Alpha Notehand

Troab Teacher’s Tutorial

Note; This Tutorial is a reference tool for teachers to accompany the preparation of a course in

Troab shorthand, it is not an introductory course to the method for students..

CONTENTS Introduction

Purpose of note-taking – Aim of Tutorial

1. Fundamental principle

2. The Consonants Core consonants – paired consonants – blended consonants – writing ‘S’ - plural ‘s’

3. Indicating vowels

The vowel indicators – initial and final vowels – alternative ‘O’ – sound of AW –

Diphthongs, OI, OW - Double vowels

4. Abbreviation of words

Principles of abbreviation

5. Quick Forms

Principles – Frequency of words

6. The sound of ‘R’ Writing ‘R’ – indicating the sound of ‘R’ – the R-position

7. The sound of ‘L’ Writing ‘L’ – indicating the sound of ‘L’ – the L-position - Final L-syllables

8. Prefixes Frequently occurring Prefixes – More prefixes

9. Suffixes Frequently occurring suffixes / word endings – More suffixes

10. Writing faster

Combining Basic and Professional levels

11. Teaching Troab Basic (Alpha) level Basic shorthand – Keyboard

12. Teaching Troab Professional level

Salient features of Troab and Teeline compared,

A comparison of the Troab and Teeline shorthand methods.

Overview of Troab Shorthand

Shortcuts in note-taking

Resources for teaching

Reference. List of Quick Forms (Basic level / Professional level )

Troab Teacher’s Tutorial Note Throughout this Tutorial Basic level example words or comment are shown in Green, and

Professional level example words or comment in Blue.

Quick Form words are shown in italics and high-lighted in colour.

Introduction

Purpose

The purpose of Troab Shorthand is to enable the writing of notes at meetings, in the classroom or

office for decision making or ‘education’. It is the most versatile method of note-taking to aid

memory and to develop further thoughts triggered by what has been heard.

This Tutorial for Teachers of Troab may be used as a accessory to lesson preparation and as a

reference tool.

Because Troab is an integrated shorthand method these notes are integrated enabling comparison

between the Alpha (Basic shorthand) level and the Professional level.

Aim of Tutorial

To introduce the fundamental structure, theory and ways of teaching and writing Troab Shorthand

with illustrations of any writing differences between Basic and Professional levels.

The Fundamental principle

Shorthand is a way of capturing the spoken word on paper. Words are recorded as spoken.

Whether at business meetings, conferences or in the classroom, writing notes with pen and paper is

still the most versatile and least obtrusive method of taking notes.

This method of shorthand / speed-writing takes account of years of experience of several

generations of shorthand writers. Over the years certain conclusions have emerged regarding the

elements that contribute to an effective shorthand system. These include

writing the sound of words is an efficient way to write speech.

the consonants of a word form its recognizable ‘outline’ or short form.

the significant core letter sounds of shorthand writing are T, D, N and S, R and L

Troab shorthand is based on the above fundamental features.

The Troab shorthand method

Troab is an integrated system of shorthand; it can be written at two levels to meet different note-

taking needs – Alpha (Basic) level and Professional level.

The Alpha level is used for general note-taking at meetings, in the office or in the classroom.

The Professional level is used for high speed verbatim reporting where writing speeds of more

than 100 words a minute are required.

Both levels share a common core of abbreviation rules.

The difference between the two levels is that at Alpha level familiar script (longhand) letters are

used and at the Professional level all consonants are written as simplified, or contracted script

forms, each written as a single pen-stroke.

A special version of Alpha level - Keyboard - is used by keyboarders who wish to make notes on

an electronic QWERTY keyboard; this version is described at the end of the Alpha level course.

‘Pen-Keyboard’ is the Alpha script level version written without using the contracted core letters;

the common core of abbreviation rules applies throughout.

Because this is an integrated shorthand method it is possible to progress from the Alpha-level to

the Professional level with ease as the abbreviation rules are common at both levels.

(Return to CONTENTS page)

Troab Shorthand / Speed-writing

Throughout this tutorial, notes that are specific to Alpha-level (Basic shorthand) are high-lighted in

GREEN, and specific Professional level notes are in BLUE.

The most frequently occurring words, Quick Forms, are high-lighted in BROWN.

Note-taking with Troab

1. The Fundamental principles

Writing fast is an acquired skill building on familiar hand-writing skill with pen and paper.

Writing notes quickly involves both simplification of the way individual letters are formed and

judicious abbreviation of words.

The first step is to examine the writer’s hand-writing and decide whether it needs modifying –

letters should not be written too large or too small and without unnecessary curls or flourishes.

At Alpha-level (speed-writing) core consonants are used, D, T, N and S; these letter sounds occur

particularly frequently and are written using contracted simple forms of script letters to increase

the speed of writing.

Vowels are needed to enable meaningful reading of shorthand notes; a simple system is used

which progresses from familiar letter forms to a set of six vowel indicators providing simplicity

and speed of writing and reading.

In this method of speed-writing you are given a literary ‘tool-box’ of consonants, vowels and word

formation which together can be used to create quickly-formed words and sentences with a

minimum of rules.

The basic theory of this method can be mastered in only a few hours. However, speed writing, or

shorthand, is a writing skill and students need frequent writing practice; this enables familiarity

with the few abbreviation rules and note-taking becomes easier and faster.

This method is based on the writer’s own familiar handwriting and the rules of word abbreviation

are largely intuitive and follow common usage. There is one fundamental principle and two

primary abbreviation devices (quick ways to indicate the sounds of R and L).

A particular feature which contributes to fast writing is the use of the core consonants, D, T, N,

and S. These letters are contracted from familiar Roman script letters to simple one-stroke letter

forms; they are the forms used at both levels of Troab Shorthand (Basic and Professional levels).

Each letter also represents a frequently occurring word. Because they occur in every written and

spoken sentence they very soon become familiar friends which are easily and quickly written and

read.

Because the few abbreviation rules are common throughout the system it is easy to progress from

Basic to Professional level. Basic level writers may use their own hybrid version merging

elements from the Professional level.

Shorthand is an important skill not only as an aid to memory, but the act of writing notes involves

the writer, whether at meetings or at classes, in ways which help to clarify and strengthen

understanding of what is being said. Taking notes in shorthand, or speed writing, has a potential

impact for the writer far beyond “just making a note of things”.

“If deliberations are to be remembered, revised or acted upon, they must first be recorded”.

The ancient Chinese proverb is also particularly relevant to the shorthand note-taker;

“Tell me, I forget;

Show me, I remember;

Involve me, and I understand”

Once learned, shorthand is a valuable skill for life.

What you are recording are the sounds of speech. Each word is recorded on paper by writing its

basic sound structure. There are just two fundamental principles to follow.

Words are written according to the way they sound.

You hear a word and you write down the letters representing the sounds of that word. Thus the

words ‘way’ or ‘weigh’ are both written as ‘w+a’, and ‘knew’ is written as ‘n+u’ ; the sound of ‘f’

is always written as an ‘f ’ whether it occurs as f, gh, or ph, in such words as face, stuff, tough or

photograph. By leaving out silent or unstressed sounds you can represent most words by a very

short “outline” of consonants and significant vowels.

Each word ‘outline’ is formed using the significant consonants and vowels. Mostly your notes will consist of sentences. The context of a sentence is an excellent guide to the

meaning of individual words and this fact will allow you to write quite short word outlines which

can be read back easily. By way of demonstration, can you read the following sentence?

o e o o o e, a i e eio

Probably not! But, if we write it as, ‘t b r nt t b, tht s e qstn,’ you will easily read it as “To be or

not to be, that is the question”.

This illustrates the principle that it is the consonant structure of a word which gives us the word

‘picture’ or ‘outline’.

In shorthand the principal sounded consonants are written to represent a word.

Most vowels in the body of the word can be omitted but a significant vowel may sometimes be

added for clarity.

Initial vowels and final sounded vowels are written.

These sentences further demonstrate this point.

cn u rd ths sntns ?

wn u gt t e tp o e ldr, stp clmg.

u tk e hmr , il hld e pst, wn i nd m hd , u ht t.

e lgst jrne bgns w a sgl stp.

A simple and consistent method of vowel indicators is used at both levels.

MORE

But merely leaving out a few vowels and silent letters does not by itself make a useful

abbreviation system. We need to follow a set of consistent rules whereby we can write any word

quickly in a shortened form and one which can always be easily recognized.

Clearly the consonant ‘outline’ is very important, but we also need a simple way to indicate the

particular vowels in any word to enable fast and accurate reading of what has been written.

Writing words

Fundamental principle

Words are written according to their sound.

way, weigh w + a knew, new n + u

Initial and final sounded vowels are included using the simple vowel indicators.

aim egg issue gay so buy

aim egg issue gay so buy

In this method of note-taking we like to keep everything simple. There are very few rules to

follow and these are based on common writing practice and usage. Essentially you will be

abbreviating words by writing their principal sounded consonants. This gives you the ‘sound

picture’ of a word.

The method is based on a single fundamental principle with two primary abbreviation rules (the

sound of R and the sound of L). This makes it easier to learn and faster to write than methods that

require learning a host of special abbreviations for specific syllables based on the way they are

spelled.


2. Writing consonants

2.1 Basic level (Alpha-Script) At Basic level normal script consonant letters are written, the letters which you use everyday. You

should write these in their simplest forms avoiding large letters or flourishes.

The core consonants, D, T, N and S, are always written in their contracted forms.

(see below, 2.2 Professional level )

Students should write out the following table in their notebook to create a personal check-list of

the script letters they will be using.

Keep these letters simple and consistent.

Lower case letters

b c f g h j k l m

....................................................................................................………...........

p q r s v w x y z

…....…………………………………..................................................……………

Upper case letters

B C F G H J K L M

…………………………………………………………………………….……..

P Q R S V W X Y

……………………………………………………………………….

2.1.2 The paired consonants.

The paired consonants are represented by single letters with an associated sound.

CH SH QU TH

which she quick that

( TH – T written on a slant. QU – modified ‘q’)

( These can be distinguished if needed, by writing the paired consonants with a looped ‘tail’.)

z

J CH Z SH T TH QU

j mj zc fz s m

chat much shock fish them south

Distinguishing between writing a ‘print form’ J and conventional handwritten j, usually with a

looped tail, is a matter of personal preference. It can be noted that the combination CH occurs

more frequently than J. The chosen distinctive form should be followed consistently.

Similarly, Z and SH can be distinguished using a ‘print’ form and a hand-script (longhand) letter.

SH occurs more frequently than does Z. A print form letter Z can be written with three pen-

movements; the initial horizontal stroke is written left to right with the end stroke ending similarly.

[This suggests that a print form ‘z’ might be a preferred choice to represent the paired consonants

SH.

As such it can be considered to be used for SH at both Basic and Professional levels.

z zc zf cz pz wz

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. [ Prof level sh. words ]

she shake shift cash push wash

compare (S + H ) ……..,

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

she shake shift cash push wash ]

Important note on writing consonants

The example words in the text and the Keys to the practice sentences should be adapted to use the

writer’s own letter forms. Some differences between the letter forms will emerge inevitably, most

probably with the letters ‘b’, ‘f’ and ‘s’.

As far as possible keep to the forms the student is used to writing as these will be quicker to write;

always aim for simple letter forms.

The core letters, D, T, N, are always written in their contracted forms as used at T-Script

Professional level. They are also used to represent frequently occurring words (Quick Forms).

D T N

do it, to no, not

[ see Basic Course for D T N + S ]

debt to-do note noted done tune

2.2 Professional level

At Professional level Consonants are written in the form of contracted Roman script letters, the

first letter of a word normally rests on the line.

B C D F G H J L M

N P Q R S T V W Z

The core consonants (common to both levels) are

D T N S

do it, to no, not is

The S-circle is used in combination with other core consonants, but a script letter ‘s’ is written

when it is the initial letter of the word.

2.3 The paired consonants.

The paired consonants are;

CH SH TH QU

which she that quick

( CH – H written on a slant, SH – S + H, TH – T written on a slant. QU – modified ‘q’)

CH – alternative, C + H

TH is represented by T written on a downward slant.

CH j SH z T TH

which she to, it that, thing

Because T is a core consonant at both levels it follows that the contracted form is written at Basic

level to represent ‘to’ and ‘it’ and TH words.

Writing Professional level consonants

Encourage students to write all consonants with pen control; not too firm a grip on the pen nor too

loose. Aim for consistency of stroke to ensure easy and accurate reading back of notes.

Downward strokes should be a consistent length; distinguish between P and the A-vowel indicator.

Horizontal letters should be clearly parallel with the line of writing, not slanted.

Initial R-position letters are raised above the line but not excessively.

M and W are best written upright without excessive curve.

Similarly, L should curve up more than slanted along the line.

Developing good habits of writing will be rewarded with fast writing and clarity in reading back.

2.4 The sound of consonants

Some consonants have hard and soft forms.

The letter ‘c’ is used consistently for the hard ‘k’ sound which occurs in the words, cup, cat, act,

luck, back, kick, kitchen and book

(The letter ‘k’ is used only for writing initials.)

We write ‘f’ consistently whenever this sound occurs.

Note that the sound of ‘f ’ may occur in different spellings as in the words, fun, cliff, cough and

photograph.

The letter ‘g’ is used for the hard sound which occurs in the words, go, gun, game, pig, log and

dig.

The letter ‘j ’ is used for the soft ‘g’ sound which occurs in the words, gin, jam, badge, dodge,

wedge, page, jacket, gem and adjourn.

The letter ‘q’ is used for the combination sound, ‘qu’ (pronounced as ‘kw’).

When writing ‘x’ start with the downward stroke, left-to-right and finish with the upward stroke;

this makes an easier join with a following letter.

2.5 The fundamental principle of abbreviation

Write the significant sounded consonants to form the word outline (in the body of a word

vowels may often be omitted).

At Basic level the writer’s own familiar script letters are used except D, T, N, which are

always written in their contracted forms.

‘c’ represents the hard sound of K,

‘g’ represents the hard sound of G

‘j ’ the soft sound of G and J.

back bc cough cf give gv gem jm job jb

2.6 Blended NT and ND

After N, T is modified to an anti-clockwise hook, and D is written as a clock-wise hook;

sent want send wind note did died

sent want send wind

[ The S-circle balances the position of the T or D hook ]

Note the distinction made between a consonant and a syllable T or D.

Where there is no intervening vowel the T or D is blended with the preceding letter (consonant T

or D), usually in a hook form (a full T is blended with C in act, fact, tact).

A sounded vowel is indicated by writing the full form for T or D (syllable T or D) without a blend.

bent bonnet end nod send synod

tact ticket duct docket sent Senate

bent bonnet end nod send synod

tact ticket duct docket sent Senate

2.7 Writing ‘s’ [see also Basic Course ]

At Basic level a normal script letter, in its familiar print form, ‘s’, is written at the beginning of a

word.

said sit son sudden sick safe soft some

At Basic level the Quick Form for ‘is’ may be written as a print form ‘s’ or as the S-circle.

Plural S may be indicated by the S-dot, books bc.

(This is a contraction of the S-circle as used at Professional level.)

(The S-circle occurs in the Roman hand-script script letter ‘S’ )

bc. rsc. lm. lg. mv. sc. wc.

books risks limbs legs moves socks weeks

The S-dot is used as convenient, to indicate a final ‘s’ sound in verbs (present tense);

beats fights dates gives meets packs sits

The S-dot is used particularly with Quick Forms and contracted (abbreviated) words.

things accidents .

At Basic level a normal script letter ‘s’ may be written at any time; this is familiar and quick to

write.

However, the S-circle is preferred with the core letters, D, T, Th, N, in the middle or at the end of a

word.

debts sets sense dance dances

At Professional level the S-circle is used generally.

does gives meets seems tests wastes

beats fights dates gains meets packs sits

2.8 The double ‘ses’ sound is indicated by writing a disjoined S,

system consist resist basis bases crisis crises

assist assisted associated cessation sister systemic

system consist resist basis bases crisis crises

The disjoined ‘s’ may be written with an initial letter or combined with a following letter.

………… [as T rs TD cs TD ]

assist assisted resisted consisted

The S-circle is written inside the curve of an adjacent letter.

When written outside a curve it indicates a separate word, ‘is’.

sit it-is it-is-not is-it

Writing PT

When writing P with a full T, indicating an intervening long vowel, a slight pressure on the

downward P followed with a lighter T can make an easy join.

This can also be used with upward R + N.


3. Vowels

3.1 Indicating vowels

Most often vowels are omitted in the body of a word where the context of the sentence provides

the meaning.

When needed a simple system of vowel indicators is used; these are common to both levels.

Each indicator also represents a very frequently occurring word (Quick Forms).

This is a particular feature of Troab which contributes to fast writing speeds.

The vowel indicators are;

a e i o oo u

and, at the I, in of on you

These are used as follows;

To indicate an initial or final vowel; the indicator may be joined or disjoined as convenient.

A final sounded vowel indicator is written on the line and close to the final consonant of the

word.

age egg open pay see go guy

Medial vowels

To clarify a vowel within the body of the word:

Short vowels – indicator is written ABOVE the outline,

Long vowels – indicator is written BELOW the outline,

man men bet beat whip wipe rot wrote

din dine man main men mean win wine

A long vowel may also be indicated by writing an omissible letter, L or R, or writing a

vowel indicator.

… f … fl C ca ´fer

fill fail car care inferior

feel fail car care inferior

When used in the body of a word the indicators are written,

ABOVE the word to indicate a SHORT vowel sound,

BELOW the word to indicate a LONG vowel sound.

3.2 The double ‘OO’ is also used as an alternative form for ‘O’, particularly with N;

When written sideways it represents ‘who, whom’. The context provides the meaning.

own know who, whom

Writing a vowel followed by ‘S’

Although most medial vowels are omitted in words written in the context of a sentence it is

sometimes useful to insert a vowel indicator to aid reading.

case these those nice fuse

There is a simple way to do this with a following ‘S-circle’.

Write the S on to the consonant and follow through the S-circle by the relevant vowel indicator.

This is only used for a long vowel; it is fast to write and can be a distinctive help in reading back.

case these those nice fuse

3.3 The sound of AW Double vowels

AW is represented by a modified letter ‘o’ (combination of the vowel indicators OO + U).

This is a combination of the vowel indicators for O and U.

This vowel indicator is written within the body of a word, but it is usually omitted in words that

are written in the context of a sentence.

ought bought caught taught

saw * awesome awful jaw law paw

* The S-dot is normally written but a joined S-circle may be used if preferred to avoid a pen-lift.

The AW indicator may be omitted in familiar words when written

in the context of a sentence.

bought caught saw taught awesome awful

daughter bought * caught taught

* The full T, not the T-hook is used here to indicate the long vowel.

In familiar words the A-indicator may be written to indicate initial AW when written

in the context of a sentence; it may be disjoined.

August audit awful awesome

3.4 The diphthongs are,

OI y OW o

OI OW o

OI is written as ‘y’ at Basic level,

boy toy foyer annoy destroy destroyer

At Professional level OI is written as a combined AW + E,

OI

coin boy annoy noise oil

employ employment employee employer unemployed

Very often the OI indicator may be omitted in frequently occurring words written in the

context of a sentence.

j– ( jy– ) c– (cy– ) –s ( –ys )

join coin noise

join noise foil boil choice poise soil

3.5 The Diphthong OW

The sound of OW is indicated by using the script vowel letter ‘o’.

cow now out outcome outfit outline output

out about allow bow cow frown

doubt down now round town

outfit outcome output outline outlet

about allow round out outline outlet

The S-circle needs to be distinguished from the script letter ‘o’.

is best has nice decent dust

our, hour power flower, flour tower showered

At Basic level OW may be doubled in size to indicate a following R.

O pO f O

O zO

our, hour power flower, flour tower showered

3.6 Indicating double vowels

OW is not doubled in size at Professional level, so a following sound of R

is indicated by writing R.

The S-circle is written rather less than half the size of a script letter ‘o’.

Double vowels

Occasionally two vowels follow each other and are sounded separately without forming a

diphthong, e.g. radio, create.

When two sounded vowels follow each other without forming a diphthong,

the stressed vowel can be written and the unstressed vowel omitted.

diet poem riot science

diet poem riot science

When it is helpful to indicate a double vowel specifically, a combination vowel

indicator is used (EI written in the form of a small ‘v’)

area idea create diet

area idea create ruin

[

area idea create appreciate ]

This may be inverted where it may be more appropriate or makes an easier join.

Often a single vowel indicator is sufficient;

deviate diet ruin science séance

3.7 Double vowel with R. When R follows a double vowel the ‘r is written following common abbreviation practice and the

double vowel indicator is omitted.

senior (snr) junior (jnr) superior inferior

senior (snr) junior (jnr) superior inferior

You will find that diphthongs can often be omitted in the body of a word written in the context

of a sentence.

hs ms sps Bs

house mouse spouse browse

join coin noise choice

point appointed counted discounted

browse found house loud mouse spouse

choice coin join noise point appointed

count counted discounted mounted

Do not make so much noise. Come and join the crowd.

The little boy made a loud noise.

3.8 Double vowel with ‘S’

Where a double vowel sound is followed by S, as in ‘-ious’, ‘uous’, it is contracted to writing only

the ‘s’ (Say the word when writing it.).

cus fus ses vas

curious furious serious various

devious impervious impetuous previous

curious devious furious serious various

impervious impetuous previous

The ‘shus’ ending – ‘ious’

In some words the vowel combination ‘-ious’ is pronounced as ‘shus’; this may be spelled

variously as ‘-cious’, ‘-tious’ or ‘-xious’; this occurs in such words as delicious, ambitious and

anxious.

The syllable ‘-ious’ pronounced as ‘shus’, is written as it sounds – ‘zs’ (SHs).

anxious conscious gracious precious

At Professional level ‘shus’ is represented as SHS but this is contracted to writing HS.

anxious conscious delicious fictitious officious precious

This may be used by advanced writers of Basic level,



4. Abbreviation of words

4.1 Writing words and sentences

The first letter of a word is written generally on the line as in normal script writing

At Basic level, when a core letter is included in an outline any following adjacent letter may be

written on to the core letter. Because this method of shorthand is based on normal hand-writing

style it can be adapted to a way of writing that is natural and comfortable to the writer.

bank fence sink sense

At Professional level consonants are joined within words unless a rule requires a disjoin, e.g. the

L-position or ‘double-ses’.

4.2 Familiar words Many words that form everyday speech can be abbreviated simply and intuitively; the following

abbreviations will be recognized as ‘natural’, the sort of short forms that are used when writing

quick notes. All these ‘natural’ abbreviations follow the principles outlined above.

You would have no difficulty reading these short forms when they occur in the context of a

sentence. e.g.

‘Go bc to the beginning’.

‘You have made a bg mistake’.

‘Can you fl the heat’?

‘This hs nothing to do with hs mother’.

‘Do you really lv him’?

‘Why do you always pc on her’?

‘It can be done wl you wait’.

‘The car was a complete rc’.

4.3 Troab Shorthand – Basic principles of abbreviation

The following principles apply at both Basic and Professional levels.

Words are written as they sound applying the following principles.

Use these principles to form words not included in the Word List.

4.3.1 Write the significant sounded letters of a word.

Medial vowels may often be omitted, but include a vowel if needed for clarity.

e.g. wreck r + c ( …… ) cough c + f ( …… )

4.3.2 Write the initial letter of a word (consonant or vowel).

e.g. and a ( …… ) he h ( …… ) ache a + c ( …… )

4.3.3 Write a final sounded vowel.

e.g. say s + a ( ….. s ) party PR + t + e ( …… P )

4.4 Words may be abbreviated to a significant core of letters.

4.4.1 Write the initial stressed syllable of the word.

e.g. possible p + s ( …… ) urgent u + r + j ( …… )

4.4.2 A final letter / syllable / sounded vowel may be added for specificity.

e.g. satisfactory sts + e ( …… ) significantly sgnf + e ( …….. )

4.4.3 ND and NT consonants are blended (without an intervening vowel).

D is blended after N as a clock-wise hook (mend ……. )

T is similarly blended as an anti-clockwise hook (meant …….. )

CT may also be blended ( act …….. )

Writing these combinations without blending indicates an intervening vowel (acute …….)

4.4.4 Write a prefix, or first letter(s) of a root word, or a suffix,

e.g. compromise c (com-) + pr + m ( …… cPms)

administrator a (ad-) + mn + r ( ……. amnr )

contentment c (con-) + tn + -ment ( …….. ctnm )

4.4.5 The R- and L- positions may be combined; the R-rule takes precedence over the L-rule.

e.g. inaugural in- + a + GRL ( ……. G )

agricultural a + GR + c + TRL ( ………. Gc )

4.4.6 Some of the most frequently occurring words (which form almost half of all written

and spoken matter) have special short forms (Quick Forms) following common usage.

and be, by can do for go he, him have

The vowel indicators are also used as Quick Forms,

and the I, in of on you


5. Quick Forms

Quick Forms are special short contractions based on common usage in abbreviating words much

as you abbreviate such words as –

road rd, amount amt, and avenue ave, in normal writing.

Quick Forms are not arbitrary signs, they are words abbreviated following the general rules of the

Troab method.

Throughout this Tutorial ‘Quick Form’ words are shown in italics and high-lighted in colour.

These most frequently occurring words (Quick Forms) comprise almost half of all written and

spoken matter. These special abbreviations are based on common abbreviation usage using the

first letter of the word or the dominant sound of the letter / word.

c f g h m q w v can, come for go, good he, him me, my quick we, with very

r b x s are be except is

can, come for go, good he, him me, my quick we, with very

are be except is


a, and (at) the I, in of on you

Such letters can be used for different words where they are different parts of speech; the context of

the sentence will indicate the appropriate meaning.

e.g. ‘She can come with me’, ‘he is with him’, ‘what is that thing’, ‘bigger than’

Some Quick Forms can be written together in frequently occurring groups. Make sure such groups

are distinctive in the writer’s own style of handwriting!

and the of the in the do not I do not it is


6. The sound of R

The letter R / may be written upwards or downwards; the upward form is most used but

occasionally the downward form can be convenient, e.g. to indicate a preceding long vowel.

The general rule for indicating the sound of R applies at both Basic and Professional levels.

The sound of R is read after a consonant written double-size or in the R-position.

6.1 Indicating R.

At Basic level the sound of R is read after a consonant doubled in size.

Script consonants are written as a capital or upper case letter and the core consonants ( D, T, Th, N)

are doubled in length.

brick, bark crack, cork part dirt train

At Professional level R is read after a consonant doubled in size.

dark dirt north nurse nervous

No distinction is made between consonant and syllable R. The context of the sentence will

indicate which is intended.

6.2 Because a vowel indicator cannot be doubled in size; when R follows a vowel, a normal

(script) lower case letter is written; a following ‘r’ is written (or indicated by a capital letter).

a e ca car (cA) fe pu pur (pU)

air ear care carer fear pure purer

At Professional level the ‘R’ is written with an initial vowel indicator..

air ear ore

A long vowel followed by ‘R’ is indicated by writing the ‘R’ (the general usage is that a long

vowel sound is read after writing an omissible letter).

car care her hire more mere poor pair

THR may be written at a shallow angle to avoid the pen going too far below the line.

mother rather weather there, their thrill threat

The R-position

Downward stroke consonants when doubled are started high to rest on the line,

this is the R-position.

A normal size consonant may be written in the R-position to indicate a following R sound; this

applies to the first consonant of the word except ‘S’.

car card court part far turn

board bread brother car card court dirt

far fork garden grant harder margin more

park part sure turn, train war, were worse

The R-position rule applies to the first sounded consonant of the root word except S.

abort accord accrue afford agree apart assert

Writing SR and VR

At Basic level initial SR is written as a capital letter ‘S’.

Sj Sf S Sl surge surf sorry serial

certain sort surmise sword

And a capital letter ‘V’ is written for ‘v + r’.

ever every verdict virus vary have, very

At Professional level initial SR is written with the S-circle + R; the S may be written clockwise or

counter-clockwise as convenient.

surge certain sort sorry circle serial aerial

VR is always written as ‘v + R’.

vary various verse verdict verge virgin virus

have, very ever every

ever every day everyone everything every time everywhere

everybody

Blended ND and R

Writing the R is preferred after a blended D-hook rather than writing a double-length D.

This is easy and quick to write.

wander sender binder finder thunder

lender tender slander leader

At Basic level the contracted R may be introduced and used at the discretion of the teacher.

wander sender binder finder thunder

lender tender slander leader border

Otherwise a double-size D is written; this may be deepened to make a distinct join with the N.

finder lender sender

A Basic writer aiming for higher speeds my consider using the contracted R ( / ) as a disjoined

‘re-’ prefix,

e.g. re-consider, re-direct, reform, return

Writing PR + V

When PR is followed by V, the double-length P is written on a slant and merged with the V.

prove prevent preview private provide province

approve approval disprove pervade pervasive perversion

provision provisional provoke provocation

At Basic level a capital letter P is written for PR, pre-, pro- .

Pv Pv Pv Pf Pv Pv Pv prevent preview private proof prove provide province

Pvc Pvsv PV PV

provoke pervasive perversion pervert


7. The sound of L

At Professional level ‘L’ is written in two forms, both are written upwards; these forms are seen

in the familiar script letter L.

L

These curves are derived from the loop of the script letter ‘l’.

The anti-clockwise curve is most frequently used but you may use the form most suitable to your

handwriting style. A more upright curve will avoid any possible confusion with a letter T which is

distinctively written as an horizontal stroke.

land laser last lead less letter

listen live level lunar

Initial SL is always written as SL, not as a subscript S (which would be ‘self- ‘ )

At Basic level the script letter ‘s’ is used at the beginning of a word and also to represent the affix

‘-self’.

said set sun sister myself herself selfish

7.1 Indicating the sound of ‘L’

The sound of L is read after a letter written in a subscript position (the L-position).

bill fill tell couple metal middle trouble

battle canal final legal local tackle

build colder deal field real value well, while

A long vowel L-syllable may be written specifically with a subscript vowel indicator but this

would rarely be necessary for words written in context. Transliteration when reading back notes

will point to the intended meaning.

fail feel file foal fool

… f … read as ‘fl’.

“I fail to see your point”.

“How does she feel now?”

“His record is on file”.

“The mare has a new foal”.

“I feel such a fool now”.

When writing on unlined paper the syllable following the L is written in a superscript position;

this follows the rule and maintains the subscript relationship to indicate the L.

The raised position should not be exaggerated, sufficient to recognize as written above the line.

delicate filter glitter milk novelty skeleton

collaborate delicate milk police silver

It may sometimes be convenient to write the L and avoid a pen-lift; the choice may relate to the

vocabulary of the writer and word frequency.

analysis disallow dismal femoral final normal

Note: The L-rule is applied to the first letter of the root of the word, and a prefix or an initial

vowel indicator is disregarded.

(This is consistent with the practice of using the R-position.)

complacent complaint complicated explain inflation inflict

apply application effluent include preclude

deflect derelict display familiar

satellite turbulent

7.2 The ‘l’ may be written to indicate an intervening long vowel.

(This is the consistent practice of writing an omissible letter, R or L, to indicate a preceding long

vowel.)

cl fl ml rl sl wl hl

coal feel mile rule seal while whole

coal feel mile rule seal while whole

Similar outlines can be distinguished by inserting a vowel indicator, but when written in the

context of a sentence this would rarely be necessary.

settle still stale steel stole

well wheel while

An initial LR is indicated by writing a double-length ‘L’. This may be used as convenient at the

end of a word or the ‘L-position + R’ may be used; a significant vowel indicator may be included.

colour clear failure floor large learn lord, lurid

cellar, seller whaler

taller tailor failure

trail trillion

When writing an initial letter in the L-position a following LR is indicated by ‘R’ (the subscript

position indicates the sound of ‘L’).

colour clear failure floor gallery hilarious pillar

The R-rule takes precedence over L; note these examples.

pearl parlour Parliament peril poorly preliminary prelude

pearl parlour Parliament peril poorly preliminary prelude


8. Prefixes

8.1 Common prefixes are given distinctive short forms;

These are intuitive forms and relate to common usage.

The prefixes ‘con-’, ‘com-’ and ‘can-’, ‘coun-’

‘con-’, ‘com-’; these are both represented by the letter ‘c’

concern concert comfort combine

concern concert comfort combine

‘can-‘ ‘coun-’ written as cN,

cancer candid counter counterfeit country

cancer candid candidate

The prefixes ‘en-’, ‘in-’, ‘-un-’.

The prefix ‘en-‘ is indicated by ‘N’ (Say it, write it.)

The prefix ‘in-’ is contracted to ‘i’ (the Quick Form for ‘in’)

The prefix ‘un-’ may be written in full as ‘UN’ or abbreviated to ‘u’.

enough end enemy enquiry enter enable

‘en-’ contracted N;

end energy engage entail enter

end energy engage entail enter

‘in-’ represented by the I-indicator (in),

incident inform incapable include incoming incorrect innovate

The I-indicator may be written upwards or downwards as convenient.

Before D or N it is written downwards.

indeed indecent index indict industry induce indoors

indicate indirect indignant indefinite indiscretion indulge

The I-indicator is written as the Quick Form for ‘in’; it is also used as

the prefix ‘in-‘.

inaccurate inadequate inept initial initiative inoculate

inadvisable inappropriate inundate

Before T, the I-indicator representing ‘in’ is written upwards.

intend intent interest internal intake

interrogate interpret introduction interval

interview internal interfere intruder

Quick Forms

individual information inconvenient

The prefix ‘un-’

unpaid unpack unrest unreal

unlike unnecessary unsafe unsure

unable unconscious uncover unearth uneconomic

unofficial unusual unbeaten unjust unless

The prefix ‘un-’ is usually written in full but may be contracted to the U-indicator.

unknown unpaid unpack unrest unreal

untrue unwanted unwell unlike unnecessary

undecided unfair unfit ungrateful

unmask unqualified unsafe unsure

unit unison universe university union

Quick Forms

indifferent industry industrial

The prefix ‘ex-’

‘ex-’ at Basic level this prefix is written as ‘x’.

at Professional level it is written as ES ; this is a contraction of ECS, (pronounced as ‘ecks’).

The script letter ‘x’ is formed by an initial downward stroke followed by the upward stroke.

When written as a superscript it indicates ‘extra-’ ;

examine expert, export express external exercise * exempt

excel excellent executive excuse exist exact explosion

expect excited expense explanation explosion

But when the U-vowel sound is LONG the full UN is always written.

* If this word is used frequently it may be written as a Quick Form.

exercise

Quick Forms

extra extraordinary

‘extra’ is written as a superscript ‘x’ or a capital letter ‘X’.

extra extra time extra value

These phrases may be written in full or as Quick Forms.

extra time extra value extra-time extra-value

Prefixes ‘imm-’, ‘em-’.

The E-indicator may be added for clarity if required to indicate ‘em-’ specifically.

immense import imagination imitate immerse empty

embarrass embassy emblem emergency emigration

Useful Prefixes

antibiotic anti-social anti-abortion anti-freeze

‘anti-’ is expressed by AN joined to the following letter.

The prefixes ‘imm-’ and ‘em-’ are both represented by M.

ante-natal antecedent ante-dated ante-room

circumference circumspect circumvent circumnavigate

But note how the Quick Form ‘circumstance’ and its derivatives are written.

circumstance circumstances circumstantial

At Basic level ‘SR’ is written as a capital letter ‘S’.

circumstance circumstances circumstantial

electric electrical electricity electromagnetic

At Basic level ‘electric’ is written as a superscript ‘Ec’

‘ante-’ is expressed specifically by a disjoined AN.

‘circum-’ is expressed as a disjoined SR.

‘electr-’ is expressed by a superscript L.

This is used in the related combination words.

electric electrical electricity electromagnetic

grandstand grandson grandmother granddaughter


Writing this prefix in the R-position may be preferred.


multi-lateral multi-purpose multi-storey

multi-lateral multi-purpose multi-storey

polyester polygamy polygon polymer polyunsaturated

'grand-' is expressed by writing GRN.

Because the final D is only lightly sounded it may be omitted.

‘multi-’ is expressed as a disjoined subscript M written through the line.

‘poly-’ is expressed as a disjoined subscript P.

polyester polygamy polygon polymer polyunsaturated

semi-final semi-darkness semi-detached semi-circle

semi-final semi-darkness semi-detached semi-circle

submit subdue subtract subvert

submit subdue subtract subvert

super, superintendent superintend* supermarket superficial

super, superintendent superintend* supermarket superficial

* In the context of a sentence the short form ‘SU’ can represent ‘super, superintend,

superintendent’.

‘semi-’ in compound words is written as a disjoined SM.

‘super-’ is indicated by writing a disjoined SU.

‘sub-’ is normally written in full.

( it may also be indicated by writing a disjoined S-dot.)

transaction transfer translation transmit transport

transaction transfer translation transmit transport


9. Suffixes

Commonly occurring suffixes are treated similarly at Basic and Professional levels.

9.1 Frequent word endings have distinctive short forms.

(At Basic level these may be written in their Professional level forms if preferred.)

‘-ly’ is indicated by a disjoined E-vowel indicator using the L-principle;

barely mainly poorly fairly quickly sadly timely

barely mainly poorly fairly quickly sadly timely

‘-ment’ is represented by m (usually disjoined and may be written slightly smaller);

comment compliment detriment document experiment

comment compliment document experiment implement statement

‘-mental’ , the ‘m’ is written in the L-position.

detrimental experimental regimental sentimental

‘trans-’ is indicated by writing TRS.

detrimental experimental regimental sentimental

‘-ng’, is indicated by a small g ;

among belong hang rang, wrong single song thong

among belong hang rang, wrong single song thong

‘-ing’ is indicated specifically by a disjoined I-indicator ;

being caring coming doing going meeting waiting

being caring coming doing going meeting waiting

‘-less’ is indicated by a superscript s (Circle-S may be used at Basic level.)

ca fe hm r s [ S-circle]

careless fearless homeless ruthless senseless thoughtless

careless fearless homeless ruthless senseless thoughtless

The ‘shun’ ending

The word ending pronounced as ‘shun’ is spelled variously as ‘-tion’, ‘-sion’, ‘-cian’.

The ‘shun’ ending is indicated by writing a disjoined N (shun-N).

action affection condition animation edition destruction

fashion mention mission motion section sensation vision

fiction friction mention nation passion session

musician ocean oceanic optician physician

fiction friction mention nation passion session tension

musician ocean oceanic optician physician

Sometimes it can be helpful to insert a vowel in order to differentiate between similar ‘shun’

endings; when written in the context of a sentence this is rarely necessary.

The indicator may be written on to the preceding consonant or on to the ‘shun-N’ as convenient.

addition commission demolition desolation fusion motion

munitions rendition solution

addition commission collusion desolation formation fusion

motion munitions rendition solution

mention motion mission edition quotation fashion nation

action vision faction section affection sensation volition

animation rendition condition destruction demolition sedition

Double ‘ses’ with ‘shun’

When a double ‘ses’ is followed by ‘-sion’, the ‘disjoined S’ is blended with the shun-N.

accession concession obsession possession procession recession

accession concession obsession possession procession recession

But otherwise ‘-sion’ is indicated normally by a disjoined Shun-N.

depression digression compression session

When L follows the ‘shun’ ending the shun-N is written in the L-position below the line.

conditional congressional national occasional operational rational

conditional congressional national occasional operational rational

In the adverbial forms of these words the E-indicator, representing ‘–ly’, is written on to a

subscript Shun-N.

nationally rationally occasionally conditionally traditionally

nationally rationally occasionally conditionally traditionally

The shun-N is doubled in the usual way to indicate a following sound of R.

pensioner petitioner practitioner

pensioner petitioner practitioner questioner

‘shunt’ (-cient) is written as the shun-N + T-hook ;

ancient deficient efficient impatient patient sufficient

ancient deficient efficient impatient patient sufficient

‘shul’ (-cial) is written as SH (z) through the line ;

essential financial martial official partial social special

At Professional level SH may be written in its contracted form, H, in the L-position. The full

form S + H may be written but the shorter form is simple, fast and distinctive.

essential financial martial official partial social special

‘shus’ ( -ious) is written as SH (z+S) (S-circle may be used) ;


The contracted form, H + S-circle, may be used.



(An alternative is to write the ‘shus’ syllable as U + S-circle.

anxious conscious delicious gracious precious

‘-tive’ is represented by v ;

active festive motive native negative positive relative

active festive motive native negative positive relative

9.2 Additional optional suffixes may be used;

‘-ality, -ility’ - disjoined TE using the L-position ;

finality mentality personality quality senility

Some writers prefer to write a small ‘l’ to represent this suffix.

finality mentality mobility personality quality senility

‘-bility’ - disjoined subscript bE ;

ability capability credibility disability reliability sensibility

ability capability credibility disability reliability sensibility

‘-ology’ - disjoined superscript j ;

‘-ology’ is indicated by a disjoined J

‘-ologist’ by JS

‘-ological’, by JC written as a subscript (through the line).

apology archeology biology chronology cosmology

apology archaeology biology chronology cosmology neurology

meteorology palaeontology speleology vinology vulcanology

geologist zoologist biologist pathologist

geologist zoologist biologist pathologist

biological pathological psychological

biological pathological psychological

‘-ship’, disjoined SH

championship flagship hardship membership partnership censorship

championship flagship hardship membership partnership censorship

‘-ward’, ‘-word’, ‘-wide’, are all indicated by writing a small disjoined ‘w’.

awkward backward downward forward inward outward upward

backward downward forward inward outward upward

‘graph’, is indicated by a disjoined ‘g’; associated word endings add an indicative final letter.

monograph paragraph photograph polygraph

monograph paragraph photograph polygraph

autograph holograph lithograph calligraphy telegraph

‘-graphy’, by GE

geography calligraphy photography

geography calligraphy photography

‘-graphic’, by GC , ‘-graphical’ by GC written as a subscript (through the line) and

‘-gram’, is indicated by GR.

geographic biographical geographical

geographic biographical geographical telegram

‘hood’, is expressed as a disjoined H.

adulthood childhood brotherhood fatherhood motherhood

adulthood childhood brotherhood fatherhood motherhood

‘-ification’, is indicated by writing a disjoined F.

classification specification modification notification qualification

classification specification modification notification qualification


10. Writing faster

At completion of a Basic level course, if all the practice work has been done, most writers will

have more than doubled their normal hand-writing speed and this will be adequate for general

note-taking use.

Increased writing speed may be achieved,

by incorporating some of the elements of the Professional level, or

by moving fully to the Professional level.

Progression either way is easy as the abbreviation rules are common and only the Professional

level consonant letters need be adopted.

As familiarity increases with use the student’s vocabulary may be extended; long words may be

abbreviated when written in context following common writing usage.

impos(sible) unan(imous) certif(icate) approx(imate) partic(ular)

Adopting selected consonants

W and M are most likely to be used first as they can be simply modified into single curves.

The S-circle may already be in use with the core consonants and this can be extended for use with

contracted M and W.

For general note-taking it is recommended that a normal script ‘s’ continues to be used at the

beginning of a word at Alpha-level; this comes readily to mind.

A contracted letter H may be used for writing the Quick Forms for ‘he’ and ‘him’, and as a double-

size letter for ‘her’.

This may also be used to indicate the ‘shul’ word ending.

h HR m MR w WR s

dense dust was has, his miss master

artificial credential essential financial influential initial official

partial potential social substantial residential unofficial

Higher writing speeds can be achieved by moving on to the full T-Script Professional level.

The same abbreviation rules apply but all consonants are written in their contracted forms.

[ Examples of combined levels ] casual content [tn] climate


11. Teaching Troab Basic (Alpha) level

Why take notes?

In education the act of making notes is itself part of the learning and understanding process.

In the office and every-day life we make notes as a record and basis for future action.

Professional note-takers write a verbatim record to edit for further

action.

The skills of note-taking are valuable in all learning and communication.

Basic level Troab is suitable for self-study from the available courses or textbooks.

A teacher can make learning exciting and more effective; always giving example words that are

relevant to the students.

Once the students have mastered the few abbreviation rules they will be ready to use some of the

contracted consonants, such as H, W and M. The Troab teacher can advise and guide the student’s

writing development.

By judicious combination of consonants and vowel indicators higher speeds can be achieved (more

than doubling the normal hand-writing speed).

Purpose of note-taking

High writing speeds are not a primary objective for many Basic level students; for many it will be

sufficient to double their normal writing speed in order to make occasional notes in class or the

office.

“Tell me, I forget,

Show me, I remember,

Involve me and I understand”.

Writing notes from speech involves you in what is being said.

The emphasis is on making quick notes that are instantly and easily readable and using the four

basic core consonants in their contracted forms will be adequate.

One relevant factor to consider will be the writer’s own hand-writing and ways of writing specific

letters, e.g. ‘f’, ‘h’ and ‘r’. The Troab teacher can give advice on simplifying letter formation.

The fundamental issue in learning and writing Basic level notes may be the ease of learning and

the amount of time the student is prepared to devote to acquiring a new skill. There is also the

factor of the student’s facility in hand-writing; the ubiquitous use of electronic writing devices

detracts from conventional writing with pen and paper.

Hand-writing notes is a valuable and effective skill for learning and assimilating new information

and using the Troab method is a particularly simple way of ‘data intake’.

[example sentences]

Alpha Keyboard

Some note-takers may be attracted to the use of Alpha-Keyboard, perhaps as a step-up from

texting on a mobile phone, but the advantages also bring some disadvantages.

Writing with pen on paper is the most versatile and productive way of learning with note-taking.

All learning requires motivation and effort; using the pen-paper method is particularly effective.

Basic shorthand, Alpha script speedwriting, is written using pen or pencil, but it can also be

written on a QWERTY keyboard using the Alpha Keyboard version.

The abbreviation rules are common throughout and using them consistently avoids ‘on-the-fly’

shortcuts which can present difficulties when reading back notes.

Normal letters are keyed instead of the contracted letters. The principal amendments will be;

Instead of using upper case letters ‘r’ is keyed; prefer prfr drug-dealer drg dlr

The letter ‘l’ is keyed; fill fl killer clr deliberate dlbrt

A vowel letter is keyed instead of an indicator, usually for long vowels, meet met

Prefixes and suffixes may be identified by inserting a hyphen;

concert c-srt apology ap-j

Summary of differences

The differences in Alpha Keyboard are that all letters, consonants and vowels, are created by a

single key-stroke;

debt dt done dn tide td tent tnt need nd nest nst

aim am pay pa east est see se know no knew nu

check jc cheap jp catch cj much mj shop zp wish wz

TH is keyed in full,

that, than th this ths them thm both bth north nrth south sth

The R rule

The sound of R is indicated by keying ‘r’; this is faster that using the shift key to key a capital

letter.

dirt drt turn trn certain srtn arm arm earth erth

report rprt certain srtn conservation csrv-n prepare prpa carer car dearer der

Writing L

The letter ‘l’ is always keyed.

ball bl kill cl file fl mail ml female fml colour clr learn lrn (len) large lrj

film flm flare fla clear cle field fld metal mtl explanation xpln-n delicate dlct

Double vowels

Double vowels are usually keyed in full.

area area idea idea riot riot

Prefixes and Suffixes

Generally the rules of Alpha level apply to writing prefixes and suffixes but an optional hyphen

may be added as a specific indicator of a prefix or suffix.

classification cls-f quality q-l apology ap-j himself h-s herself hr-s itself t-s

ourselves or-s mention mn-n nation n-n action ac-n condition cd-n over there o-thr

under-the u-e under this u-ths electrical el-cl counter cn-tr

element el-m detriment dtr-m detrimental dtr-ml preview prvu

But for the common affixes this is not necessary.

special spzl precious przs positive psv negative ngv

transform trsfm transmit trsmt excellent xlnt

Quick Forms

The Quick Forms follow the Alpha level rules.

are r be b the e do d can c no, not n that th

he, him h she z it, to t we, with w without wo

‘Pen Keyboard’

The ‘Keyboard’ approach may be applied to writing notes with pen and paper. Familiar script

letters are used instead of the contracted forms of the core consonants.

Because the few simple rules of Basic Shorthand are common throughout the T-Script system,

personal notes can be written as ‘Pen Keyboard’ using a pen instead of a keyboard. This eliminates

the need to learn the contracted core letters, D, T, N, TH and the vowel indicators; familiar script

letters are used instead.

However, writing the core letters will greatly increase writing speed; in particular, using them and

the vowel indicators as Quick Forms.

The following ‘Keyboard’ sentences are written as illustrations; you will find they are easily read.

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party.

no s e ti f al gd mn t c t e ad o e prte.

I would like to apply for the post of club secretary.

i wd li t apli f e pst o clb scrtry

It is a political issue which must be resolved quickly.

t s a pltcl isu j mst b rslvd qe.

It is not possible to tell one from the other.

t s n psbl t tl wn fm e othr.

There is no possibility at this moment that any other reason should be considered.

thr s n psbe a ths mm th ane othr rsn zd be csdrd.

Every time you say that sort of thing I begin to worry.

evr tim u sa tht srt o thg I bgn to wre.

We were not certain that you had read the letter which was sent to you yesterday.

w wr n srtn tht u hd rd e ltr wj ws snt t u ysd.

Someday, someone, somewhere will discover the truth of what happened here.

smd, smn, sma, l dscvr e trth o wt hpnd he.

What is your position on the issue of global warming?

wt s ur psn on glbl wrmg ?


12. Teaching Troab Professional level

Shorthand with a difference

Troab is uniquely different from other methods of shorthand in its two level approach.

However, Troab Professional level may be compared with other shorthand systems, e.g. Teeline,

Gregg and Pitman. The differences are that Troab is simpler with fewer rules and can be learned in

less time.

The simplicity in its design has resulted in a smaller shorthand word footprint; this is a measure of

writing speed illustrating that Troab is faster to write.

This difference has been explored and demonstrated in several presentations;

Salient features of Troab and Teeline compared,

A comparison of the Troab and Teeline shorthand methods.

An overview of Troab shorthand presents a summary of the rules of the system.

The simplicity and high writing speed potential makes Troab particularly attractive to a range of

professional note-takers;

In the world of business and management notes are taken at meetings at all levels for decision-

making and action.

Wherever decisions are being made they need to be recorded; writing with pen and paper is the

most versatile and effective method of note-taking.

Throughout the office and in the Board-Room note-taking is needed.

[Quote:] “The higher you go in an organization the more shorthand is needed”.

Professional note-takers include journalists, reporters and professional personal assistants at

senior level in all subject fields including medicine and the law.

Teaching Troab

Seminar-workshops introducing Basic Troab can be effective and profitable. These may be held

in-house with an organisation or company or as independent presentations.

Promotional sessions may address medium sized groups but teaching sessions are best taught with

small groups of around 10-12 participants; this enables maximum participation of all present.

Short introductory sessions can be held as single-day workshops but a full teaching course may

require up to twenty hours presented in 90 minute sessions.

These teaching sessions may be based on the printed textbook, “Simply Fast” or one of the courses

available as a digital download may be used. Each teacher can use these as a foundation on which

to build their own personalised presentation.

This Teacher’s Tutorial can then provide a reference guide to the abbreviation and writing rules

when preparing the lessons.

The sequence of teaching the elements of Troab is a tried and tested basis upon which to build.

(Return to CONTENTS page, Teacher’s Tutorial)

--------------------

Summary of salient features compared, Troab & Teeline

Troab (T-Script) Teeline

1. Consonant design; T and D

2. Writing TH

3. Writing N

4. Indicating R

5. Writing L

6. Short forms for common words

7. The Word Footprint; average number of pen-strokes to form a shorthand word outline;

Troab 2.0 Teeline 2.6

e.g. 400 word text, Troab, 400 x 2.0 = 800 pen strokes.

Teeline, 400 x 2.6 = 1040

(the difference of 240 pen strokes approximates to writing 100 words)

bill

tell

kill

policy

global

bar

writer

there

prove

proof

the

thing, everything

is

little

N

win

when

T, D

to-do

TH

that

this, this is

--------------------

Comparisons, Troab shorthand and Teeline

The Troab (T-Script) Professional level shorthand method may be compared with Teeline.

Comparative features may be summarized as,

Troab is simpler than Teeline, and has fewer rules. This makes it easier to learn in less

time.

Troab has a smaller shorthand-word footprint and is faster to write than Teeline.

The following sentences illustrate such differences. When written in Troab fewer pen movements

are needed than in the Teeline version.

“I do not need to tell you that this is a matter of national security”.

“You will have to do better than that if you want the public to believe in you again”.

1. Principles of word abbreviation

The fundamental principles of abbreviation are different; Troab writes words as they sound

(phonographic), and Teeline abbreviates words by their spelling (orthographic).

Troab writes the dominant sound of the word using the ‘OO’ vowel indicator (written on its side).

Teeline follows the spelling of the word, WHO.

Troab writes the sounds N + U. Teeline follows the full spelling of the word, NEW.

Troab writes the E-vowel indicator (the dominant sound). Teeline follows the spelling of the word.

(The definite article ‘the’ is the most frequently occurring word in the English language.)

2. Consonant design

Both systems derive their consonant symbols from familiar Roman script letters.

Teeline follows conventional handwriting style by writing G, J, P and Q through the line.

G, J, P, Q

‘who’

‘new’

24 pen

movements

31 pen

movements

25 pen

movements

40 pen

movements

‘the’

T-Script

Teeline

2.1 The Core Consonants, D, T, N. Troab recognises the most frequently occurring letter sounds as R and L, D and T, S and N (based

on the findings of Dutton (1916) that these are the most significant letters for shorthand systems

design). Troab regards D, T and N as ‘core letters’ and gives special attention to the sounds of R

and L. Teeline does not distinguish specific ‘core letters’ as such.

Troab writes the related consonants D, T, as distinctive complementary curves; D, the heavier

sound curves down and T, the lighter sound, curves upwards.

Teeline uses the same sign for both D and T, differentiating them only by position of writing; D is

written on the line and T is written above the line.

Troab writes N as a progressive horizontal stroke.

Teeline writes a distinctive truncated script letter ‘n’. This two-directional letter often needs to be

modified to join with other consonants, e.g. CN, DN, ON, TN, TCN, WN, NTh, NV, NW, and

NCh.

Troab writes N consistently without distortion.

2.2 TH

Troab represents ‘TH’ by writing ‘T’ obliquely downwards as a single stroke. (CH is similarly

formed with a slanted H.) Teeline writes T and H with separate strokes; the T is written in the T-

position and the H rests on the line.

Troab writes the frequently occurring word ‘that’ as a Quick Form.

Teeline follows the spelling of the word, THT.

2.3 CH

Troab represents CH by writing H slanted obliquely (echoing TH).

Teeline writes CH in full as C + H. (For some words in Teeline the H is omitted and the C is

suspended to indicate the missing H.)

3. The sound of R

Troab indicates the sound of R by writing a double-size consonant or one written in the raised R-

position. Teeline indicates R variously as a double-size letter, intersection, juxtaposition and a

blended THR (but not initially).

4. The sound of L

Troab writes L upwards (the initial stroke of a script letter L); the sound of L is read consistently

after a letter written in a subscript position – the L-position.

Teeline writes a letter L downwards, sometimes modified but also with an alternative upward form

(there is an additional advanced technique for writing PL)

L

listen place

5. Special or Quick Forms

Troab Quick Forms are created using the dominant sound or the first letter of the word; they may

be combined in compound words or word groups.

Frequently occurring phrases

6. The Word Footprint.

Shorter word outlines in Troab result in a smaller word footprint; this term indicates the number of

pen movements required to write an average shorthand word outline (a measurement of writing

effort).

The word footprint is calculated by counting the number of pen movements required to write each

shorthand word in a text passage and then dividing this total by the number of words in the

passage.

The word footprint figure for Teeline is calculated at 2.6, and for Troab (T-Script), 2.0.

(A large number of varied texts was used to arrive at these footprint figures.)

The difference between these two quotients is due partly to the design of the consonants and partly

to the different principles of abbreviation. These differences are illustrated in the example words

given above.

Thus a 400 word text passage written in Teeline requires 1040 pen movements (400 x 2.6).

The same passage written in Troab will require 800 pen movements (400 x 2.0).

The difference of 240 pen movements equates to some 100 words.

The simpler forms and rules applied in Troab result in a shorthand method that is simpler than

Teeline and is also faster to write.

(A dictation passage written by a Teeline writer at 100 words a minute would be written in

Troab effectively at an equivalent rate of 75 words a minute.)

7. The multi-level method.

Troab is more than a professional shorthand system and has a wide application in note-taking. The

Troab integrated shorthand method can be written at two levels to meet different user needs –

Professional level for verbatim reporting and Alpha (or Basic) level for general note-taking. The

differences illustrated above compare Teeline shorthand with the Troab Professional level; the

following examples include Alpha (Basic) level sentences for comparison.

The Troab Alpha level is a method of speed-writing; it is written using familiar script letters

except for the core letters, D, T, N, S, which are always written in the forms used at Professional

level. These core letters occur so frequently that writing speed is significantly increased. The six

vowel indicators are common to both levels and are used for clarification when needed; they are

also used as Quick Forms and contribute to high writing speed with a minimum of learning. The

few abbreviation rules are common to both levels.

The Alpha-Keyboard version is written using a standard QWERTY keyboard.

The two-level approach is a significant difference of usage to Teeline and extends the potential use

of the Troab shorthand method to a wide range of general note-takers in the office or classroom.

Alpha level is ‘basic shorthand’ and the simple theory can be acquired in a few hours. Writers can

easily move on to the Professional level shorthand if they have the need to write verbatim

shorthand at speeds faster than 100 words a minute.

The two levels of Troab (T-Script) are compared with Teeline in the following sentences.

The number of pen strokes used in each sentence are shown.

Note, at Alpha level the writer’s own familiar script letters are used together with the contracted

forms of D, T and N and the vowel indicators.

“I do not need to tell you that this is a matter of national security”.

“You will have to do better than that if you want the public to believe in you again”.

“We did not know about the terrorist threat until we heard the news bulletin”.

“I can do nothing about these things you have mentioned until we get verification of the facts”.

“The new guidelines will be presented to the committee at their next meeting”.

Summary.

The differences illustrated above between Teeline and Troab Professional may be summarized as,

Troab has a simpler structure than Teeline resulting in shorter and distinctive word

outlines.

Troab has fewer rules than Teeline and these are consistently applied.

Troab is faster to write than Teeline.

Troab words are particularly easy and fast to read.

Troab was designed as a shorthand system building on many years of early shorthand system

design. Teeline was created as a method of fast writing using an alphabet of streamlined script

letters and later ‘discovered’ to be a shorthand method. ( I.C.Hill, ‘How Teeline began’, in

Handbook for Teeline Teachers, p.1 (1983).)

This sentence encapsulates the principal features of the Troab shorthand method;

(24 pen movements)

(32)

(32)

(25 pen movements)

(40)

(39)

(29 pen movements)

(43)

(38)

(35 pen movements)

(52)

(45)

(30 pen

movements)

(38)

(39)

T-Script

Teeline

T-Script

Teeline

Alpha

T-Script

Teeline

Alpha

T-Script

Teeline

Alpha

T-Script

Teeline

Alpha

“It is said everyone knows that the car can kill”.

Troab

Teeline

----------------

Troab Script Shorthand – an overview

Troab-Script shorthand is a simple, integrated method of shorthand that can be written at two

levels,

Professional level, for high speed verbatim note-taking (over 100 words a minute),

Alpha level, for general note-taking.

A common core of abbreviation rules applies at both levels, enabling easy progression from Alpha

to Professional level if note-taking needs change.

1. Professional level

Consonants are written in the form of contracted Roman script letters the first letter of a word

rests on the line.

B C D F G H J L M

N P Q R S T V W Z

The core consonants (common to both levels) are

D T N

do it, to no, not

The paired consonants are;

CH SH TH QU which she that quick

( CH - H written on a slant, SH - S + H, TH - T written on a slant. )

Vowel indicators, (diacritics used as needed)

A E I O OO U

Vowel indicators are used to specify a vowel within the body of the word when needed.

(Rarely needed for words written in the context of a sentence.)

Short vowels – indicators are written ABOVE the outline,

Long vowels – indicators are written BELOW the outline,

15 pen movements

28 pen

movements


and the I of on you

The vowel indicators are common to both levels.

2. Basic (Alpha) level

The writer’s own familiar script letters are used, (b, c, f, g, h, j, l, m, p, q, r, s, v, w, x, y, z),

but the core consonants are always written in their contracted forms,

D T N

do it, to no, not

The paired consonants used at Basic level are,

j z q

CH SH QU TH (‘T’ written obliquely downwards)

The contracted circle-S may be used at Basic level with the core consonants, D, T, N, Th.

The vowel indicators are common to both levels.

3. Primary abbreviation rules (both levels).

1. Write the significant sounded consonants of a word.

2. The sound of R is read after a consonant written double size.

3. The sound of L is read after a letter written in the subscript position.

General guidance

1. Frequently occurring Prefixes and Suffixes are represented by the dominant letter.

2. ND and NT consonant blends (without an intervening vowel),

D is blended after N as a clock-wise hook,

T is blended after N as an anti-clock-wise hook.

The D-hook may be used with other consonants.

3. A double-S sound, ‘ses’, is indicated by writing a disjoined S.

4. The sound of AW (ought, law) is represented by the combined vowel indicators, O + U.

5. The diphthong OW is represented by the script letter ‘o’.

OI is a combination of the AW + E indicators.

6. Some most frequently occurring words have special short forms (Quick Forms) following

common usage.

7. The plural of Quick Forms and abbreviated words are indicated by the ‘S-dot’ (familiar

period point) as needed.

Shortcuts in note-taking

[ see “Take Note” note-taking skills book ]

Speed writing is all about abbreviation. The few simple rules of Troab enable you to write any

word in a short word outline. However, when writing notes at meetings or in the classroom there

are a number of common usage abbreviations which can be used. These are all likely to be familiar

to you and if they come easily to mind then you can use them in your notes.

Use common usage abbreviations. Vowel indicators may be used as appropriate.

eg. 'for example' cf 'compare' esp ‘especially’

Instead of writing a lengthy sentence, often relationships can be indicated using standard

symbols;

> < =

therefore because more than less than the same as

[ shorthand expressions, therefore because more-than less-than ]

cause and effect (or, act and consequences / results)

Arrow lines, both straight and curved, can be powerful ‘shorthand’ devices in ‘spider’

diagrams. This is a pictorial or visual technique which can save writing words.

? Questions to follow up, ?? a doubtful point.

(In your developed notes from a meeting or classroom notes, these will indicate ‘for

action’, so these can be marked in red.)

If you are using the W5H checklist technique these will be your headings.

! Surprise or ‘May need checking’, so add ?

Curved and square brackets can be used to distinguish between

‘fact’ or ‘certain’ data ( … ), and

‘uncertain’ data or ‘ a fact not established’ [ … ]

This device can be used particularly for dates.

Significant and frequently occurring words (names) may be shortened to a temporary

abbreviation. Sometimes a single letter may suffice. Include a specific marker to identify it as a

special abbreviation, e.g. a short upward slash. This functions like an abbreviation point in

ordinary longhand writing. These will be your personal abbreviations within a particular subject

vocabulary; they should be familiar and make sense to you.

History Government G/ Parliament P/ Henry VIII H8/ Queen Victoria QV/

Geography England E/ Scotland Sc/ Wales W/

Economics Bank of England BE/ Stock Exchange SE/

Medical Diagnosis D/ Prognosis P/ Treatment T/

4. Frequently occurring phrases may be shortened to the first letter of each word. An

abbreviation marker can be added. Point of sale pos/ Where are you? ?ru Over my dead body! omdb/

5. Temporary abbreviations may be used in the course of a particular lecture.

Use a single letter to represent the main topic(s) of the lecture when it re-occurs, e.g. ‘rice’ r/ . If

you are not using speed writing then a normal abbreviation point may be used. Capital letters may

be preferred although lower case letters are usually faster to write.

Resources for Teaching

1. Simply Fast Printed textbook, Professional level

2. Basic Shorthand

3. Courses (digital)

3.1 Professional level (Overview / Synopsis / Courses

3.2 Basic Shorthand (Overview / Synopsis / Courses

3.4 Keyboard (Overview / Synopsis / Courses

4. Word List (15,000 words)

5. Medical (Troab Professional level)

Alpha Notehand

Documents

Transcript of Alpha Notehand