28. A good phonographic phrase simply groups upon paper, words already grouped by the mind and tongue. Words which nature has thus blended and coalesced - which "flow together as if they were the syllables of a single word,"* and, therefore, are uttered with more than average rapidity - suggest and require some briefer mode of expression than isolated word-forms. This suggests the first requirement of a good phrase.

29. (a.) "It should as nearly as possible follow the groupings of natural speech." (Irland). Back of, and anterior to, the sign-group, there should be a natural thought-group and a natural word-group. Words are joined in stenographic phrases, not entirely because it is convenient to join them, but because, by the laws of thought and language, they belong together.