2 what is pitman’s shorthand? 2 shorthand about town 3 … › ... · 2019-06-16 · blog archive...

Images & Text © Beryl L Pratt www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand-reading.org.uk

2012 April p1 A of 16Blog Archive Pitman’s New Era Shorthand


2012 April p1 B of 16Blog Archive Pitman’s New Era Shorthand

2 What Is Pitman’s Shorthand?

2 Shorthand About Town

3 Practically Perfect

4 Exams Looming

6 Meet Robin

7 Running Commentary

10 Pros and Cons of Shorthand

12 River Cray

12 London Marathon

13 Shorthand Is Cool

15 Cutty Sark Greenwich

16 A Little Cross

PDF Date: 16 June 2019

https://www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk

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https://pitmans-snippets.blogspot.com

Images & Text © Beryl L Pratt

Blogs - 2012 - April

mailto:https://www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk

https://www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand-reading.org.uk

https://long-live-pitmans-shorthand.blogspot.com

https://pitmans-snippets.blogspot.com





Shorthand About Town

Today is a warm sunny day, the daffodilsare blooming and the fresh air outsidebeckons. How can anyone possibly practisetheir shorthand on such an inviting Springday? However, it is always possible* to findan opportunity to practise your outlines,even when away from your desk. Make ashorthand list of the written words that youare most likely* to see, such as road andbuilding names, or shop and traffic signs.As you are out and about, each time you

see these words do your best to recall theiroutline. Obviously, not to be done whilstcrossing the road or driving, but maybe youcan redeem the time spent waiting at a busstop or standing in a supermarket queue.You can increase your skills without havingto find extra minutes in your busyday. (138 words)

* Omission phrase "it is always poss(ible)""mos(t) likely"

What Is Pitman’s Shorthand?

Pitman's Shorthand is a method of writingthat enables you to record words as fast asthey are spoken. The system is writtenaccording to sound rather than spelling.Straight and curved strokes are used torepresent the consonants. Vowels areindicated by dots, dashes and ticks writtenalongside the strokes. In this way the entiresound can be represented accurately andneeds no guesswork to read back. Inpractice, you will find that the strokes ontheir own are sufficient to recognise theword and the vowel marks can mostly beomitted, enabling the higher speeds to beachieved. The commonest words such as "to,of, and, be, is" are represented by shortforms, which are single strokes and signs, inthe same way as we use cm for centimetres

or MS for manuscript. There are manyabbreviating principles, so that you do nothave to write a full stroke for everyconsonant. For example S is shown by asmall circle added to the stroke and a smallhook at the beginning turns P into PR.Prefixes and suffixes like con-, -ing andmany others are written very briefly. In thisway outlines are kept short and in fact*Omission phrase "in (f)act" they are morereadable than just joining all the strokes endto end in one long squiggle. I hope you willbe encouraged to study the subject furtherand eventually be able to read this from theshorthand above instead of the longhandtext. (245 words)

* Omission phrase "in (f)act"





Practically Perfect

Please take a moment to study theseoutlines and practise them thoroughly:

super collie fragile elastic expel dishes

You are now qualified to take dictation fromthe film character Mary Poppins when shesings:

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

In the 1964 film, she described herself as"practically perfect". At age 11, I thoughtshe was a wonderful role model. I wantedto be like her, with slim figure, cherry redlips, smart appearance, especially the long

dress, and a shining example of confidenceand self-control, not to mention possessorof the very handy flying umbrella. For Mary,the umbrella was simply transport back toher cloud to await her next assignment, butI had a sneaking plan to use it to escapeany situation that was less* than congenial,or at least* avoid waiting for a bus home.

* "less than" Downward L in order to makea join in the phrase

"at least" and "at last" Always insert thevowel

Practically Perfect

When you take a shorthand examination,you need to be "practically perfect" asthere is generally a percentage of errorallowed in the transcription (but pleasecheck up on the exact requirements foryour next exam). In employment, what isexpected is "perfect" and this is what Irecommend you aim for. For a particularreport or letter, you may have the liberty to

fill in gaps or edit poor English, but it is notan opportunity to get lax about shorthandaccuracy. Why don’t you write Mary’s longword in shorthand on your teeshirt in fabriccrayons and underneath "Ask me what thisPitman’s Shorthand says!" as a way ofadvertising your knowledge ofshorthand? (251 words)





Exams Looming

• Revise short forms, contractions andcommon words.

• Concentrate on the basic phrases, theseare the greatest time-savers.

• Increase reading practice from printedshorthand in instruction books, toconsolidate knowledge of outlines. Newoutlines also get planted in your mind butwithout the stress of you overloadingyourself with thinking you have tomemorise them.

• Visualise shorthand from spoken material,with eyes shut and not writing anything.This will* improve recall of outlines butwithout the tension associated with writingand reading back.

• Occasionally practise at 20 wpm fasterthan the exam. It is the doing of it that isbeneficial, even if your notes are miserablyunreadable. You will notice that the lowerspeed miraculously seems easier than itwas before.

* "this will" Downward L to enable thephrase to be formed

Exams Looming

When I was learning shorthand, I found ithelpful to change the study approach alittle when the day of the speed exam wasdrawing near. In a week or two there is notime to learn a large amount of newvocabulary, in the hopes that some of it willoccur in the exam. What will certainly occur

in every sentence are short forms and thecommonest words. The less you have tostruggle with these, the more time you willhave during the dictation to deal withunknown or difficult words, or outlines thatyou do know, but not well enough to recallat that speed.





Exams Looming

On the day:

• Avoid large meals before the exam, sothat you do not get sleepy due to digestion.

• Don’t absorb other students’ worriedremarks. You will get results in relation tothe* quality and quantity of study andpractice, and so will they.

• Write something for everything, even if itis only the first stroke or sound of the word.

• Read the passage through as soon as it isdictated, while it is still fresh in your mind.Get the whole transcribed immediately andcome back to any gaps later. You will thenbe relaxed and the problem outlines willreveal themselves much more readily.

• Never leave early, keep checking andrechecking until the allotted time is finished.

These points worked for me and I hope youfind them useful in gaining yourcertificate. (511 words)

* Omission phrase "in (re)lation (to) the"

Exams Looming

Shorthand knowledge is only part of thepicture. Two other things need attention:you, and your materials.

• Take frequent short breaks away fromyour desk. A short walk will give your braina rest and greatly improve the quality ofyour study time when you return. This isnot a waste of time* but essentialmaintenance of your most precious asset!

• Get plenty of rest, especially the day ortwo before the exam. Tiredness will undoall your previous hard work.

• Prepare your materials well ahead of time.Go through all the notepad pages so thatnone are stuck together, removing any thathave marks, greasy spots or creases. Usingbest quality smooth non-absorbent papermakes a big difference to writing speed.

• Clean the pens and fill with fresh ink theday before, so that the nib is not clogged ordried out. Get pencils ready sharpened.

* Omission phrase "was(te of) time"





Meet Robin

My name is Robin. I live in a very pleasantquiet garden in Kent. I like it here becausethere are lots of bushes and trees. When Isaw it I decided it was the place for me. Tomake sure it stays mine I like to sit on thetop branch of the hawthorn tree and sing,to remind anyone else that it is taken and Iwill defend it. Every robin should have his

own self-contained country estate and thisplace is truly luxurious. I have three birdbaths but I prefer the very shallow one andleave the other two for the blackbirds andsparrows. My meals are well provided for,as I have a big lawn full of dinners.

Meet Robin

There are two compost bins full of insectsand worms. I can sometimes get someoneto take off the lid, by sitting on a nearbybranch and warbling, so that they know Iam interested. They soon get the idea ofwhat I want and when their back is turned Idive inside and have a rummage. Thepeople keep putting up nest boxes and nowwe have four bluetit boxes (with smallentrance hole) and two boxes for me with

the open front that I like. I am verygrateful but this year I have decided to usethe garden shed, as it is more spacious,less draughty, and safer. As soon as Istarted the foundations,old leaves andbigger twigs, the people very kindlyremoved their lawnmower, some gardenforks and a few boxes. Now I have it all tomyself.





Running Commentary

I like to listen to a narration when watchinga television programme. I know that thematerial has been researched and thoughtabout, and is endeavouring to be as helpfuland informative as possible. It helps meunderstand what I am looking at. For awildlife or nature film, the commentarysometimes also serves the purpose ofinjecting an emotional response*, althoughat times this can be manipulated so that weare led to believe that the animals thinklike we do. But on the whole narrations addto our experience, if done sensitively. Whatabout sports commentaries? Informationabout past achievements is often used to

draw a favourable or unfavourablecomparison with the action as it ishappening. Emotions are heightened withthe purpose of making the viewers feel thatthey are part of the crowd, and so keepingtheir attention, much to the delight of thoseunderwriting the programme throughsponsorship or advertising. Sometimes oneis glad that the player cannot hear some ofthe meaner comments, criticism of thefailed goal or the missed opportunity.

* "response" Always insert the secondvowel, as otherwise this outline is identicalto the contraction "responsibility"

Meet Robin

There is one puzzling thing that I don’tunderstand and that is a strange newgarden tool. It is a big tripod with a littlesilver box on top and a sort of lens eyelooking at my shed entrance hole all thetime. Sometimes people come out and

press a button, and sometimes they take itaway. I think it is quite harmless as itdoesn’t walk or move. I am so fortunate tolive here and I know that the people loveus robins because they want to be just likeus, look at these photos! (366 words)





Running Commentary

I was not wise to this when learningshorthand, and suffered endless hold-upswhilst my personal internal RunningCommentary Department provided me withnumerous variations on this theme. I thinkit was in league with the Comfort ZoneDepartment and they were both trying tosave their lazy skins from furtherdisturbances to their life of ease and

tranquil contentment. It chose its momentto intervene very carefully for maximumeffect. On the few occasions when I had thesense to refuse those thoughts, I managedto catch up and continue, but never reallyapplied myself to finding out how theseessential little victories could be repeatedat will.

Running Commentary

The commentary nobody* wants is fromsomeone who speaks out of turn, offeringadvice just as you are about to hit the nailwith the hammer, or giving map directionswhen you are in a tricky ordangerous*driving situation. They may begenuinely wanting to help or perhaps theirjudicious timing may have a hidden agendato undermine. Supposing someone wassitting beside you while you are taking afast shorthand dictation, waiting for yourhand to hesitate, before they jump in withtheir innocent* observation about thediminishing prospects of your being able tofinish the piece and read it back. You would

only suffer this once before you dealt veryfirmly with them.

* "nobody" Although this is one word, it iswritten with the N on the line, so that it isnot misread as "anybody". It is alwaysadvisable to insert the vowel in the "no-"version of such pairs e.g. no-one, nowhere,at no time, and many other phrases.

* "dangerous" Written thus to differentiateit from "dangers"

* "innocent" Insert vowels, as it could bemisread as other words - insane, unseen,or nuisance if written hastily





Running Commentary

Past high speed writer Emily D Smith gaveus the answer to this temptation to hesitateand waver. She recommended getting intothe frame of mind* where you tell yourselfthat the dictation is never going to end andso there is no point in hoping that theallotted minutes are nearly over. You mightjust as well get on and write the outlines,unimpeded by any other considerations.Later on you can consider any genuineissues, but not in the middle of a dictation.Whatever the flavour of the intruding

thoughts, they find the door shut in theirface. They don’t have an invitation, theywere not summoned, and they are not onyour to-do list, your monthly planner oreven your ten-year diary. You will let themknow if their application to be heard wassuccessful, and they may never hear fromyou at all. I think that settles the matter, ifonly I can train myself to actually doit! (728 words)

* Omission phrase "frame (of) mind"

Running Commentary

The thoughts of failure and alarm came inwithout being summoned and without mypermission. In the royal courts of ancienthistory, no-one was allowed to approachthe king without being specificallysummoned, under penalty of death. This isillustrated graphically in the Bible accountof Queen Esther who dared to approachKing Xerxes in order to* save her familyand her people from the impendingmassacre. She stood in his inner court sothat he would notice her from his throne-room. If he held out his gold sceptre to her,

she would then be permitted to enter andspeak to him. If not, she would lose her life.Not even her privileged position of queengave her any right to intrude. Shesucceeded in her mission, and the plotter,the evil Haman, also felt the effects of theking’s ultimate authority. If I couldcultivate some of that king’s fearlessattitude, I could banish the impudentRunning Commentary to its fate.

* Omission phrase "in ord(er to)"





Pros and Cons of Shorthand

Pros:

• Write as fast as a person can speak.

• Write as fast as you can think, forcomposing your essays, reports, letters,diary or book.

• Reduce time and reliance on computer,laptop or typewriter, thus saving electricity,energy, posture and eyesight.

• Carry on working on your reports whenthe power is down.

• Send postcards that postal* workerscannot read!

• Greatly reduce the amount of physicalwriting needed and so avoid cramped stiffhands and eyestrain. One shorthand wordis about the same or less than* one letterof the alphabet, a saving of over 80% oneffort, time, ink and paper.

• Improve your English and spelling, as youwill have taken an interest in both whilstlearning shorthand.

• Improve your CV and employmentprospects with a skill that very few otherscan offer. Even if you don’t need shorthandfor the job, you will have proved that youhave motivation, the determination tostudy, and the tenacity to see it through tosuccessful completion.

* "postal" Omits the lightly-sounded T

* "cramped" Omits the lightly-sounded P

* "less than" Downward L in order to makea join in the phrase


• Sharpen your powers of concentrationand alertness, both essential attributes forshorthand writing*. Gain control of awandering or distracted mind, as dictationcannot be taken successfully unless thosetendencies are firmly eliminated.

• Find out how manual skills are acquired,which is by persistent regular practice andnot by staring at a theory book ormemorising, and apply this to othersubjects.

• Pass on your knowledge to others, as abusiness or a benevolent endeavour, orboth.

• Finally, be able to read this blog withoutreference to the text key!

* Omission phrase "short(hand) writing"






Cons:

• You might become a shorthand borealthough I would prefer that you became ashorthand encourager.

• You may be on the receiving end ofremarks about the uselessness ordifficulties of shorthand. Maybe you couldvery calmly write down these opinions asthey are spoken and read them backflawlessly and without hesitation,accompanied of course by a smile andsome friendly encouragement for them tojoin you on your shorthand mission.

• You may miss out on conversationopportunities with friends, as you will bevisualising the shorthand instead of joiningin. It is up to you to keep a firm grip on

this habit. Staying in control of what youthink about, even if it means pushing theshorthand out for the afternoon, will servewell later on when you come to concentrateon a fast dictation.

• You may resent any activity that keepsyou from improving your shorthand speed.The answer to this is to sing quietly toyourself "That pen is not much good" and

"Pa may we all go too." If you have not yetstarted learning, please look at the vowelspage for what this means.

* "habit" "hobby" Always insert the firstvowel, as these two are similar in outlineand meaning

* www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/theory-2-vowels.htm


• You might get frustrated if you don’talways have paper and pen handy forshorthand ideas when away from home.Try my little blank line miniature booklets*,folded from a single A4 sheet, to fit in thetiniest pocket or purse. This is where yoursharpened pencil stub will come in useful ifyou attach it to your keyring.

• You will suddenly become very selfishabout your precious fountain pen and youmay have to keep a supply of inferior birosfor lending to your heavy-handed paper-digging friends!

• You will probably not enjoy filling in forms,or writing in longhand unless you are doingcalligraphy. The time taken will seem todrag on for hours compared with what youhave become accustomed to. You may feelyou are back in the Stone Age producinghieroglyphics with a hammer and chisel.But this is more than made up for, whenyou return to your new preferred swiftermethod of writing, and all thosefrustrations will rapidly be forgotten.(617 words)

* www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/downloads.htm

http://www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/theory-2-vowels.htm

http://www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/theory-2-vowels.htm

http://www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/downloads.htm

http://www.long-live-pitmans-shorthand.org.uk/downloads.htm





River Cray

Just a moment away from the pad and pen,and time for a stroll along the River Craywhile the sun is out and between the windyshowers. The few downpours have put alittle bit more flow in the river, and some ofthe silt is now stirring and producing grey

patches where it is slightly deeper. All thewoodland birds are singing loudly, bluetits,blackbirds, robins and wrens, and a coupleof ducks and one moorhen are picking overthe weeds. (83 words)

London Marathon

I like to watch the London Marathon ontelevision, sometimes live and sometimesin the summarised reports on Sundayevening*. It is especially interesting to meas I used to live a few roads awayfrom Greenwich Park and know it all verywell. I am always amazed* at how manypeople can fit into what is normally a verypeaceful and uncrowded park. I am notparticularly interested in who wins the race,because I like to think that everyone iswinning in their own way. They have takenthe plunge and applied for a place, andhave put in the necessary effort in trainingand creativity with their costumes, toensure their victory, whether it is runningin a set time or raising money andpublicising their chosen charity. When the

crowds are cheering, they arecongratulating the runners for entering therace, regardless of their performance.There never seems to be any sense ofrivalry with other runners, only acompetition against their own timings andgoals. I admire their stickability and resolve,and hope that those taking part and thosewatching can apply some of that attitude toother more practical issues of life, otherthan personal fitness for the runners orentertainment for the audience, in orderto* solve problems or get throughdifficulties victoriously. (220 words)

* Omission phrase "on Sunday ev(en)ing""in ord(er to)"

* "amazed, amused" Always insert the





Shorthand Is Cool

When you are in the midst of a practicedictation, at whatever stage of learning, thepleasant thoughts of being admired byfriends or impressing a future employermay be replaced by more nagging onesabout the outlines you don’t know and themistakes you have made. One of the keysto successful shorthand writing* is notbeing distracted from the task in hand byanything and that also includes thinkingabout what you have just written a fractionof a second ago. As soon as an outline is onthe page, whether it is right, wrong or justpart of the whole, you must take your mindoff it and on to the next one. In this frame

of mind* you are not*\ musing, considering,passing judgement, worrying aboutmistakes or gaps, or thinking about otherpeople’s opinions or any events in yoursurroundings.

* "mistakes" Omits the T. The past tense"mistook" does include the T stroke, soproviding a distinction between the tenses.

*Omission phrases "short(hand) writing""frame (of) mind"

* "you are not" Use full strokes in thisphrase, and halving in "you will not", sothat these phrases do not look too similar

Shorthand Is Cool

Do you think that being able to writeshorthand is "cool"? Maybe it is the "hot"subject of the moment in your studies orinterests. As long as you are not

"lukewarm"* about it you will achieve yourgoal. Your description of the subject is anindicator of how interested you are and itseems to me that the word cool doesinclude an element of admiration fromothers. This is a great encourager whenbeginning but I would hope that continuedenthusiasm does not rely entirely on this.As your shorthand victories increase,hopefully motivation will become somewhat

more self-propelled* and self-perpetuating*.

* "lukewarm" Uses the Kway stroke to geta very convenient outline, even though theK and W sounds belong to separatesyllables

* "self-propelled" "self-perpetuating"Outlines beginning with the "self-" prefixare always in second position, to match theE in self, regardless of the position that theremainder of the outline would have on itsown





Shorthand Is Cool

Taking control against distractions, mentalor external, is exactly what you do whenyou are crossing a busy road or during anyother activity that must be done right firsttime, with no second chance. No shorthanddictation is life-threatening but you canborrow that frame of mind* that youalready use elsewhere and apply it during

your studies. Removing this unhelpful drain onyour mental resources leaves you free toconcentrate on the subject itself. You will havefewer "hot under the collar" days andhopefully many more when you are cool, calmand collected. (485 words)

*Omission phrase "frame (of) mind"

Shorthand Is Cool

No dictation will teach you any shorthandtheory, outline or phrase. It will let youknow what you can do right now and showup what you don’t know or what needsimproving, so that you can apply yourselfto correcting these. You will also find outwhether your writing materials are ofsufficient quality for the task. It will getyou in fast-thinking mode and blow awayany lingering cobwebs! An equally

important advantage to be gained duringdictation practice is the opportunity toobserve your own adverse reactions,because that is when you find out whetherthey are stronger than you or not. Withouta plan of action to deal with them, they willjust run roughshod over your best effortsand you may end up thinking that theproblem is merely an insufficient knowledgeof your shorthand outlines.





Cutty Sark

I am delighted to see that the tea clipperCutty Sark has been reopened by theQueen and the Duke of Edinburgh today,after five years of restoration. During the1960’s I passed this ship every day on thebus to school and sometimes got a longerview of it on the days when there was atraffic jam, although I was moreconcerned* about being late for school thanenjoying the cultural scenery. Living sonear to all these historic buildings and sitesgave me a strong sense of the continuityand development* of the area. I was faintlyaware of the miseries of the poor villagersin days long past when it was a tiny fishinghamlet, and the more comfortable but

eventful lives of the nobility, and the richand powerful, residing in the mansions upon the hill and around Greenwich Park. Idid not spend too long imagining their lives,I was just glad that we were living in theneat, tidy, clean and prosperous modernworld, in our warm houses with the luxuryof indoor plumbing and good medical care.I considered* our modern conveniences tobe the greatest riches, as I was certainlynot one to relish adventure or discomfort.

* Omission phrases "more (con)cerned" "I(con)sidered"

* "development" Optional contraction

Cutty Sark

Occasionally I went on board the CuttySark as a local "tourist" and always enjoyedseeing the colourful figureheads lined up inthe below deck area and the many glasscases with models of similar ships in fullrigging. The cramped and musty cabins,bunks and workshops on the ship producedmore revulsion than interest, and onceagain* I felt grateful that I could* leave theship for the sweeter-smelling modern worldoutside. At that time the ship was dockedin a big concrete hole, and it was possibleto go down some steps to the very bottom,

with the great hull looming above and onecould not help wondering about thestrength of the stays that held her up.None of the experience was very appealingand I am looking forward to seeing therefurbished Cutty Sark in all her glory,gleaming and beautiful, sailing on her veryown sea of glass. (360 words)

* Omission phrase "and wu(n)s again"

* "I could" Not phrased, so that it does notget misread as "I can"; similarly "you, we,he could"





A Little Cross

I once had the experience of takingdictation from a man who liked to give theimpression that he knew just what youwere* writing and he often jabbed hisfinger down on the pad when he wanted tochange a word, implying that he knewwhich outline was that word. I suspected*that he did not, as he would haveoccasionally had to dig into Gregg outlinesas well. Sometimes he would continuedictating with the finger still firmly on thepad for emphasis, and I (and others) hadto write on immobile paper, instead ofbeing able to slide it up the pad, ready toturn the page over. He was pleasant andfriendly, but this was a very mild powerbalance game, and quite understandable,

when his important work might be held upor done incorrectly by an incompetent, slowor dull girl from the typing pool. This was aniggling intrusion, as the paper on the padwas my territory, but reacting to it wouldhave been most discourteous andultimately unhelpful.

* Omission phrases "you (w)ere" "would(have) been"

* "suspected" Both present and past tenseswould make sense here, so use the optionalshort dash through the last stroke, tosignify past tense in a short form orcontraction that has no other method toshow the difference

A Little Cross

At some point I came to the conclusion*that the only sign he recognised was thecross which I used for a full stop. If I wrotethe cross before he had finished hissentence the correcting finger would starttapping. It is recognisable from any angle,and easily learned by him, as he alwayssaw it being written when he finished asentence. I decided to test my theory. Ifollowed the advice in a speed book andbegan to join the cross into the one yousee here. It is a lot quicker. In fact*, at theend of his sentences I hesitated to write itbecause I did not want him to learn it, andsometimes I only wrote the cross when thenext sentence started, definitely not arecommended practice! I wrote it in avariety of contortions and even tried

lagging behind now and then*, so that hecould not match my outlines to his words.This seemed to solve the issue, or maybehe eventually realised that his letters didnot get mangled or edited* beyondrecognition. It is more likely that thisbehaviour just died off, as his retirementwas approaching, bringing with it a morerelaxed attitude. If anyone ever complainedabout his occasional fussing, I couldtruthfully say that I never had any troubleand that doing his work was as easy andpleasant as that of anyone else on thestaff. (417 words)

*Omission phrase "came (to thecon)clusion" "in (f)act" "now (and) then"

* "edited" Helpful to insert vowel, as"audited" is similar in meaning

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