Hello! I taught Gregg Shorthand for years (20+) in a secretarial science program at a two-year college. I still use shorthand ALL the time. My favorite lesson was teaching phrasing with this poem … how many phrases can you make?
I’d rather be a could be, if I could not be an are
For a could be is a may be, with a chance of touching par.
I’d rather be a has been than a might have been by far,
For a might have been has never been, but a has was once an are.
(by bab988 for everyone)
Debbi: we think alike. I got exactly 10 also.
10
Don't even get me started on that! The once a year I might say "in due course", n-d-u-k-r-s isn't going to flow out of my pen, as obvious as it may seem in retrospect. Some phrasing principles are still highly useful though 🙂 I love the attachment of "than" to the adjective, for example!
I guess for the weird phrases, it's just due to how much English has changed. I definitely notice it in some of the really odd-sounding phrases found in the Anni manual, like "under the date of", or the mysterious absence of any "-one" words (someone/everyone), even in the Simplified manual.
Let's compare notes. I put an asterisk where you could do some "x-treme" phrasing, maybe. It's a shame "by far" looks like "before-a" if you try to blend it.
I'd-rather-be(1) a could-be(2), if I-could-not-be(3) an are
For a could-be(4) is a may-be(5), with a chance-touching(*) par,
I'd-rather-be(6) a has-been(7)-than(*) a might-have-been(8) by far,
For a might-have-been(9) has-never-been(10), but a has was once an are.
Good. I was worried I missed some… I have an Anniversary Phrase book and there are phrases I would never even think of….
Speaking of phrasing, if you want to learn fun phrases, look at these two specimens.
Attachment: congressional-record-phrases.JPG
lol sounds like someone was used to taking verbatim from their grandfather. "I am reminded of a story"… classic!
Chuck, whose writing is that? It's quite beautiful.
That is indeed beautifully written shorthand … an excellent role model for all of us to attempt to follow!
It doesn't say, but I believe is Florence Ulrich.