209. The Corresponding Style

The present work treats especially of the " corresponding style " of phonography ; that is, phonography in its full and complete form, which, being an exact and compendious system of representing the language, is best adapted to the purposes of letter-writing and, indeed, to meeting all the emergencies in which longhand is usually employed. It may with perfect legibility be written three times as rapidly as longhand, every word being written in full with the exception of less than two hundred, which, on account of their frequent recurrence, are represented by abbreviated forms called logograms.

210. The Easy Reporting Style. a- In the remaining pages of this book those principles of abbreviation according to which phonography is adapted to the uses of verbatim reporting will be so far explained and illustrated as to enable the learner to write what may be termed the "easy reporting style," by the practise of which he may readily increase his speed to from four to five times that of longhand - a speed quite sufficient to meet all the demands usually made upon the business amanuensis or phonographic clerk - and at the same time obtain an easy introduction to the study of reporting as an art, for the complete development of which he is referred to the Reporter's Companion.

ill. Principles of Abbreviation. - The two broad principles of abbreviation applied to the corresponding style in order to adapt it to the uses of the reporter are (a) omission - which includes omission of vowels, of consonants and of entire words - and (b) phrase-writing.

212. Omission Of Vowels

While there is no difficulty in appreciating the immense saving of time gained by the reporter through the extensive omission of vowels, it may nevertheless seem to the beginner that by such omission his phonographic notes will be rendered almost absolutely illegible. The fact is, however, that with very little practise he will become able to read a remarkably large proportion of words from their mere consonant outlines. Indeed he does this in reading vocalized phonography, for as soon as he becomes well ac-(172)__________________________________________________________________________________ quainted with the form of many words he reads them by the outline, paying little attention to most of the vowels, which he finds comparatively useless.

213. Vowels Retained In Certain Cases

It is true, however, that many words do lose legibility to a greater or less extent through the omission of their vowels, and the learner should not at first leave out any initial or final vowel the presence of which is not indicated by the manner of writing the adjacent consonant, though in time he will be able to dispense with even some of these vowels without decreasing the legibility of his notes. Neither should he omit the vowels in writing proper names and strange and unusual words. The vowels should also be inserted in writing detached words, since the legibility of an unvocalized phonographic outline is largely derived from its context - that is to say, the word for which the otitline does stand must often be selected from among those for which it might stand by referring to the words with which it is associated and with which it must "make sense."

214. Position-Writing

The chief means of correcting the illegibility which results from the omission of vowels is the device known as position-writing. Any phonographic stroke, either simple or with appendages, may be written in three positions with reference to the line of writing. When double-ruled paper is used, (see par. 202) the positions are: For full-length upright and slanting strokes:

1st position: through the upper line, which cuts the stroke at its middle point. 2d position: between (and touching both) the lines. 3d position: through the lower line, which cuts the stroke at its middle point. For horizontal and half-length strokes and vowel-signs:

1st position: immediately below (and touching) the upper line. 2d position : resting on the lower line.

3d position: below the lower line (half-length upright and slanting strokes touching it, and all horizontals half the length of a stroke

I below it).

When single-ruled paper is used, the strokes are written in precisely the same relative position to the one line as they are to the lower or base line of double-ruled paper. A double-length curve, to be written in a given position, must be begun at the same point as the corresponding single-length curve in the same position, and the additional length carried on in the direction of writing. An outline made up of two or more strokes, to be written in a given position, is so placed that its first upright or slanting stroke shall occupy that position. If the outline is composed entirely of horizontal strokes its position is, of course, determined by that of its first stroke.

215. How Position-Writing Is Employed

By writing the outline of any word in one of the three positions, the place of the accented vowel of the word is indicated. When the outline is written in the first position it indicates that the accented vowel of the word is a first-place vowel, and so on.

216. What Outlines Should Be Written In Position

It is by no means necessary to write all outlines in position, for the longer an outline is, the greater the certainty with which it may be read without its vowels and without the aid to reading given by position-writing. As a rule, all words are written in position whose outlines consist (a) of but one stroke, whether with or without appendages, and whether modified or unmodified by halving or doubling, or (b) of two unmodified strokes without appendages. Derivative words, moreover, should be written in the position of those primitives from which they are immediately taken. As to longer outlines, it is never necessary to write them in position except for the purpose of distinguishing certain clashing words written with the same outline, as prominent may be distinguished from permanent by writing the former in the first and the latter in the second position.

217. Other Means of Distinguishing "Clashing" Words.- Clashing words may sometimes be distinguished more conveniently than by position-writing, (a) by varying their consonant outlines - as pure may be distinguished from poor by irregularly writing the former with ray - and {V) by inserting distinctive vowels - as voracity is distinguished from veracity by inserting the vowel 0 in the former.

218. Omission Of Consonants

Contractions. - Since the reporter on account of the extensive omission of vowels must depend chiefly upon the consonants for the reading of his notes, it is evident that consonants cannot be omitted to any great extent in the reporting style. Nevertheless, abbreviated forms are employed for certain very frequently-recurring words, and, furthermore, certain words of less frequent recurrence may be usefully abbreviated by the omission of the most inconvenient portion of the outline provided a distinctive and characteristic form remains. A table of the most useful contractions is given on page 178, which, as well as the reporting logograms, should be thoroughly learned by frequent copying and re-copying and also by the writing of short sentences of the student's own devising, which sentences shall contain these words.

219. Phrase-Writing

The table on page 179 gives a list of the most useful phrases. Phrases, it will be observed, consist of single outlines for the expression of two or more words. Those given may be taken as models upon which the student may form others of a like character. The student should increase his phrase-list, however, rather by the adoption of forms seen in printed phonography than by seeking to devise phrases for himself; for he should know beforehand that out of many phrases which he may so devise but few will be of actual service to him in rapid writing, while others may even become a serious hindrance. No phrase should be written unless the words composing it are naturally connected with each other in a logical and grammatical relation, nor unless the several outlines join readily. Neither should any phrase be written which is difficult or awkward on account of its length.

220. "I" and "He" in Phrases. - When the word I begins a phrase it may with perfect legibility be expressed by either one of the two strokes which form the sign v. When the first stroke is used it must always be struck downward, and when the second stroke, it must always be struck upward. When he occurs anywhere in a phrase but at its beginning the tick may be written either up or down according to convenience.

221. Position Of Phrases

Most phrases have their position determined by that of their first word; that is to say, the first word of a phrase is generally written in its own position, and the word or words which follow accommodate themselves to it. Occasionally, however, legibility demands that the first word adapt itself to the position of a following word, as in the phrases of these, of those. See page 179. When a phrase begins with either of the words is, as, his, has, he, the circle or tick-h accommodates itself to the position of the word that follows.

222. Omission Of Words

The connective phrase of the is omitted when the words between which it occurs can be written close to each other. If, however, one of them is a vowel logogram the phrase must be written.

223. Preparation For Amanuensis Work

The student whose immediate object is to fit himself to do the work of a business amanuensis should now turn back to page 112 and rewrite in the reporting style the entire body of exercises beginning on that page and ending on page 171, omitting all vowels except such as in paragraph 213 are directed to be retained, and placing in position all words which fall under the rules of position-writing as given in paragraph 216. Special attention should be paid to the dictation exercises and each one should be written and rewritten from dictation till the learner feels no hesitation in placing each word on paper as soon as it is heard. The words and phrases on pages 177, 178, 179 and 180 should then be written very many times so as to thoroughly memorize each, after which the learner should take up dictation practise on new matter selected from a great variety of sources, and especially on model business letters which may be found in the books of " Business Letters," published by the Phonographic Institute Company. A few weeks of faithful practise for several hours daily will give the learner sufficient speed for all the requirements of ordinary business dictation. If, however, he is ambitious to fit himself to fill the more difficult and, therefore, the more lucrative positions of this kind, and especially if he desires to develop that degree of skill demanded for court and legislative reporting, he is urged to take up the study of the Reporter's Companion, which will lead him to the briefest and most legible style of writing used by practical reporters.