The Gregg Group was founded 22 May 2004, prompted by the lack of online shorthand resources. As the primary use for shorthand — business and legal recording — has waned in recent decades, we generally acclaim the skill as a hobby or personal tool. The purpose of the group is to promote the use of Gregg systems of shorthand by providing advice to beginners, support for students, and an association of users of this efficient, attractive, and enjoyable method of writing.
I am polishing my penmaship lately. I really enjoyed the anniversary edition. I am copying the plates from the Intensive Vocabulary by Charles Lee Swem. Well, first of all, I can read the strokes because they are “impressed in my memory.” Hopefully, I can write as beautifully in 50 wpm, maybe soon? 😉
How’s my writing? Can you read them?
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This is very good! Very legible! Copying well-written shorthand is an excellent way to improve one’s penmanship.
For a different kind of exercise, you may try also to write the same plates, but from the transcript, and compare your writing with the published plates. The plates of the Intensive Exercises in Shorthand Vocabulary Building were written in the 1916 New and Revised Edition. The transcript can be found in Volume VII of The American Shorthand Teacher in a series of articles by Mr. Swem titled “Motivation Exercises on the Thousand Commonest Words”: Exercises 1-3 are on pages 242-245, 4-6 on pages 299-300, 7-9 on pages 337-339, and 10-12 on pages 395-396.
Thank you, Carlos for your comment! I will try the transcript to shorthand exercises you suggest and I appreciate you adding the links!
As a side note, Charles Rader’s shorthand is mesmerizing…
You’re welcome! I also forgot that the book has the key in the back, starting on page 91, in the Dictation section.
Got it 😉
As a former shorthand teacher, let me say that your shorthand is excellent. Continue copying from well-written (plate) shorthand, and you will improve your shorthand writing ability as you continue to develop vocabulary and phrasing skills.
I appreciate your comment so much and I will make copying a habit… in shorthand! See you around 🙂
I’m not an Anniversary writer, but your notes are fully legible for me. They’re nicely fluent, and you’ve made sure to focus on size, shape, slant, and proportion.
Those are key elements. When people ask for help with old diaries, notes, or other documents written in Gregg (and you’d be surprised how often that happens), if those elements are missing there’s often no hope of giving any information.
I also note that you haven’t created any personal or idiosyncratic ways of writing. That can also make it impossible to read something in Gregg decades later.
Lee
I always make sure to exaggerate my a so I can immediately recognize and differentiate from the other vowel when I read back.
Thank you, Lee! ☺️