Learn this mainly alphabetic shorthand for better grades and faster work!
Within a few days of practice, you can obtain speed fast enough for classroom, lecture or research notetaking, about 80-140 words per minute. Higher speeds needed for journalist reporter or secretary dictation work, 150 to 225 wpm, come with practice, and there are advanced lessons. You can complete each beginning lesson in about 10 minutes.
You will need a key. Use the Online Key.
INSTRUCTIONS.
Do one lesson at a time, in the order given, in this recommended manner for fast learning:
Say the lesson word, then look at the shorthand for that word. The reason we say the word is to get the sound of the word and the feel of writing it in a shorter form.
Write the shorthand for the word as you say the word--do this at least four times per practice.
Then do the exercises--say/write each exercise word or phrase at least four times.
LESSON 1
the
of
and
to, at a, an
in
that
this
they
them
than/then
there
these
though
those
thought
EXERCISE 1
of the
and the
to the
at the
of a
and a
to a
to an
and a
to the
and the
to a
of the
and an
and at
in the
in a
of a
and a
and in
to them
in this
and they
and that
at that
and there
of these
that to them
and in that
and though the
and to them
and the thought that
these and those
there and then
they
this and that
LESSON 2
it, is, if its
for
be, been, being; by, buy, bye
but
was, as, she, his
you, your, yours
my, mine, him, am
with
EXERCISE 2
it is
if it is
is it?
for it
is for
for them
for the
for a
this is for them
it was
there was a
but was it his?
was it by him?
as it was then
it was his book
she was there
this is for you
there is your book
is this book yours?
she is with him
within was a book
it was without that
my thought being this
TIP
English grammar has laws --a word can be used only in certain ways. This fact permits us to use one shorthand form for 2 to 6 different words. If "m" stands for "him, am, my, mine", then read the following: "Give it to m lawyer." "That book is m." "I am an individual. "Does he know we like m?"
LESSON 3
have, has, had, having
all, will, well
on
only
no
not
are, her, hers, hour our, ours
we, were
he, me
EXERCISE 3
you have it
they have had it
without having them
she has them
all is well
that will be all
she will have it
the book fell [write fl] in the well
all of this is for you but that is for me
I know you
you have no book [bk
] it was not mine
it wasn't [w'n] your book
hasn't, haven't, hadn't
are not, aren't
will not, won't
were not, weren't
this is mine
that is yours
these are hers
at that hour of the
not only this but
those are ours, not hers
we were there
but she, you and he have it
those are not for them but for me
mine, yours, hers and his, that is: ours
he, she and you will not be in it
we have been there
that was our only thought
TIP
What you learn, use. Use it every chance you get.
LESSON 4
can; came, come, coming
do, did, done, doing; due
go, going, gone
see, seeing, seen
up, put
why
who
what
when
where
whether
which
EXERCISE 4
can we, can't we?
you can all come to the
will you be coming with them?
she came to me for them
is this book due?
he only did it for her
these have not been done
we are not doing them
go on and do it
as we were going
will you be gone by then?
they are going to buy your book
she is gone to do it
do you see it?
are you seeing it with us?
I will not be seen without it
we were seeing it for that hour only
no, I have not seen them
he put it up there
put those with these
go see if they are up
this is why
who do we see there?
what is it?
when is it to be?
where did you buy that?
which is it?
whether or not to go there
TIP
The sound of a word will often instantly give you the shorthand: are/her(s)/hour
we/were
or/owe
do/did/done/doing/due
can/come/came/coming
be/been/being/by/buy/bye
for
it(s)/is
you/your(s)
my/mine/him/am
why
LESSON 5
or, owe
so
I
one
out
made
would
more
from
how
now
time
shorthand by deleting unessential letters
abbreviating and contracting (as in company, attention, manufacturing)
EXERCISE 5
this or that, when or where
you owe it to them
she owes it to me
he was out there, or so I thought
we made those
where do we go from there?
there are no more
they would know where you were
I see more of it now
how are you to know that is so?
at what time would you go there?
I made up the time, but how I did it I do not know!
now is the time for all to come out and see it
TIP
Start now using the above shorthand forms in your classroom notes and work situations. Concerning all the above words you have just covered (Lessons 1 through 5), a linguistic study has shown that 50 percent of everything we say-write-read consists of those words. You just learned to write them in shorthand. That means your writing speed for those words is now 90 to 120 words per minute.
To get the shorthand key for Lessons 1-5 above, send self-addressed, stamped envelope.
CHAPTERS 6-17. You'll need the Alpha shorthand training booklet for the following lessons.
word parts
special forms
months, days of week
shortcuts for making past tense and plurals
abbreviations and compounds
Each chapter in your booklet has Exercises for practice.
LESSON 6 word parts
ch
des, dis
ng
LESSON 7 word parts and sounds
tion, sion - "chun, shun, zhun" sounds
con, com counter
mis, im
LESSON 8 word parts
nk, qu
sub
super
ive, tive
LESSON 9 word parts and sounds
ial, ious - "shul, shus, eeus" sounds
ry, rry; oi, oy
sh - "sh, zh" sounds
LESSON 10 word parts
nce
rd, rk, rt
nt, nt; mand, mend, ment
LESSON 11 word parts
ow, our, ower
ble
circ, circum
sp
LESSON 12 word parts
ful, fully; full
sk; ask
intr, inter, entr; enter
famous people use shorthand
LESSON 13 word parts
ought, out
st
LESSON 14 word parts
under
over
trans
LESSON 15 mark for past tense or plural
adding -ed (as in wished, loved, measured)
adding -s or -es (as in lives, fishes, orders)
LESSON 16 word parts
ly, ty, fy, y
ate
less
er
compounding (as in interestingly, fortunately, defenseless)
LESSON 17 word parts
rn, rm
en
al
APPENDIX
special Alpha forms for other frequent words
months of year
days of week
A scanned ONLINE KEY provided by a student here: click key. Self-teaching shorthand e-BOOKLET available.
Copyr © 1983, 1998, 2000, 2007
