticking places' and more of those who are making steady progress from the day of enrollment to the day of graduation."

Fred H. Gurtler, the well-known shorthand reporter of Chicago, says: "Nothing contributes more readily to a good shorthand vocabulary than the reading of well-written shorthand."

The practice should be of two kinds: First, the reading of well-written shorthand that approaches as closely as possible to absolute accuracy. This is for the purpose of creating correct ideals. Such writing may be found in the outlines, phrases, and continuous passages of the textbook, and the exercises in this book—as well as the plates in the Gregg Writer. All of these are actually written notes—models which the student should aim to imitate.

Second, your own notes taken from dictation. The latter is by far the most important for the reason that no matter how expert you become in writing, your notes will vary to some extent from the ideal forms. These differences can be learned only by analyzing and reading your own notes. Reading carefully written shorthand will not aid you in this. This work should be supplemented by reading the notes of yourteacher and fellow students.

Correcting While Reading.—The time to correct your shorthand, and to add to your shorthand vocabulary the forms that have given you trouble in writing, is when you read. In reading, encircle every outline that has caused you the slightest hesitation and devote some special practice to executing it until the movement has been mastered. Rupert P. SoRelle,in his book "Expert Shorthand Speed Course," emphasizes this point. He says:

"Every outline that varies from the correct form or causes hesitation in reading should be the subject of special practice. In this way troublesome outhnes will gradually disappear, and all the frequently recurring words will soon become so familiar that they can be written rapidly and with precision."

BUSINESS LETTERS

I-have-sent-you, Metropolitan, by-express, as-soon-as-these, lowest, patterns, some-time-ago, any-of-these, are-now, out-of-stock, if-you-have, on-the-subject, would-like-to-know, furnish-us, George, in-this-case, notified, Thomas, Hughes, hospital, district, provisions.

Revised, chapter, restored, proceedings, to-conduct, defense, Richard, Brown, Public, Electric-Company, we-send, protection, restrictive, construction, located, electric-power, you-will-be-glad, this-information, Dayton, material, booklet, about-them, we-hope-to-be-able.

Members, advanced, kindly-inform-us, in-connection-with-the, kindly-give-me, if-you-will-write, about-its, we-shall-not-be-able, for-the-reason, from-us, excessive, you-are-now, undoubtedly, to-purchase, additional, within-the, two-or-three-months, which-you-have, in-our-files.

THE OBJECT OF LITERARY CULTURE

John Morle

Literary, culture, at-the-present-time, counteract, dominant, tendencies, pursuits, evil, habits, ardent, preserve, devote, as-much-time, performance, investigation, gifts, wealth, can-never, opulence, human-being, confined, promoted, adherence, generous, purest, rectitude.