Blends

[sigma]

Hi all,
I'm learning Simplified, and I have a question about the blends (nd, d-m, etc, m-n, etc)

Consider the word 'tandem'. I can think of two ways we could write this:
t-a-nd-m
t-a-n-dem
Which should I use?

In a similar spirit, how about 'tend'?
ten-d
t-e-nd

What's the rule for splitting a word when there are two possible ways to blend the letters involved?

Thanks

Edit: I noticed the word 'tend' occurs in the book and it's written ten-d. Is the rule that you blend whatever comes first? Or do the blends containing vowels take precedence?

[gsmember]

I'm not qualified to answer so I look forward to knowing what it is. I just looked up 'tandem' and was surprised to see it look like a more horizontally written B attached to P. So this tells me I need to keep plugging away as there are obviously more outlines I haven't yet learned.

[Deb]

Regarding Anniversary,
Now I remember why I didn't put this in the Lesson 30 which had some blends for things like JEND. This is what the teacher's manual said

Attachments:

[Deb]

Yes I know not very helpful. But that was one way they taught. You just write it as it's shown. Later you may understand more, but usually it's not explained too well as to the WHY. if your simplified manual doesn't have more instructions, sometimes that's just the way the writers wanted you to learn "just do it this way and later you may understand".

I do sometimes with there was more then that.

[Deb]

Reading ahead, I see that the TEN and TEM blends are taught the same way as above....

[sigma]

Interesting. Thank you for that!

[Deb]

Here's a note on blends:

If if your pronunciation and transcript, you would "blend" some words, like "you all" to "y'all", then you would blend the outlines together. If you find it easier not to, then don't and in your transcript you can blend them together. However, if you're unfamiliary with the speaker, it's better to write it as they say it so in the transcript it's accurate.

This includes any "ten" blends or any blends of combined words.

NOTE: In Anniversary you're taught to add the apostrophe above the outline. I do that a lot, such as in "I'm". However, if you're behind or you will know it will be there because it's a common word or phrase, then you can leave it off. You will know to do that in the transcript.

Here are a few phrases that use the "blend" principle:

[Deb]

I work with cities and states (well only 20 of them) and so somtimes I will blend those together even if it's not part of the rules. If it's easy enough and I can understand what I wrote. I just put Louisiana Baton Rouge together, but not sure if I like it (l-a-b-a-tn-r-a-j). I received a voice mail and just decided to write it that way.

Probably should have wrote a U between the R and J... But that's what happens when I write something I haven't in shorthand before. And it might even be in correct, I haven't looked that up yet.

There ARE some cities and states that are blended. But not all.

[Deb]

Gregg Writer, 1913



It will be seen that the curve is derived from the simple straight line consonants 't' and 'n' blended in a curve. The tem-dem belnds are formed in the same way, the distinguishing feature being the length. This can be easily remembered from the fact that the length of the curve is determined in each case by the 'n' or 'm' and not he 't' or 'd'. Thus a curve containing an 'n' would e short, while if it contained an 'm' it would be long--because the 'n' is short and the 'm' is long.



Remember that the character represents a syllable--it is one thing, a unit, and must be thought of as such and written with a single impulse.

[Deb]

Continued...

The 'ent-end' and the 'emt-emd' blend are also formed from the simple consonant characters. If you have any doubt about the direction a blend takes, all you need to do is to stop and analyze the syllable, and then let your blend take the same general directions that the simple consonants would take.

[Deb]

Just rereading Unit 16. It says if the hand has a natural tendency to blend the letters, then you blend them. Would "ten-d" be hard and would you stop or pause between the "n" and "d"? If so, then you blend. It's just more fluid to blend these words. There are probably exceptions (as there always are), but that's one way to look at it. The ease in writing.

[Deb]

Unit 19 says specifically "with but one movement of the pen". This is the point of Gregg versus other shorthand styles. As I've been looking at other shorthand books, I see a lot of corners and points, which causes the pen to stop or pause.

[Deb]

2 more rules.

155 explains when the blend is NOT used.

[Deb]

I know the OP said Simplified, but several versions work together. The blends stayed around for a few versions. If anyone else learning Simplified has found something different, please post it.

[Deb]

Just an FYI on a word that I found this weekend. The word "warned" has the "nd" blend. You can see the difference here from "warning" to "warned".

Please ignore the funky paper graphic, I was trying to fix it so it looked better. Now it looks like a torn piece of paper.