Lesson 2: H, -ing, and TH sounds + Brief Forms
Learn Gregg Shorthand Reading Exercises
Welcome back to the Learn Gregg Shorthand project! Just getting started with Gregg Shorthand? Check out the Archive and begin with Lesson 0.
Let’s jump right in:
Dots in shorthand
Remember at the beginning or over vowels, the dot represents the “h” sound. At the end of words, a dot represents “-ing”:
Reviewing the A Loop
Note how the A loop, when written counter-clockwise implies an -AR- sound. The sound of a as in dark, [ ], [ ], and Calm:
Reviewing the E Loop
The short sound of i as in hit:
The sound of e as in get.
Brief Forms: Shorthand Abbreviations for Speed
To write even faster, Gregg Shorthand uses brief forms, which are shorthand abbreviations for commonly used words. You already do this. Just like how in longhand:
Mister is shortened to Mr.
with is shortened to w/
Laugh out loud — LOL.
etc.
These predefined shortcuts help streamline writing and improve efficiency. Memorize the following!
Phrase Drill
In shorthand, many simple words can be joined together to form phrases, making writing even faster. From the start, you should practice connecting words naturally.
In phrasing, "they" can be represented by th before R and L. Using the brief forms you’ve just learned, you can start building common shorthand phrases efficiently. Practice by translating the following phrases with brief forms:
Shorthand for TH
The shorthand T is curved to represent the TH (or THr) sound:
Practice with the following:
Shorthand Punctuation
Gregg Shorthand includes punctuation marks similar to longhand:
Homework:
Practice reading by translating all the above examples and the following:
That’s it for today! Be on the lookout for the solutions sent later this week.
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See you in the next lesson!