14 Teeline Gold Standard for Journalists14 NCTJ Teeline Gold Standard for Journalists

Unit 4

Letter SLetter S is a small circle and can be written either clockwise or anti-clockwise. It is written fi rst if it comes at the beginning of a word and last if it comes at the end.

There are two simple rules – it goes inside curves and outside angles.

1. S is always written inside curves:

was sell sobs seems museum sugar soon swims

S is written inside the curve if it comes between a straight letter and a curve:

caused resume missed lost just

2. S is always written on the outside angle of two straight letters:

rest host desire post rasp

S can be written either side of a straight letter, but generally it is better to write it in an anti-clockwise direction in order to keep the straight letter straight. Practise both ways then choose the way you prefer and keep to it:

or or or

house sip series

S and ZS and ZWhen Z starts a word use a Z:

zoom zero zip

When Z occurs in the middle or the end of a word, use letter S as it is easier to write:

razor magazine

S vowel SWhen S vowel S occurs at the beginning or in the middle of a word, the vowel should be written:

season suspend resist

Words which end in S vowel S can be written using a disjoined circle S. It is written close to the fi rst part of the outline:

houses basis roses purchases

Special outlines

business businesses also always

hospital because husband success

Distinguishing outlinesWhen two or more frequently occurring words have the same outline, it is necessary to write each one diff erently in order to avoid possible errors in transcription:

his H slopes in the direction of indicator I

has H slopes in the direction of indicator A

this H slopes in the direction of indicator I

these H remains straight, in the direction of indicator E

those H remains straight and indicator O is included

purpose P remains straight

perhaps . the second P is sloped in the direction of indicator A

amaze amuse

15Letter S

S vowel SS vowel SWhen S vowel S occurs at the beginning or in the middle of a word, the vowel should be written:

season suspend resist

Words which end in S vowel S can be written using a disjoined circle S. It is written close to the fi rst part of the outline:

houses basis roses purchases

Special outlines

business businesses also always

hospital because husband success

Distinguishing outlinesDistinguishing outlinesWhen two or more frequently occurring words have the same outline, it is necessary to write each one diff erently in order to avoid possible errors in transcription:

his H slopes in the direction of indicator I

has H slopes in the direction of indicator A

this H slopes in the direction of indicator I

these H remains straight, in the direction of indicator E

those H remains straight and indicator O is included

purpose P remains straight

perhaps . the second P is sloped in the direction of indicator A

amaze amuse

16 NCTJ Teeline Gold Standard for Journalists

Exercise 4.1Read the following sentences and then prepare them for dictation using one of the methods described earlier.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.