Gregg Speed Studies/Speed Study 8

by John Robert Gregg

Layout 2

SPEED STUDY VIII
EIGHTH LESSON

The Reversing Principle.—From the executional side, the reversing movements are quite similar to joinings already treated.

(a) In reversing the circle to express r on straight characters, the movement is exactly the reverse of that ordinarily employed in joining a circle to straight lines.

Compare the following forms, observing closely the direction the pen takes as indicated by the arrow, after which practice executing the movements until they can be made with facility:

To indicate r:	?	?	?	?
	heart	arm	heard	mere
Without r:	?	?	?	?
	hat	aim	head	me

The principal joinings to straight strokes are illustrated in the following drill:

Drill 1

Key: heart, hurt, heard, hard, earn, harm, arch, urge, harsh, church, tare, tear, dear, dare, tart, dart, chair, jeer, share, harmony, Marne, near.

(b) In executing the forms employed in this joining, the reversing is done on the straight characters (t, d) or their modifications (ten-den, tem-dem, ent-end, emt-emd). Care should be taken to close the circle completely in each case.

Drill 2

Key: cart, curt, curtain, guard, garden, mart, Martin, skirt, inert, alert, vineyard, haggard, mallard, safeguard.

(c) An important distinction is made in reversing after p, b, and in reversing after other downward characters. After p, b, the reversed circle is always above the next character; in all other joinings it is below the next character. The first line of the following illustration shows the method of joining after p, b; the second, after other downward characters:

burn	barn	pared	barter	Bert
?	?	?	?	?
germ	charm	chart	farm	churn
?	?	?	?	?

Drill 3

Key: burden, Barney, farmer, pardon, journey, chairman, Vernon, spurt, spared.

(d) The distinctive joining is also employed between sh, ch, j, and l.

Drill 4

Key: Charles, Charlie, Shirley, Charlotte, charlatan, churlish.

The movement in executing the reversed loop requires special practice.

Drill 5

Key: tears, dears, tares, dares, shares, jeers, waters, mires, larders.

(e) The joining of the reversed circle before straight lines is similar to the joining of the reversed circle after p, b, as illustrated in (c).

Drill 6

Key: surmise, lizard, haphazard, sardonic, search, surcharge, mansard, absurd.

BUSINESS LETTERS

Please-mail, chart, garden, give-me, you-wish, job, finished, we-cannot, commence, surprise, we-sent-you, trimmed, fur, serge, marten, trimmings, so-that, you-state, styles, we-are-mailing, we-believe, you-need, we-have-never, finer, as-you-desire, card, as-your-name, passed, there-will-be.

With-order, billiard, balls, no-longer, Thermos, bottles, Chester, of-next-month, we-trust-that-the, concern, you-will-find, in-your, day-letter, that-will-not, assist, very-much, we-must-have, if-you-cannot, thrown, in-this-territory, there-must-be, write-me, I-should-know, merchants, I-can-say.