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Business Letters
Papyrus
Books
Crows, Ravens & R-Hooks
Business Letters (9 August 2014)
Business* letters have changed a lot over the years. Looking back at
some quite old shorthand books, the sample commercial letters contained
many obsolete phrases, but they were nevertheless very short and to the
point. Being quick to write, type and read, they kept everyone happy by
not wasting anyone's time. They were in stark contrast to the elaborate* writing style of Victorian book prose, which presented the material as
authoritative and worthy of attention, carefully considered and
composed, rather than dashed off in a hurry. In fact*, close attention
was essential, as nothing really made complete sense until one reached
the end of the long-winded sentence, which was often also the end of the
paragraph. This dense and meandering style lingered on in government
documents and correspondence, and sometimes commercial ones, and it
seemed almost designed to intimidate the reader into instantly obeying
the contents of the letter.
* Omission phrases "biz(ness) letters"
"in (f)act"
* "elaborate" Note that "laboured" uses halved Br stroke
I am very glad that business letters* nowadays have become even simpler
and friendlier in their approach. The language style must match what the
recipient is expecting for that type of business and subject, and any
departure from it* has to be carefully thought about, so that the right
impression is given and professionalism is maintained. A chatty and
over-friendly letter from a solicitor* telling you some sober news is
obviously not acceptable. A stiff and formal letter inviting* you to the
opening of a new café, club or boutique is also out of place. I like a
plain and clear letter without frills, but if the helpful tone descends
into what I call "hand holding", I feel I am back in the first class of
primary* school. I have often been involved in drafting letters, reports
and publicity materials. A specific idea, suggestion or instruction must
be presented clearly and briefly, not so long that the reader gives up
reading or ignores it, and not so short that it appears like a barked
order from a sergeant major. When forms, slips and replies come back, it
is quite chastening to find out how many ways people can misinterpret
what seemed perfectly clear on the leaflet.
* Omission phrase "biz(ness) letters"
* "from it" Halving to represent
"it"
* "solicitor" Exceptional use of
the Ster Loop which does not allow a vowel in the middle
* "inviting" Always insert the
diphthong, and the second vowel in "invading", as these outlines are
otherwise identical in shape and opposite in meaning
* "primary school" Known as
elementary school in some countries
The following paragraphs provide some basic vocabulary for
correspondence. The salutation used depends on how well the addressee is
known: Dear Sir, Dear Madam, Dear Sir or Madam*, Dear Mr Smith, Dear Mr
and Mrs* Brown, Dear Dr Jones, Dear Sir Michael, Dear John, Dear Mary.
If the letter is part of admail, which is generally unaddressed, it may
start with Dear Reader, Customer, Friends, or it might match the
subject, such as Dear Driver, Parent, Home-owner or Gardener. A letter
that is to be* forwarded to another third
party whose name is unknown may be addressed "To whom it may concern*."
* Omission phrases "Dear Sir (or) Madam" "Mr (and) Mrs"
* " it may concern" You could make this into an omission phrase "it-may-(con)cern"
* "that is to be" Note the phrase "that has to be" should be separate
outlines, so that the "as" remains in position
The beginning of a letter should introduce what it is about and why it
is being sent. Common phrases are: with reference* to your letter;
regarding our previous correspondence; in reply* to your enquiry;
further to our recent telephone conversation* ; I am writing in relation
to* our meeting last week*. If something is being sent with the letter,
you would say: please find enclosed the form you requested; I am
attaching the application form that you asked for; I am sending with
this letter* our latest catalogue; we hope you will enjoy reading the
enclosed brochure. Letters have enclosures and emails* have attachments.
* Omission phrases "w(ith re)f(eren)ce" "in (re)ply" "telephone (conver)sation" "in
(re)lation (to)" "last (w)eek"
* "this letter" Downward L to enable a join to be made
* "email" and "mail" Always insert the first vowel to prevent misreading
Letters may end with a reminder of the action required*: I look forward
to receiving your reply* ; I look forward to hearing from you in due
course; I look forward to the return of your completed application form
within the next two weeks*; I trust that the* above comments are useful;
I do hope this information will help you in your decision. More closing
phrases are: please do not hesitate to contact me if you require* any
further information*; I will be happy to answer any questions* that you
may have; I will be contacting you next week* with the results of the
report; I will be looking into the matter further and will let you know
the conclusions as soon as they are available; we hope this settles the
matter to your complete satisfaction.
* "require/d" You can also use intersected Ray for
this
* Omission phrases "your (re)ply" "two wee(k)s" "I trus(t) that the"
"further (informa)tion" "next (w)eek"
* "questions" Optional contraction
A polite note of thanks or appreciation softens the ending: thank you
for taking the time to write to us; we appreciate your interest in our
company and products; thank you for considering* this request; we
appreciate your comments on this matter; your generosity with this
donation is greatly appreciated. Endings vary according to the level of
formality. Dear Sir ends with Yours faithfully*. Dear Mr Smith ends with
Yours sincerely*. Yours truly is an older form current in the USA but
not so much* in the UK. Best wishes, kind or kindest regards and warmest
greetings are much more informal and unlikely to be suitable for a plain
business letter*. There is also one special ending reserved exclusively
for shorthand enthusiasts reading a shorthand blog, "Thank you for
taking the time to read this article and I wish you every success in the
future. Yours most sincerely*, Blog Writer."
(849 words)
* Omission phrases "for (con)sidering" "Yours f(aithfully)" "Yours
(sin)cerely" "biz(ness) letter" "Yours mos(t sin)cerely"
* "so much" Writing the M of "much"
allows the phrase to join
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Papyrus (15 August 2014)
I have just returned from a pleasant morning
walking through the gardens at Hall Place. The large greenhouse contains
a variety of tropical plants, all densely planted around a long
fishpond. As with the rest of the open gardens, everything is
educational, with all the plants clearly labelled: cotton, tea, coffee,
sugar cane, sweet potato and various tropical fruits such as banana,
lemon and orange trees, none of which will grow outside in Britain. In
several places beside the fish pond are some papyrus plants, growing
tall and thick, with a spray of little stems and flowers at the top, in
an umbrella shape. I instantly recognised these as larger versions of
one that is growing at the shallow end of my pond at home, called Cyperus Papyrus or Egyptian Paper Reed. It is shapely and decorative but
unfortunately* it seeds profusely, just like any other* grass, and so I
do my best to remove it whenever it appears, or at least* snap off the
flowering head to prevent it spreading. I love* paper but I don't love
papyrus seedlings everywhere!
* "unfortunately" Optional contraction
* Omission phrase "any oth(er)"
* "at least" "at last" Always insert the
vowel
* "I love" not phrased, as this would look the same as "I will have". If
phrased, it would be advisable to insert the vowel e.g. "I love to do
the housework/I will have to do the housework."
In another part of the* park, there were some
bamboo clumps and on the grass a few wing feathers from crows and geese.
It occurred to me that here was almost everything necessary to get
writing, and all that was missing was some charcoal and maybe some
grease to mix it with to make ink. When I got home, I toyed with the
idea of rescuing my papyrus plant and letting it grow in isolation in a
pot somewhere, so that I could* see if it was possible to make a papyrus
sheet of my own. Having read up on all the time needed in cutting,
soaking, splicing, gluing, hammering and polishing it, I quickly
abandoned that idea.
* Omission phrase "part (of) the". Writing "of" as a hook is avoided
here, as
it would look too much like "number of".
* "I could" is not phrased, to prevent misreading as "I can". "Could
not" can be phrased safely, as "cannot" is written differently.
I did once buy a piece of "papyrus" with Egyptian hieroglyphs* on it,
human* figures, birds, beetles, obelisks and other shapes, in vertical
rows, and a drawing or two of colourful seated personages. It was a very
cheap seaside souvenir, and I think it was made of bits of flattened
English straw woven into something that looked like a small place mat,
with the picture printed on and a thin coating of glue to hold it all
together*. It was not long before it fell apart, and this made it look
even more like a fragment of antiquity, as the shreds came away. I think
it may have had a small label stuck on the back: souvenir of Margate.
King Rameses would have loved it and would most certainly have
immediately put it on his bedside table to remind him of his day out to
the seaside.
* "hieroglyph" is the noun,
"hieroglyphic" is the adjective
* "human" Special outline, above the line to accord with its
second
vowel,
to differentiate it from "humane" which is on the line
* "all together" This is not the same as the word "altogether" which has its own short
form
Home grown bamboo pens
As a shorthand writer*, it is easy to feel an instant affinity with the
Egyptian scribes, who used a cursive form of hieroglyphic writing known
as hieratic (priestly) and demotic (popular) for their ink writings. As
well as papyrus, they wrote notes on plaster tablets*, which were like
wax tablets, but instead with a thin coating of plaster on the wood that
could be washed clean for reuse. They must have occasionally had
stenographic ordeals like our own, as they attempted to get all of a
speech or message down with no gaps.
Did they prefer to keep a large supply of papyrus rolls and spare
tablets to hand, or did some of the less conscientious ones get down to
the end of the roll, only to be requested to take more notes with space
rapidly running out? Did they keep on hand a supply of good quality ink
cakes and reeds, or did some of them think they could get by with lumpy
ink blocks and a blunt reed pen? And did the novice scribes ever have
one of those days when the words required did not seem to match the
symbols that they had learned, and they were wishing that they had paid
more attention in their classes. I think that, just like us, it only
took one of these glitches to jolt them into being better prepared for
future tasks.
* Omission phrase "short(hand) writer"
* "tablets" Insert the second vowel sign so that it cannot be misread as
"tables"
With shorthand being less well known nowadays, people like to muse on
its secrecy value for those who can write it, hoping that it will be as
obscure as a monument or scroll full of hieroglyphs. The Egyptian scribe
could definitely count on this, as literacy and schooling was only for
officers in the upper ranks of society, with the general population* being illiterate and needing only to know their own trade or craft.
However, maybe present-day diarists should not think they can rely on
any traditional shorthand system to hide their writings, as it is very
easy to present any discovered scribbles (with or without the owner's
permission) on the internet and request a translation. So please do not
write your computer passwords or credit card pin number in Pitman's,
Gregg or Teeline!
* "population" Ensure the shun hook is well formed and open, so that this does not
begin to look like "populace" which has the same meaning.
Roman girl with
booklet of wax tablets
(Pompeii) (Reproduction in Dartford Museum)
The Egyptian scribes of past millennia were no doubt perfectly happy
with their papyrus and wooden writing palettes, just as we are with our
writing materials, but I would not want anyone to think that laptops and
tablets were merely a modern invention. Have a look at the Wikipedia
page for Wax Tablet and in the third photo from the top, you can see a
scribe with his laptop tablet on his knees, about to use a stylus and
looking remarkably modern. He has obviously had quite enough of typing
with two fingers, and cannot be bothered to learn to touch type. Maybe
we should ask him what app he is using to write directly on the screen,
although it does actually look like the "Bamboo" graphics tablet with
stylus that I have in front of me.
I think Pitman's is faster,
but The Seated Scribe has
had 4,500 years to practise
(see link below)
The ancient Egyptian scribes occupied a high position in their society,
as they were administrators as well as writers, in control of government
and historical records, and indeed all written information. They were
exempt from heavy manual labour, military service and paying taxes,
because of their valuable skills. Their sons went through long
apprenticeships and inherited their fathers' jobs, so maintaining a high
level of skill throughout the generations*. They were part of the upper
classes or even the royal court, although there were many more lesser
scribes lower down the scale, for the more mundane tasks of keeping
accounts and business transactions. Their five-year apprenticeships
would have covered the formal symbols and the faster day-to-day cursive
writing, as well as training in all the other administrative* duties of
the profession.
* "generations" Optional contraction
* "administ(r)ative" Omits the R
Sphinx seats, London Embankment
Papyrus Lansing, kept in the British Museum, is a school book containing
an exhortation to become a scribe, with dire warnings to avoid the toil,
pain and misery of other manual trades, and encouragement to attain the
position, wealth and "good life" that could be enjoyed by the successful
scribe. It was a practice text to be copied out by the students, who
were obviously being given no opportunity to forget what might befall
them if they neglected* their studies:
"By day write with your fingers; recite by night. Befriend the scroll,
the palette. It pleases more than wine. Writing for him who knows it is
better than all other professions. It pleases more than bread and beer,
more than clothing and ointment."
And later on: "You are dressed in fine clothes; you own horses. Your
boat is on the river; you are supplied with attendants. You stride about
inspecting. A mansion is built in your town. You have a powerful office,
given you by the king . . . Put the writings in your heart, and you will
be protected from all kinds of toil. You will become a worthy official."
* "neglected"
Both present and past tenses would make sense here, so use the optional short dash through the
last stroke, to signify past
tense in a short form or contraction that has no other method to show
the difference
We already know how to read and write, so our shorthand is much quicker
to learn, needing less than* a year, maybe six months, to get to a good
speed, and we have better and more abundant paper, and instant ink in
fountain pens that do not need dipping or sharpening. I think we can
also be grateful for soft adjustable seats and ergonomically designed
desks, and that we do not have to sit for hours cross-legged on the
floor using the standard Egyptian linen kilt stretched across our knees
as a table, on which to balance a writing board and paper. I hope that
your shorthand studies are proceeding as swiftly as the scribe's pen,
and that the only hard manual labour involved is that of practising
until you can produce your streamlined hieroglyphs at a hundred words a
minute and beyond. (1419 words)
* "less than" Downward L in order to make the join
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_hieroglyphs/Y Item Y3 shows the
hieroglyphic sign for "scribe" showing 2-hole palette for black and red
ink cakes, water bottle and reed pen holder.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wax_tablet One of the illustrations shows a
scribe with his laptop tablet on his knees, looking remarkably modern.
www.brooklynmuseum.org/community/blogosphere/2010/09/22/pigments-and-inks-typically-used-on-papyrus
Interesting closeups of inks and pigments on the surface of the papyrus.
http://musee.louvre.fr/oal/scribe/indexEN.html Photos, text and
narration describing in detail the 4,500-year-old statue of The Seated
Scribe in The Louvre, Paris. His intense expression is the same as
countless shorthand writers over the centuries, as they fasten their
attention on the speaker, ready to start writing immediately.
www.u.arizona.edu/~afutrell/w%20civ%2002/paplansing.html Full text of
Papyrus Lansing "Beginning of the instruction in letter writing", with
many details of life at that time.
Top of page
Books (22 August 2014)
On my first day at primary school at the age of four, I was introduced
to the necessity of reading in the very first hour. A low table
contained rows of name cards, rectangles with large neat black words and
a long loop of cord attached to each end. We had to find our own name,
with some help, wear it round our neck for a while, and then place it
back on the table later on in the morning. They were various colours, so
this made things slightly easier. They were not to teach reading, but
enabled the teacher to learn our names, and so keep order, but it was an
introduction to the fact that* we would have to learn to identify
different marks and that not all marks meant* the same thing. I was
quite pleased to see my name written down and it just asked to be
admired, looked after and found correctly each day. I would be learning
other words, but none would compare to that important one!
* Omission phrase "to the (f)act that"
* "meant" Keep the halved M small, as "mean" would make also make sense here
My reading performance in school did not get off to a
particularly good start. The classroom environment was a hurdle in
itself, sometimes stern and quiet, and at other times boisterous, very
different from life at home, and it could easily overshadow a child's
ability to learn and answer questions. These distractions had an adverse
effect on my reading and writing skills progress. One day my Mum told me
that the headmistress Mrs Goldby* had asked if I would like to do a
little bit of extra reading with her in her office. I agreed to this and
was delighted to find that I could* actually read quite well when away
from all the noise and bustle of the classroom. In the quiet of her room
I could give it my full attention and go at my own pace. I just needed
an extra boost to overcome the distractions and I was soon reading as
well as the others. Mrs Goldby always had a very cheerful, jolly and
friendly manner, full of smiles and encouragement. She must have helped
countless children get started on reading and I was certain that she
deserved her wonderful golden surname.
* "Goldby"
Short forms are not used for
names, except for Child, Gold and Short, in which case they must be
vocalised
* "could" is generally not phrased, while "can" is phrased, so that they
are not misread for each other. The exception is "could not" which is
different from "cannot"
Once I had realised that words on the page were someone talking to me,
the prospect of getting stories and information from books, without
anyone else's help, provided all the incentive necessary to continue.
The illustrations told much of the story, but the words told me what the
characters were saying, thinking and planning. A teacher talking to a
child in a class can sometimes intimidate because of the expectation* of
an instant answer, but a book page talking to me was silent, calm,
orderly, pleasant and helpful. I held all the power and I was mistress
of all I surveyed, on the page, that is.
* "expectation" Optional
contraction
Smile!
Long before school days, I had played at reading. I would hold up a big
newspaper, bury my face in it and look left and right, as if following
the lines, and announce "Look, I'm reading!" I thought that was all that
it involved. I played at writing on piles of lined paper, producing page
after page of loops, and gained huge enjoyment watching them emerge from
the end of the pencil. Now I could read and write for real, and it was
quite a revelation that these activities involved the transmission of
information between paper and mind, rather than just empty physical
movements.
Loved to bits
Once your shorthand has become familiar, it begins to convey information
instantly, instead of having to be slowly picked at, puzzled over and
deciphered. This is a slow and frustrating process at first*, but I can
assure you that it speeds up quite quickly, as long as you read, write
and use it regularly, and do not neglect it for long periods. Longhand
never needs deciphering, it just jumps off the page with its meaning
instantly clear, and shorthand can do the same if given the same amount
of time and effort. Unlike longhand, you have to purposely practise
shorthand, as you are not surrounded by it everywhere. Once it has
become comfortable, rather than hard work, you will be more inclined to
use it for writing your own notes, diary or book. It is very satisfying
to be able to capture thoughts at the same speed as they arrive.
* Omission phrase "at (fir)st"
My bookshelves contain all I need for inspiration and
information on all my interests including many shorthand books, from its
beginnings all the way through to the present time. Although I like to
have the rows of books, I try not to keep ones that are no longer being
read or consulted, firstly to leave room for new ones, and secondly
because I resent dusting wads of sewn and glued paper that never move
from their places from year to year! They will be someone else's
treasure, just as they were to me when I first bought them, and I am
always grateful when someone releases a book to be enjoyed by another
new owner. I hope you enjoy the book quotes below, written by people who
appreciate this most civilised and peaceable way of sharing and gaining
information, inspiration and enjoyment.
Still speaking after many
thousands of years
(Egyptian stone tablet, Horniman Museum London)
At one magical instant in your early childhood, the page of a book -
that string of confused, alien ciphers - shivered into meaning. Words
spoke to you, gave up their secrets; at that moment, whole universes
opened. You became, irrevocably, a reader. Alberto Manguel
One glance at a book and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps
someone dead for a thousand years. To read is to voyage through time.
Carl Sagan
Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.
Mason Cooley
The love of learning, the sequestered* nooks, and all the sweet serenity
of books. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
* "sequestered" Note that "sequester" uses Ster Loop
A book lying idle on a shelf is wasted ammunition. Henry Miller
Books - the best antidote against the marsh-gas of boredom and vacuity.
George Steiner
My grandma always said that God made libraries so that people didn't
have any excuse to be stupid. Joan Bauer
Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most
accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers.
Charles William Eliot
If there's* a book that you want to read, but it hasn't* been written
yet, then you must write it. Toni Morrison
* "there's" and "hasn't" Apostrophied words use full outlines, rather
than short forms
Ammunition
If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.
Marcus Tullius Cicero
There is a great deal of difference between an eager man who wants to
read a book and a tired man who wants a book to read. G.K. Chesterton*
Wear the old coat and buy the new book. Austin Phelps
Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will
get you through times of no libraries. Anne Herbert
Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore? Henry Ward Beecher
* "Chester" on its own uses Ster Loop
* "human" Written above the line (matching its
second
vowel) to distinguish
it from "humane" written on the line
Bible from 1486 and
Pliny's Natural History from 1513
(Museum of London)
You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to
suit me. C.S. Lewis
You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to
stop reading them. Ray Bradbury
Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them.
And it's much cheaper to buy somebody a book than it is to buy them the
whole world! Neil Gaiman
But for my own part, if a book is well written, I always find it too
short. Jane Austen
I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in.
Robert* Louis Stevenson
* "Robert" Written thus to distinguish it from "Albert" (Upward L
+ halved
Br), see also "Alberto" in the first quote
The ideal dictionary - covers
as far apart as possible
It's a rare book that wins the battle against drooping eyelids. Tracy
Chevalier
My books are water; those of the great geniuses are wine. Everybody
drinks water. Mark Twain
Thank you for sending me a copy of your book. I'll waste no time reading
it. Moses* Hadas
I just got out of the hospital. I was in a speed reading accident. I hit
a book mark and flew across the room. Steven Wright
The covers of this book are too far* apart. Ambrose Bierce (1382
words)
* "Moses" Written with full strokes, likewise "Jesus" has Circle S and stroke Ess.
* "too far" Note that "far" on its own uses full strokes F + Ar
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Crows, Ravens & R-Hooks
(29 August 2014)
Hello readers, I'm Crow. I have been asked to give a brief
description of our daily life so that you can practise your R-Hooks. I
am glad that she didn't bother to ask the ravens or rooks to contribute,
as they are not as smart as me, and I am sure you prefer to hear about
us clever crows. I have been given a word list that needs to be
practised, which I propose to follow perfectly, and if you are even a
quarter* as clever as a crow, you will soon be producing your cursive
curly scribbles at a hundred birds a minute. At least* I think that is
what she said. In any case, after lots of persistent and eager
practising, you will be flying along towards your grand goal as fast as
we do, as the crow flies, in fact.
* "quarter" can also be written as an
optional contraction, as Doubled Kway above the line
* "at least" "at last" Always insert the
vowel
I live in the park surrounding Danson Lake in
Bexleyheath in Kent, UK. The trees grow tall and straight, and there are
acres of green grass full of dinners in the form of* grubs and worms. We
crows spend our leisure time in the upper branches of the trees, where
it is bright and breezy, and we have a particularly good view of all the
free dinner opportunities. We are quite dapper in our black plumage but
occasionally you may see one of us dressed with a few drab grey
feathers, or maybe a silver streak on the wings. Sometimes we sit and
preen, or sleep and dream, and sometimes we prepare to play pranks on
the visitors as soon as an opportunity presents itself. When they bring
out their bread and crisps, we cry out with a loud "caw" to let our
friends know dinner is probably on offer. We like to prove how brave we
are, so we press ahead towards them, and eagerly grab any morsels that
the eaters drop. We can be quite bold and brash, as we approach in order
to* try and get the prize*, but the price* of shrinking back is going
without supper.
* Omission phrases "in (the) f(orm of)"
"in ord(er to)"
* "prize/price" have the same outline
It's a pretty easy life and a brilliant way to clear up the great
quantity of crumbs. We especially enjoy the crispy* dry batter from
their fish and chip dinners which they often throw in our direction. If
we need to break up a piece of bread, we fly up into one of the larger
tree branches with our treasure and trim it to size, being careful not
to drop any of it. Sometimes groups of visitors traipse and trudge over
the grass and we follow in case they drop or throw more food.
Occasionally we congregate on the ground near the stream and bridge
where the ducks and drakes get fed, and we draw or drag out fragments
that fall near the muddy edges. We don't mind them dripping with water,
as it makes the hard bread crusts easier to eat.
* "crispy" Insert the last vowel, as "crisp" would also make sense
My friend White Wing
You might* like to find out the difference
between crows, ravens (bigger size) and rooks (with white face) in the
video from the British Trust for Ornithology. However, I am quite sure
that everyone is in agreement that crows are the very best of the three,
especially as we are the only ones whose name is written with a true and
proper* R-Hook. We may be smaller and not so strong, but I can truthfully
brag that we are super brainy, with bright sharp minds, and a most
impressive capacity for problem solving. It is intelligence and bravery,
as well as regular training and practising a rapid response, that
improves our personal performance and enables our efforts to get better
as time progresses. I hope you agree with my remarks and remember me and
my friends next time* you write one of those hooks. My final remark is,
the crow who dares wins! Yours truly, Crow. (644 words)
* "might" Always write separately, so it cannot be
misread as "may" in phrases
* "proper" Always insert the first
vowel, and the diphone in "appropriate", as they are similiar in outline
and meaning
* Omission phrase "ne(k)s(t) time"
www.bto.org/about-birds/bird-id/bto-bird-id-corvids
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