UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES SI ENOGRAPI ER'S MANUAL EDWARD JONES KILDUFF, M.A. Professor of Business English, New York University Author of THE PRIVATE SECRETARY Co-author of the HANDBOOK OF BUSINESS ENGLISH 47085 HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS NEW YORK AND LONDON 1921 t> ...: ;:; * : ".' ' '-..:. THE STENOGBAFHER'S MANUAL Copyright, 1921, by Harper & Brother* Printed in the United States of America A-V 56 55s CONTENTS PA OB INTRODUCTION BY GEORGE E. ROBERTS vii PREFACE ix I. THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD STENOG- RAPHER Your Chances of Success 1 What a Stenographer Should Be Able to Do 2 Qualities That Make a Stenographer a Good Stenographer 5 The Good Stenographer Is Accurate 5 Necessity for Self -analysis 6 Are You Accurate? 7 The Good Stenographer Has an Agreeable Personality 9 The Good Stenographer Is Trustworthy. . 12 The Good Stenographer Is Diligent 13 A Good Stenographer Has Judgment. ... 15 Good Deportment in the Office 16 H. YOUR CONDUCT IN THE OFFICE Office Rules Should Be Observed 17 Be Punctual 19 Attendance 20 Using the Telephone for Personal Calls... 21 "Visiting" in the Office 21 The Proper Attitude Toward Your Work. 22 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE Conduct Toward Other Workers 23 Your Personal Appearance 23 III. WHEN YOU TAKE DICTATION The Importance of Taking Dictation Right 25 Be Prepared 25 Your Manner When Taking Dictation ^7 Points on Taking Dictation 28 Carefully Note Instructions 30 IV. TRANSCRIBING AND TYPING You Are Judged by Your Completed Work :;,' Accuracy in Transcription 33 Why You Should Be Up on Your Grammar :> I Editing Dictated Material 35 Paragraphing the Letter 36 Punctuation and Capitalization 30 Always Read Over Your Work 30 The Appearance of Your Work 37 Making Erasures and Changes 37 Keep Your Machine in Good Condition.. 39 Don't Dispute with the Dictator 40 Taking Care of Your Notebooks 40 Office Supplies 40 V. THE MECHANICAL MAKE-UP OF THE LETTER Know and Use Good Mechanical Make-up 42 Placing the Letter on the Page 43 The Parts of the Mec-hanical Make-up of a Letter 46 The Heading 46 The Inside Address. . 48 CONTENTS [APTEB PAGE The Salutation 57 The Body of the Letter 58 The Complimentary Close 60 The Signature 60 Miscellaneous Points 62 The Envelope 63 Official Letters 64 Formal Official Letters 66 Informal Official Letters 66 The Mechanical Display of Reports 66 VI. ABOUT YOUR SPELLING The Importance of Correct Spelling 71 Technical and Trade Words 73 Words Spelled Correctly in Two or More Ways 73 Foreign Words and Phrases Commonly Used in English 78 Plurals of Foreign Words 81 .Words That Have the Same or Nearly the Same Sound 82 Words Commonly Misspelled 89 Words Ending in "-able" or "-ible" 92 Spelling of Possessives 94 Forming the Plural of Figures, Letters, Signs, Etc 95 When and When Not to Spell Out Num- bers, Amounts, and Sums 96 Dividing Words at the Ends of the Lines. 100 Compound or Hyphenated Words 103 Use of Abbreviations 107 After You Have Finished the Work.. , 113 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE VII. COMMON MISUSES OF WORDS 114 VIII. HOW TO PUNCTUATE AND CAPITAL- IZE The Ability to Punctuate Correctly 133 What Punctuation Is 134 Uses of the Comma 1 : '. t Uses of the Semicolon 141 Uses of the Colon 142 Uses of the Period 1 14 Uses of the Exclamation Point H.~> Uses of the Dash 146 Uses of Parentheses 147 Uses of Brackets 148 Uses of Quotation Marks 148 Punctuation of Quoted or Parenthetical Material 150 Uses of the Apostrophe 151 Uses of the Question Mark 153 Uses of the Hyphen 153 Other Punctuation 155 Good Style in Punctuation 155 Capitalization 156 IX. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION Points About Telephoning 160 Telegrams 163 Use of Proof Marks to Indicate Corrections or Changes 163 Keep Your Desk in Good Order 166 Study Your Employer's Business 166 INTRODUCTION BY GEORGE E. ROBERTS Vice-President of the National City Bank of New York City TEAMWORK is one of the big needs of business. If con- sistently efficient results are to be secured, each depart- ment of a business organization must work in harmony with every other department, and each worker with his co- worker. The best efforts of one department or of one Worker can easily be nullified by the inefficiency of another. Having thus stated a generally recognized principle of good business, I wish to apply it specifically to the relation- ship between the dictator and his stenographer. I may perform my share of the task involved in the Writing of a letter by carefully dictating what I wish to say, but if my stenographer is not wholly accurate and dependable in transcribing her notes her share of this mutual work the effectiveness of my letter suffers. Through care- lessness she has made me appear to say things I did not say, she has inclined my reader to the belief that I am un- grammatical, and by her inaccuracies in typing she has caused my letter to make an unfavorable impression. Is this teamwork? Letter writing is an important function in business, and is becoming of greater importance because of the fact that the transactions carried on by means of letters are rapidly increasing in number. The personal contact between a business house and its customers that existed in former years is being supplanted by a contact by letters. And all this means that we must to-day make our letters more efficient. To do so we must enlist the co-operation of our INTRODUCTION stenographers to perform efficiently their share of the work of getting out good letters letters that are accurate in transcription, correct in spelling, grammar, and punctua- tion, and pleasing in appearance. For many years I have realized that the work of the stenographer is not so unimportant as it is sometimes thought to be. Any business man can tell you of the satisfaction he enjoys in dictating to a good stenographer, knowing, as he does, that he can sign his name to his letters without being compelled to read them word by word to make sure that they are correct in all respects. This same business man can tell you that he is saved much time and worry because he knows he can depend upon his stenographer. And if the saving of time and worry is not important to a business man, then nothing else is. In glancing over the proof-sheets of this book which Pro- fessor Kilduff has written, I was glad to note that he 1m placed so much emphasis upon accuracy. It seems to me that this is a quality that is indispensable in a stenographer, for certainly if a stenographer is inaccurate in her work, she cannot be of much assistance to her employer. Upon him falls the burden of correcting her work work that should be correct. And then the letter usually must be re- typed. All this added effort can be saved if the stenogra- pher will take pains to see that her work is done right the first time. Professor KildufTs book will be of much help to the am- bitious stenographer who will read and put into practice the ideas that are presented in it. I believe it will go far in making stenographers realize how much their co-opera- tion is needed in business, and in teaching them how to do their share of the work in helping the dictator to put out better letters. PREFACE To Stenographers, Typists, and Dictating -machine Operators: THIS book was written to help you in your work, to aid you to do better work, and to assist you in making your- self a success in your chosen vocation. Read it carefully, study it, and put into practice the information it gives you. Keep it handy in your desk and refer to it as you would to a dictionary. And every now and then read it again, so that you will always have fresh in your mind a knowledge of those points in which the business man expects a good stenographer to be proficient. ACKNOWLEDGMENT I WISH to acknowledge my indebtedness for information concerning the attitude of business concerns toward the work of the stenographer to various officers, office man- agers, and chief stenographers of the following business houses: National City Bank of New York, United States Steel Products Company, S. S. Kresge Company, General Cigar Co., Inc., United States Rubber Co., Vacuum Oil Company, American Chicle Co., The American Sugar Refining Company, John Wanamaker, Brunswick-Balke- Collender Co., Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., The New PREFACE Jersey Zinc Company, Ideal Cocoa & Chocolate Com- pany, Proctor and Gamble Distributing Co., and the Chase National Bank. Much of the material on the mechanical make-up of letters, punctuation, and capitalization is taken from the Handbook of Business English, by Hotchkiss and Kilduff. E. J. K. NEW YORK CITY, August 15, 1920. ' THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL Chapter I The Qualities of a Good Stenographer Your Chances of Success WHETHER you look upon stenography and typewriting as a trade or vocation from which you are to secure your living or whether you consider this work as a stepping stone to advancement in business, you should give some consideration to your chances of success in this field. Do you wish to make more money? Then remember that a business house will pay you according to your value to the house and is only too glad to pay more money if you increase your value if you do better work. Do you wish to advance in business to secure a more responsible position? If so, remember that you must show by your efficiency in your present position that you have mastered it and that you are, therefore, probably capable of mastering the next higher position. Many workers in business seem unable to realize the fact that they cannot expect higher pay or promotion until they do better work. They often say to themselves, "I should do better work if they would pay me more 1 money." But that is reversing the natural process. The rule in business is, " Prove by doing better work that you are worth more and you will get it." But the proof must come first. You must first show your ability. Some of these same people say that ability is not recognized and appreciated in business. Such a state- ment is absolutely unsound, for in business, above all other places, ability is keenly sought and well paid for. No concern could long remain in business, facing the fierce competition of to-day, were it not for the ability of its workers. It is nearly as difficult to hide ability in business as it is to hide a light on a dark night. Ability is too rare and too valuable a thing not to be recognized and ap- preciated. But do not think that the employer is un- selfish in this matter he is not. He knows how valuable to him and to his business are the services of an efficient and able worker. So bear in mind, then, this fact: If you will train yourself to do your work well, you need not worry about not being rewarded. Your success as a stenographer is assured if you will resolve here and now to become a good stenographer. The efficient, well-trained stenographer has an exceedingly easy time in securing a good position at any time, for the demand for really good stenographers is far greater than the supply. There are plenty of mediocre and ordinary stenographers, but very few good ones. The first step toward your success can be taken by you now: Resolve to be a good stenographer. What a Stenographer Should Be Able to Do Disregarding for the time being her other duties, the work of the stenographer can be divided into two parts: stenography and typewriting. Proficiency in each of these 2 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL two fields constitutes the chief stock in trade of the stenographer; or, in other words, the stenographer is hired because she can take dictation and transcribe it on the typewriter. Proficiency in stenography means the ability to take dictation as rapidly as the dictator gives it and to take it accurately. You will note that the proficiency in stenography is made up of two things speed and ac- curacy. You will also note that speed does not necessarily mean the ability to take 80 or 120 or 150 words a minute. If you can take dictation as fast as your dictator gives it, you are proficient at least so far as he is concerned. If you hold back your dictator you must practice to develop more speed. Accuracy in taking down dictation means that you make no mistakes that can be justly charged against you. In fact, accuracy is more important than speed, for if there is anything a dictator dislikes it is the reading of his letter in which what he has dictated is incorrectly reported. He does not mind very much being asked to dictate a little more slowly (often it flatters him), provided the stenog- rapher is accurate. Above all things train yourself to be accurate in setting down what the dictator has said. No other quality is more appreciated in a stenographer than accuracy. Do not sacrifice accuracy to speed. The same fact is true with respect to transcription or typewriting: accuracy is more important than speed. What is the good of typing the letter fast if, on account of errors in it, it either has to be retyped or is sent out with a number of corrections written in? Do it right the first time even though you don't do it so fast. Good transcribing means much more than the accurate typing of the stenographic notes. It includes such mat- ters as these : a knowledge of the mechanical operation of 3 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL the typewriter, as, for instance, how to prevent the pnprr from slipping, so that good work may result ; a knowledge of the correct mechanical make-up of the letter and other business forms; the ability to place the typing on the page so that it will look good; neatness in the appearance of the finished work; correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and the proper breaking of words at the ends of the lines, and a good working knowledge of grammar and rhetoric. The stenographer must know all these things about her work and many more. The knowledge of and the ability to use the knowledge of these matters constitute her stock in trade; and the greater her knowledge and the better her ability, the greater and better stock has she to sell and the more will be the pay for this stock. Cer- tainly, if she expects to succeed in her field of work and get better pay and promotion, she must master the use of the tools of her trade. Yet how many girls are there in business who can do these things well these things which every stenographer who calls herself a stenographer should be able to do with 100 per cent efficiency? Ex- ceedingly few, if we are to believe what most business men tell us. Stenography and typewriting are not difficult subjects to learn. Any bright girl can make herself fairly proficient in them within six months' time and quite expert, if she sufficiently applies herself, within a year. Such a matter as spelling, for example, is not hard to learn, and even if you aren't quite sure of the correct spelling, you can look it up in a minute in your dictionary. Yet incorrect spell- ing is one of the most common errors. The rules of punctuation and capitalization are few and simple, and no stenographer who has spent a little time in studying them should ever have much difficulty with 4 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL them. But mistakes in these two matters are continually cropping up in letters. All these subjects, to repeat, are not difficult to master. Carelessness, more than ignorance, is responsible for most of the errors in them. But carelessness is as bad a fault as ignorance. You can make yourself a stenographer among stenographers merely by mastering these subjects that you have seen are so easy to learn, and by being careful, because the great majority of stenographers either haven't mastered them or haven't learned to be careful. Qualities That Make a Stenographer a Good Stenographer A stenographer may be efficient in stenography and typewriting, but yet she may not be a good stenographer. It may be that her personality is such that she cannot get along with her fellow workers; or she may be found to be untrustworthy she may have disclosed business secrets to outsiders. You can see, therefore, that the good ste- nographer must possess, in addition to her ability to take dictation and to transcribe well, certain personal qualities. These qualities are as follows: 1. Accuracy. 2. Agreeable personality. 3. Trustworthiness. 4. Diligence. 5. Judgment. 6. Good deportment. The Good Stenographer Is Accurate Although all the six qualities mentioned above are essential, the one which the employer values most in a 2 5 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL stenographer is, probably, the quality of accuracy. A stenographer is accurate if her work is free from mistakes, if she takes pains to make sure that what she doors or has done is correct. The accurate stenographer holds herself responsible for the correctness of her work. Just think how pleased an employer is to have a ste- nographer whose work is accurate! No longer is he com- pelled to read carefully every letter he has dictated, mak- ing a correction in spelling here and in punctuation there. No longer does he find the ideas he so carefully thought out and dictated appearing before him in the typed lrtlT unrecognizable. He can now sign his letters with a free mind. He knows, too, that the right inclosures will go with the letter; that any changes or additions he may have made will be correctly copied on the carbon copu-s of the letter; and that any special directions he may have given concerning the letter will be accurately executed. An accurate stenographer can save her chief a great deal of time and worry and he appreciates it, perhaps more than you think. Inaccuracy is the most common defect among stenog- raphers. It holds more back from advancement in salary and position than does any other defect. Lack of sufficient training is sometimes the cause of inaccuracy, but care- lessness is usually the cause of it. Necessity for Self-analysis Most of us can easily see the faults in other persons, but few of us can see our own faults. The ambitious stenographer must be able to take an inventory of herself to determine just what her defects are. None of us is perfect; faults exist in every one of us. Isn't it better that you should find out what is wrong with yourself, so 6 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL that you can correct it, than to be held back by faults that you don't see or don't care to see, yet which the employer sees? No stenographer can be a success until she has analyzed herself, found out her shortcomings, and taken steps to remedy them. You have had enough experience in life to know that few persons outside your immediate family will criticize you, your work, your manners, etc., to your face, though they may and probably do behind your back. To you alone is given the privilege and responsibility of making yourself. And since others don't tell you your faults, you must find them out for yourself. The necessity for self-analysis is, therefore, ever present. You want to make yourself a success, you want to make your life a success. So you should continually strive to improve yourself, and honest self-examination will show you wherein to make yourself better. Are You Accurate? You now know that accuracy is a very valuable quality of a stenographer. Suppose that you were asked this question, "Are you accurate?" Without much thinking you might say, "Yes." But are you? To find out, exam- ine yourself now by giving an honest answer to each of the following questions: 1. Do you make mistakes in taking dictation? How often? . Are these mistakes caused by inability to take dictation as rapidly as the dictator gives it? By lack of training? By carelessness on your part? 3. If you don't understand what the dictator said, do you ask him to repeat it or do you "take a chance" that in reading the typed letter he won't notice that you didn't get his exact wording? 7 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL 4. In typing the letter, do you make mistakes because of in- ability to read your own notes? What is the reason care- lessness when you made the notes or carelessness in reading them? 5. Do you make frequent erasures in your letter? Why care- lessness in typing or carelessness in spelling? 6. How many mistakes do you make in spelling? What is the reason lack of training or carelessness? 7. If you aren't sure of the spelling of a word do you look it up in a dictionary, or do you sometimes take the chance that you have spelled it correctly? 8. Do you make mistakes in punctuation? 9. Do you know the rules of punctuation? 10. If, when you are transcribing your notes on the typewrit or, you find some notes that you don't understand, do you ask the dictator what he said or are you afraid to expose your carelessness and make the second mistake of typing a jumble of words which do not convey the sense as the dictator gave it to you? 11. Do you ever put the wrong inclosures in the letter? Or leave inclosures out? If you rarely make these mistakes you are accurate; otherwise you are not. And in reading the questions did you notice how often carelessness is the cause of the error? This fact should show you that, above all things, you must always be on your guard against carelessness. Remember that stenog- raphy and typewriting are exact subjects, like arithmetic, for instance. One mistake in multiplying one set of fig- ures by another set means that the answer is wrong. One mistake in taking dictation or in transcribing means that your letter is incorrect. Strive to be 100 per cent accurate. Never let the employer find mistakes in your work. If you do make any mistakes find them yourself, and correct them. For example, if you are asked to do some copying, go over your work after you have finished it, and carefully 8 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL compare it with the original from which you are copying. Make certain that your work is correct before you hand it in. The Good Stenographer Has an Agreeable Personality The second quality that the good stenographer possesses is an agreeable personality. At first glance it may not be clear why this quality is so important. After a little thought, however, you will see that the qualities under discussion are being considered from the employer's point of view. Why is it, then, that the employer values this quality in his stenographers? For one thing because he has learned from experience that a stenographer who has a disagreeable personality can cause much trouble among the office force. In fact, she is known in business as a "trouble maker." Among the things she does to make herself disliked are these: she carries tales, she criticizes her fellow workers behind their backs, she is discourteous, she is dissatisfied with her job and doesn't care who knows it. The result is that she causes others to become dissatisfied, arouses friction among her fellow workers, and the office is no longer a pleasant place to work in. Is it any wonder that the employer, afraid that she will entirely disrupt his office organization, requests her to resign? Such a case, although not uncommon, is, however, rather extreme. Agreeable personality is made up of courtesy, cheerful- ness, and the inclination to be agreeable to people. Cour- tesy is more than the use of polite expressions it is the sincere regard for, and consideration of, the other person's feelings. Suppose, for instance, that a dictator said to a stenographer, "Miss Blank, will you take dictation, 9 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL please?" and the stenographer said: "Just a minute. I want to finish this letter." In such a case the stenogra- pher is not courteous, for she is placing her own con- venience ahead of the dictator's. Or suppose that during the time she is taking dictation the dictator pauses to consider what to say. If she nervously taps her pencil on the desk and thereby distracts the dictator, she is dis- courteous, for she is not considerate of his feelings. In the two instances just mentioned, and, for that mat- ter, in most instances, the stenographer intended no dis- courteous act. Indeed, she was probably unconscious of the fact that her actions were in any way annoying to the dictator. If the situation were explained to her she would probably say, "I didn't think that it would annoy him." And that is just the point! Few people try to be discourteous. Most acts of discourtesy occur because some one "did not think." The good stenographer is cheerful and because she is cheerful she is liked. The " grouchy " stenographer is dis- liked both by her employer and by her fellow workers. It will pay the ambitious stenographer to train herself to be consistently cheerful. By "consistently cheerful" is meant that she should be cheerful not only when work is slack, but also when she is working under pressure or is asked to stay late. Many a stenographer, otherwise cheerful, has injured herself by becoming sulky when she was asked to finish some letters after business hours or to do some work that she doesn't like to do. She shows her petulance by spitefully hammering the keys of the type- writer. She indicates by her manner that she knows she is being imposed upon. Such a mood irritates the em- ployer to a great extent and creates in his mind a decidedly unfavorable opinion. If you are ever asked to stay late to finish some work, do it with good grace even though 10 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL at heart you may feel disappointed at not getting out on time. Such work is important, or otherwise the employer would not ask you to stay. And since you have to stay, make the best of it, put on a good face, and do the work cheerfully. You will never regret it, for it is in just such an occasion that the employer is able to see how much better you are than the average stenographer. Many stenographers are far too sensitive. If the chief speaks harshly they immediately retire for a cry or be- come very cold and distant to him. If the employer should ever criticize your work or speak sharply to you, don't be sensitive and show your resentment. Keep your good nature, be cheerful, and forget it as soon as possible. You are in business not at a social gathering and you must take these things as they come. If you "nurse" your resentment you will only make matters harder for yourself. Remember that the chief has his troubles, too, and did not mean to speak in such a manner. Of course this does not excuse his fault, although he probably is sorry the moment after the words have left his mouth. It is better for you and for all concerned that you be big enough to overlook it and to proceed with your work as if nothing unusual had occurred. Analyze yourself to find out whether you can improve your personality. These questions will help you: 1. Do you feel that you are liked by your fellow workers, and do you get along well with everyone in the office? 2. Do you try to make yourself liked, by being agreeable? 3. Are you consistently courteous and agreeable to your fellow workers? 4. Are you consistently cheerful, or do you have "blues" and "grouches"? 5. When you are overburdened with work do you become vexed and irritated, or do you still try to keep cheerful? 11 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL 6. When you have to stay late to finish some work, do you allow your vexation to show? 7. If you are criticized, do you resent it? 8. If your employer or any other superior speaks harshly, do you flare up or show your resentment in other ways? 9. Do you cause anguish to others by thoughtless gossip about them? 10. Do you grumble about the work you do, or make others dis- satisfied with their work? Are you jealous and suspicious of the chief's seeming preferences for fellow workers? The Good Stenographer Is Trustworthy The stenographer is in a position of confidence, and she should recognize it as such. Whatever she learns from her dictation or from her position of trust in the office she should consider confidential, and should not speak of it to others not even to other people in the office. Much trouble has been caused in business offices by stenogra- phers telling one another information of a confidential nature. Don't gossip about the contents of your letters or about what you heard the employer say. Be discreet; keep these things to yourself. Show your chief that you are discreet, that you can keep a secret, that you are worthy of trust do these things and the chief will n-ly more and more on you, secure in the knowledge that you can be trusted. The good stenographer is loyal to her chief. In all her actions she has the best interests of her chief at heart and he knows that he can place implicit trust in her. She may know his faults and shortcomings, but she keeps them to herself she never disparages him to others, but sticks up for him when others disparage him. The good stenographer is reliable. Her chief can trust her to do her work without supervision. If he leaves the office he knows that she will go on doing her work as if 12 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL he were there. She is reliable in her work, in her state- ments, and in her conduct. Are you trustworthy? To find out, answer these questions : 1. Do you ever talk to outsiders or to others in your office (except for business reasons) about the contents of your letters? 2. Have you always kept to yourself everything that you learned from or about your employer? 3. Do you ever criticize your employer to others? 4. When your chief was out of the office have you worked as if he were there? 5. Suppose you are the employer. Would you now say that you had always been discreet, that whatever you said or did was to his best interests? The Good Stenographer Is Diligent Diligence is a quality that business always admires and values highly. Any worker who is diligent, already bears the stamp of success. Witness the fact that both men and women who have made successes in business possess this quality to a marked degree. Diligence means energy, industry, and steady applica- tion. It suggests the worker who is always "on the job" eager to do her work, who does her work, does it well, and looks for more. It suggests the worker who does not have to be watched one who will work just as indus- triously when the chief is away as when the chief is there, and one who takes an interest in her work and in the work of the business. Is it any wonder that employers cannot get enough of such workers and that such workers rise rapidly in business? The good stenographer is that kind of worker. She is energetic; she is industrious not only during the first week or two on the new job, but all the time. Whenever 13 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL she is given letters to transcribe she immediately starts work and keeps at it until they are done. There is no dawdling around, no carrying on of conversations with others, no "visiting." She attacks her work with zest and finishes it as quickly as she can. Then she applies herself to the next piece of work. If the chief has nothing for her she attends to her filing; or, if she has no filing to do, she cleans her machine or sharpens her pencils or works at any other of the many things that she can do. She is always caught up with her work and ready for more work. She is an industrious, hard-working stenographer for a time and then you next find her as somebody's private secretary, or as assistant chief stenographer, or chief stenographer, or in charge of an office department. Lack of diligence is one of the most common and worst faults found with stenographers as a general class not that they are lazy, but they often seem to lack ambition ; they are indifferent; they apparently don't care whether business keeps or not. Many an otherwise capable girl is paid less than she might get and is kept back from advancement because she is not industrious. Even though we may grant that many stenographers look upon their occupation as temporary while they are waiting for mar- riage, is it wise for them to get into the habit of letting their work "slide"? And it does become a habit very quickly. Once the stenographer lets herself go, once she begins to become slack in her work, she rapidly goes down- hill to join that vast throng of mediocre stenographers who do just as little as they can and must be watched to see that they do that little. After all, there is a great personal satisfaction in knowing that "your work is well done and that you are thought highly of because of your efficiency. Above all things, keep up with your work. Go after it 14 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL with energy and with the desire to do it and do it well. Then turn to something else. But keep active, keep doing things it is the only way to keep out of the rut of indolence. To find out whether you are diligent or not, answer these questions: 1. Do you waste time in starting to do your work? 2. Do you practically have to force yourself to start work? 3. Do you dawdle over your work and allow yourself to "take things easy"? 4. Do you try to get your work done as quickly as possible? 5. Do you allow others, for no good reason, to interrupt you in your work? 6. Are you easy on yourself? Do you make excuses to yourself for not working at high speed? 7. When the chief is away do you take your time in doing your work? 8. Do you work as diligently now as you did during your first week in your present position? 9. Are you always caught up with your work, or are there odds and ends of work lying about now, such as some back filing, which you are planning to do but never seem to get to? 10. Do you put off doing work that ought to be done? Do you have to be asked a second time to do a thing? A Good Stenographer Has Judgment Too many stenographers are "mechanical"; that is, they do their work in a mechanical way, like an automa- ton, and do not "use their heads." They believe that if they take dictation fairly well, and transcribe it just as it was given, they are doing their work efficiently. But this is not true, as you know. Oftentimes the dictator makes a slip in grammar, word-use, or statement that should be caught and corrected and will be by the girl who is alert and thinking. Sometimes the dictator forgets to 15 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL give the stenographer the right inclosure but if she is watchful she will detect this mistake and see to it that she does get the proper inclosure. Or, again, he may overlook asking to have a letter placed in the follow-up file; but the stenographer who has judgment will know what to do. The good stenographer is constantly striving, while she is typing, to have everything correct. She is on her guard to prevent errors creeping into her work, she takes a per- sonal pride in having her work right, and she is just as eager as the dictator that each letter should go out neat, clean, and free of mistakes. She uses judgment while she is typing. She makes certain that the letter makes sense throughout and if her notes don't make sense she either asks the dictator for information or she exercises her dis- cretion and judgment in working out the right meaning. Good Deportment in the Office Good deportment has to do with actions, manners, and conduct in the office. Too often the stenographer over- looks the importance of such matters, perhaps because they have never been brought to her attention. Yet an otherwise good stenographer may be thought less of by her employer on account of the fact that she either is careless of how she conducts herself, or does not realize the bad impression she makes by her unbusinesslike man- ners. So important is this subject that the next chapter, "Your Conduct in the Office," is given over entirely to a detailed discussion of it. Chapter II Your Conduct in the Office Office Rules Should Be Observed NEARLY every business office has a set of rules that have been laid down for the purpose of standardizing the routine of the office and making the office run efficiently. If you were in charge of an office you would probably put these same rules into effect yourself, for you would then appreciate why they are needed if the office is to be run right and not in a haphazard, happy-go-lucky fashion. Some stenographers feel that these rules do not apply to them and that it doesn't make much difference, any- way, if they don't observe them. Such ideas are wrong and will only lead to trouble. The rules apply to all, and no girl should consider that she is an exception. She should never, by her failure to observe them, compel the office manager or chief stenographer to "call her down" for breaking them. And it does make a lot of difference whether she observes them or not. She may not know it at the time she may even think that she is "getting away with it" but her conduct seldom escapes the ob- servation of those in authority, with the result that she conies into disfavor with them. The stenographer often makes such a mistake because she does not appreciate the necessity for such rules. For 17 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL example, in your office there may be a rule against using the telephone for personal calls, except for important reasons. You may say to yourself: " Why, that's a foolish and unjust rule. What difference can it make if I use the telephone just once or twice a day?" The answer is that just one or two calls wouldn't make much difference. But if you have the right to use the telephone for personal calls, so have the other girls. And then it does make a difference. Besides, you leave your work to do the tele- phoning, you distract others near the telephone, and just when you are carrying on your very interesting conversa- tion the chief may be waiting to give you dictation or to get that letter that you left unfinished in your machine. You may retort: "I would use the telephone only when I had a few slack minutes. I wouldn't interfere with the work of the office." But the answer to that is, you may be discreet, but how about others? If everyone were dis- creet and made sure that her actions didn't interfere with the work of the office, there would be no need for any rules. But everyone is not so discreet as you are; hence, office rules were made. Often the office rules are a source of annoyance to the girls. They feel that they aren't being trusted to do the proper thing. If you are annoyed by the fact that your office has rules, please remember that not all girls can be trusted, that office efficiency demands rules, and that they exist for the benefit of all. How would you feel, if there were no office rules about punctuality, to be on time yourself every day and then see another girl come in ten or fifteen minutes late every other day without anything being said to her? You wouldn't like it, would you? After a while you would probably say, "If she can do it, I have the right to do it," and all the other girls would say the same thing. Then, the first thing you know, 18 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL everyone would be coming in ten or fifteen minutes late. What kind of office would that be then? No matter what others do about the rules, you stick by them. You will often see other girls disregarding them, and, because you may see no action taken in their cases, you may think that their infractions of the rules are being overlooked. And that fact may make you dissatisfied and may tempt you to do the same. But don't think it! Such things are seen and taken note of. And some day, when such a girl is least expecting it, the result shows up : she may ask for more salary and be refused; she may be passed by at the time raises are made; she may lose an opportunity to be advanced; or she may be asked to resign. She is not the kind of employee that benefits an office- and those in authority know it. So, no matter what others do, observe your office rules. Some day you will be glad that you did. Be Punctual One of the chief office rules is that regarding punc- tuality. Violations of this rule probably cause more trouble than the violation of any other rule : first, because they are so common; and second, because they disrupt the efficient operation of the office so much. How would you feel if you were a dictator and got down to the office on time, only to find that you had to wait ten or fifteen minutes until your stenographer arrived? How would you feel toward an employee, if you were running a business, and found that that employee was often late, was not working during the time for which you were pay- ing him? After all, however, there are three big reasons why you should be punctual: first, because, especially in the morning, there usually is work waiting to be done 19 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL which should not be held up; second, because your late- ness may make other girls feel that they have a right to be late; and third, because for your own benefit punc- tuality is a good habit. Of course it's hard to be on time. But it is just as hard for others as it is for you. Train yourself to get up in plenty of time to make your toilet properly and to eat a good breakfast. Don't lie in bed until the very last mo- ment, then jump up, rush through dressing, eat a hasty and scanty breakfast, and just get to the office on time. You can't work well if you eat breakfast like that, and your hurrying is not doing you any good. Get up so that you will have ample time for these things. Another infraction of the punctuality rule occurs at lunch time. Many girls impose on their employers by taking an extra ten or fifteen minutes at this time. This is not right. You know the length of time you are allowed for luncheon; so don't take any more. Be back at your desk ready to start your work on time. This also applies to rest periods. And at night, don't clip off five or ten minutes from your leaving time. Remember that you are in business, that your time is bought and paid for; so be businesslike, be punctual, and give to the office the time that you are paid to give. You need not be reminded that such matters are noted and that every lateness adds a black mark to your record. Attendance Some stenographers stay home or away from work on the slightest provocation, and often because of imaginary ailments. Perhaps they do not realize that their absence means an increased burden on the other stenographers in the office or that it may prevent one or more dictators 20 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL from getting their work done. Be careful and conscien- tious in this matter. Keep as good an attendance record as you possibly can. The girl who is frequently absent is not dependable, for her attendance can never be depended upon, and sooner or later she must be replaced. If you are unable, on account of sickness or for any other good reason, to go to the office, at least telephone to the office and let them know so that other arrangements can be made to take care of your work. Using the Telephone for Personal Calls Do not use the office telephone during business hours for your own personal calls except in cases of real impor- tance. Your telephoning may distract others from their work, and, moreover, such actions are not considered businesslike. In addition, discourage your friends and acquaintances from telephoning to you at the office. Very often such calls interrupt the dictator or make you stop your work. The office is a place of business; it is not your home, and therefore you should not expect to be allowed the same amount of freedom. Many stenogra- phers get themselves into disfavor because of these calls. " Visiting " in the Office "Visiting" in the office is a harmful practice, both to you personally and to the efficiency of the office. By "visiting" is meant the carrying on of conversations with other workers in your office on matters not strictly relevant to the business. For example, a stenographer on her way to her desk, after having taken dictation, passes by the desk of a friend or acquaintance and pauses to talk about such a topic as dress, what they did last night, or where 3 21 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL they are going for the week-end. The temptation to do this is very great, but the good stenographer will avoid it because she knows that she is wasting time when she ought to be working, that she is causing another worker to waste business time, and that the conversation is likely to annoy or distract others. She also knows that such "visiting" is a violation of good business conduct it is out of place in the office. When you are in business, be businesslike. The Proper Attitude Toward Your Work One of the most common criticisms made by business men against stenographers as a general class is that they are not businesslike, that they do not have the proper attitude toward their work. This criticism is probably a sound one and is partly due to the fact that many women do not take business as seriously as do men. They do not take the same amount of interest in it, but often allow other matters to take precedence. Since you are in business, and since you do not know how long you will remain in it, why not play the game right? Take the proper businesslike attitude toward your work, strive to do your work better and more efficiently, and have the interests of the business at heart. Do these things if not for the sake of the business, at least for your own sake, and for your own benefit in the form of a larger salary and a better position. If you will take the proper attitude toward business you will understand why it is necessary that you deport yourself in accordance with the office rules, and even if there are no definite rules laid down, you will appreciate that there are certain broad rules of business conduct that you ought to follow. 22 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL Conduct Toward Other Workers Since there are other workers in the office it is neces- sary for the good of the office that you follow out certain rules of conduct toward them. The first rule is that of courtesy. As you want your own work at the office to be as agreeable as possible, you must do your share toward keeping up a good spirit in the office. If everyone is courteous and agreeable to everyone else, yours will be a pleasant place to work in. But if there are little cliques and groups, if there are discourtesy and quarrels, if there are criticism and countercriticism, if there are suspicion and jealousies then your office life will not be very pleasant. Do your share, therefore, to keep these troubles out. Courtesy and agreeableness make up the oil that lessens friction. Co-operate with your fellow workers, and if you can help them, do so. Team work means better results for you, for your fellow workers, and for the office. Do not become familiar with the men workers or allow them to become familiar with you. This does not mean that you are to be cold and distant to them; not at all. You should be pleasant and agreeable, but bear in mind that actions that are perfectly all right outside business hours are not considered all right in a business office. This is a matter for your own discretion and judgment. But it is safer to be considered too strict in these matters than too liberal. Your Personal Appearance Little, if any, advice can be given to women stenog- raphers concerning the subject of personal appearance, for women appreciate more than do men the value of such matters as correct dress, neatness, and cleanliness. Yet, a 23 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL suggestion or two from the business man's point of view may be found valuable or at least of interest. These mat- ters are of such a personal and intimate nature that, although he sometimes would like to say something about them, the business man is afraid to. Moreover, even a girl's best friends will seldom, if ever, tell her about her deficiencies in these things for fear of losing her friendship. Hence, a girl must be her own mirror, her own counselor. First of all the business man silently criticizes the stenographer who wears an attire more suited for social affairs than for office work. He may like "dressy" clothes, but he believes that the office is not the place to wear them. He much prefers to see the girl appropriately attired for her work and this means simple, plain, work- aday clothing. He knows from experience that the over- dressed girl is usually an inefficient worker, for she either thinks more about how she looks than about her work, or is so much dressed up that she can't get down to work, or is so uncomfortable that she can't do good work. He believes that for work she should wear working clothes, not playing clothes. A girl who dresses in a businesslike way appears to be a better worker, and she usually is, for fashionable shoes, high heels, a tight dress these will not let a girl do good work. She is too uncomfortable. Then there is the matter of overdoing the use of per- fume, powder, and other cosmetics. The business man strenuously, but silently, objects to them. He doesn't like to have his office turned into a beauty parlor. He is there for work, he wants others to be there for work, and he likes to have the office look like a working place. Cleanliness in respect to one's person and dress need not be discussed, for all know, or should know, its businrss value. But just one hint: the stenographer's hands and nails are usually under the direct gaze of the dictator. 24 Chapter III When You Take Dictation The Importance of Taking Dictation Right THE employer or dictator usually has only two occa- sions on which he has an opportunity to judge the value and ability of the stenographer: first, when she takes his dictation; and, second, when he sees the completed work before him. Disregarding, for the time being, the latter occasion, let us consider the first taking dictation. This occasion is a very important opportunity for the stenog- rapher, because it is at this time (often the only time) that she comes under the direct, personal attention and notice of the dictator; it is at this time that he receives a favorable or unfavorable impression of his stenographer's ability, personality, and other qualities. And it is from these frequent meetings that there is gradually built up in the dictator's mind the judgment that you are an unusually efficient, or a mediocre, or a poor stenographer. Taking dictation is indeed an opportunity for the ste- nographer, and she should know how to make the most of it. Be Prepared When you are asked to take dictation, drop all work immediately, take your book and pencils, and go to the 25 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL dictator's desk. Even though you may be part way through a letter that you are typing, leave it in your machine and prepare to take dictation. Never make the dictator wait. If you do so you will only make things harder for yourself, for being made to wait usually affects the temper of most dictators. Whenever you are called by a dictator and do not know whether it is for dictation or not, always take your note- book and pencils with you. In order not to keep the dictator waiting, be sure to keep two or three well-sharpened pencils in your desk so that you will never be forced to stop to sharpen one. If you use a fountain pen, be sure that it is in good working order and that it is filled. Keep your dictation book in one place so that you can always find it quickly. On your way to the dictator's desk turn the pages of your book to the proper place, so that when you arrive at the desk you won't have to waste time trying to find it. In. fact, it is advisable to have the next blank page indicated by a rubber band around your book or by a turned-down page. Take two pencils with you in order that if the point of one of them should break or become dull, as so often happens, you will still have one to use. This precaution will save you the embarrassment of being forced to keep the dictator waiting while you sharpen another pencil or while you go to your desk to get one. Give some attention to these details, make such matters a habit, and you will earn the good will of your dictator. When you reach the dictator's desk, pull up a chair for yourself, pull out the slide of the desk, or place your book on the desk, or rest it on your knees, and signify that you are ready. 26 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL Your Manner When Taking Dictation One of the main points to watch is your manner when taking dictation. Remember that you can help the dic- tator a great deal in his dictation by your attitude. The dictator is trying to concentrate his mind on what he is to say or is saying, and the slightest distraction will cause him annoyance. So, whatever you do, don't fidget while he is reflecting or hesitating over what he is going to say next. Some stenographers, while they are waiting for the dictator to dictate something, unconsciously distract his attention by tapping their pencils on the desk or book, by examining their finger nails, and by similar practices. You can spend this time to good advantage by reading your notes and making sure that you have everything right, by planning your letters, by putting in punctuation and paragraph marks if these are not given to you, and so forth. And don't look expectantly into his face while he is trying to think. This action either hurries him or makes him nervous, with the result that he is dissatisfied with his dictation. It is rather difficult to take dictation that is slow, jerky, and labored, but be as patient and sympathetic in your attitude as you can. The dictator will appreciate it more than you know. When the dictation is lengthy some stenographers be- come sulky, pretend weariness, or appear anxious to get away. Such an attitude is very trying to the dictator, although he may not say anything about it. Be patient and cheerful throughout the dictation. Some stenographers become very nervous when they are asked to take dictation. They are afraid of the dic- tator or afraid that they will make mistakes. It is need- 27 . THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL less to say that they must overcome this feeling, for a girl who is in such a frame of mind cannot take dictation well. Points on Taking Dictation In beginning the day's dictation put the date at the top of a new page, so that if you are called upon a week or so later to read your notes on a letter that is questioned, you can quickly find the proper place. One of the first suggestions concerning the taking of dic- tation which, if followed by the stenographer, will make her more efficient, is this: Don't interrupt the dictator when he is dictating, unless he is going too fast. The reason for this is that if you interrupt him when he is in the middle of an idea,, you will very likely cause him to lose the thread of his thought. If you fail to understand a word or phrase that he gave you, mark that spot in some manner and wait either until the end of the letter or until he has paused, before asking what it was that he said. The next suggestion is this: Remember that the cor- rectness of your finished letter depends upon your accuracy in getting down exactly what the dictator said. Your notes must be 100 per cent perfect, or otherwise your letter may have to be retyped. Save yourself this extra work, and the embarrassment of being compelled to do your work over again, by taking the utmost precautions to be sure that your notes are right. Many stenographers, when they have failed to catch what the dictator said or when they have not understood an unfamiliar word, are afraid to reveal to the dictator their inattention, carelessness, or lack of understanding, by asking him to repeat or to spell out the word. They "take a chance" that they can later work out the sense or can find the word in the dictionary. But don't you do 28 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL it. These things, nine times out of ten, show up very noticeably in the finished letter and are nearly always caught by the dictator before he signs the letter. // you don't know, ask, and have the dictator set you right. Don't add to one fault by making another. So far as the dictator is concerned he would much rather have you ask than be compelled later to have you retype your letter on account of the inaccuracies in it. It saves him time and annoyance. Bear in mind, then, that your ability to take dictation is judged by your finished letter, and that accuracy is the most important quality of a stenographer. Certainly your letter cannot be accurate if your notes aren't. Accord- ingly, before you leave the dictator, be sure that you have no doubts about the accuracy of your notes. // you aren't sure, ask. Then, again, remember that you will have to read your notes when you are typing them out. Accord- ingly, take pains to make your notes legible. Care now will save time and trouble when you are transcribing. Be particularly careful of names and addresses. If the dictator begins by giving you the name of the person or persons to whom he is writing, or if he uses a name else- where in his dictation and does not spell it out for you, make sure that you know how to spell that name. Write it out in longhand. As you know, there are no rules for the spelling of names : Cramer sounds the same as Kramer, Coughlan sounds like Coughlin, and Spalding like Spaul- ding, but they are spelled differently. You have no way of knowing the correct spelling unless from experience with this dictator you know to whom he refers, or unless you ask. The misspelling of a customer's name is a busi- ness blunder. If the dictator is in the habit of turning over to you the letters he has answered, it is only necessary to number the letters in your book or write down a part THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL of the name; as, Johnson Co., or Acker son. Always follow exactly the identical form used by the firm addressed on its own letterhead. For examples note the ampersand (&) in Gordon & Jones, the article "The" in The Plimpton Press, the hyphen in The Globe-Wernicke Co., and also the fact that Co. is not spelled out. The same rule concerning the asking about spelling holds true with respect to the spelling of names of streets, cities, and other places, trade articles, technical words and expressions, etc. It is easier and more efficient to ask than to spend ten or fifteen minutes trying to find out how they are spelled after you have left the dictator. And sometimes you can't find out, especially in the case of the names of streets. Be especially careful of figures and amounts. Make certain that you get them correct. A blunder here may be very costly to the firm. If the dictator does not give you the punctuation to go into the letter, you should put it in while you are taking the dictation. Carefully Note Instructions The dictator will often give you instructions about what he wants you to do. He may say, " Put that letter in the follow-up file so that it will come back to me on the 15th " ; or, "Make two extra carbon copies of that and give them to me"; or, "Send this letter by special delivery." When- ever he does give you such instructions don't try to carry them in your mind, because you may forget them, and, besides, because there is no need to burden your memory with them. Make a note of them in your book. On other occasions he may hand you an inclosure to go with one of the letters. If he does so, make a note in your book of the inclosure, and also mark the inclosure, so that you will know into which letter it is to go. 30 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL In some offices the dictator may have various styles of letterheads that he uses on different occasions. He may have the regular business letterhead for the usual business letters; he may have an official or private letterhead for semi-business, semi-personal matters; and he may have his own personal letterhead for his own personal letters. If you aren't sure which letterhead you should use, ask him. After he has indicated that he has finished dictating, make sure again that you have no doubts about your notes. Then gather up the letters he has answered, the incloeures, your book and pencils, and go back to your desk. Don't, by carelessness or oversight, leave anything of yours on the dictator's desk. Chapter IV Transcribing and Typing You Are Judged by Your Completed Work AT the beginning of the last chapter the statement was made that the employer or dictator usually has only two occasions on which he has an opportunity to judge the value and ability of the stenographer: first, when she takes his dictation; and, second, when he sees the com- pleted work before him. This second occasion now re- mains to be discussed. Even a poor stenographer may make a good impression on the dictator at the time she takes dictation. She may apparently know her business and seem to take dictation well. But, after all, it is the completed work that the dictator sees and judges by; in fact, it is the finished result that counts, that shows the dictator that the stenographer is accurate and otherwise efficient. Thus it may be said that, so far as tangible and apparent results are concerned, the typed letter or other matter is the most certain method of determining the ability of a stenogra- pher, for it shows whether she can take dictation accu- rately, it shows her knowledge of such matters as spelling, punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and mechanical make-up; and it shows her neatness and ability as a typist. In view of the fact that so much importance is 32 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL attached to the finished work it should be apparent to the stenographer that she must concentrate her utmost efforts to insure that her work is as good as she possibly can do. Accuracy in Transcription The dictator judges the finished work of the stenographer under two general heads: (1) accuracy and correctness, and (2) appearance. As has been said before, the most important quality of the letter is accuracy. It is better to go more slowly with your typing and get everything correct than to go faster and make mistakes. Hence, accuracy is the keynote of efficient transcribing and typing, as it is also of the efficient taking of dictation. Assuming, there- fore, that your notes are accurate and legible, there is no reason except downright carelessness why your letter shouldn't be accurate with respect to sense and meaning. It sometimes happens, however, that your notes don't make sense, either because the dictator himself made a slip or because you did. In this event either get the neces- sary information from the dictator, or, if you are sure that you know what he meant to say, put that down. Don't bother the dictator unless you have to. But when you cannot proceed intelligently with your work, have the courage to ask for the necessary information. What- ever you do, don't type sentences that make no sense, even though your notes read that way. This is an important point, and should be carefully noted. It is a good plan to read a sentence or two of your notes at a time to make sure they read all right before you type them. Misspelling is a common error that causes much trouble, for misspelling means that the letter will have to be re- typed or corrections made on the typewriter, or in ink by the dictator. And there is little or no excuse for mis- 33 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL spelling. It results either from carelessness in typing or from ignorance. If you aren't sure of how the word is spelled don't "take a chance" on it, but look it up in your dictionary. If your concern does not furnish you with a dictionary, buy one, for it will be worth a good deal more to you than the money you spend on it. And buy a good one not a ten- or twenty-five-cent one, but a good one, in which you can find the words that give you trouble. The small, cheap dictionaries are so much abridged or so brief that often you will not find in them the words you are looking up. [A complete discussion of spelling is given in Chapter VI, page 71.] Another error, but one not so common as misspelling, is the use of a word which sounds like the one the dictator used, which has the same or nearly the same outline as another word, but which is the wrong word. Some of these words are advise and advice, bad and bade, born and borne, canvas and canvass, formally and formerly. [A list of these words is given beginning on page 82. You should know them, their different meanings and spellings, so that you will know which one to use.] Why You Should Be Up on Your Grammar It sometimes happens that the dictator in his haste, or on account of concentration on his ideas, or, it must be said, because of his ignorance, makes a grammatical blun- der. He may have used a singular subject and followed it with a plural verb, as in the sentence, "Each one of my five recommendations were approved," when he should have said, "Each one of my five recommendations was approved." Or he may have dictated a sentence that is ambiguous on account of the misplacing of a phrase, as, " Please fill out the credit blank that you will find inclosed 34 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL in ink," when he should have said, "Please fill out in ink the credit blank that you will find inclosed." When the stenographer notices such blunders and she should al- ways be on the watch for them she should correct them. But she should be sure that there is a blunder and that she knows how to correct it. If she isn't sure she should bring it to the attention of the dictator. If she watches for and corrects mistakes in the grammar of the dictator, she can often save the concern from making a poor im- pression upon its customer because of the grammatical mistakes in the letter. A sound knowledge of grammar should be part of the stock in trade of the good stenographer. The stenogra- pher who knows grammar is all the more valuable to a company. If you aren't sure of your grammar, brush up on it. Buy a grammar and review it carefully. Some day you will be glad that you did, for it may bring you the opportunity that you want. Editing Dictated Material The stenographer is often troubled about the liberty she can take in editing dictated material. Of course, if the mistake is a bad one, and very obvious, there is no question about it. But at other times the circumstances in the case must govern her actions. In general, it may be said the stenographer's experience with the dictator, and her knowledge of his ability and wishes, will serve as a guide. Some dictators don't want you to change a single word unless you first consult them; others, and they are in the majority, are only too glad to have a stenographer who will take the responsibility to see that the letter is clear, correct in English and grammar, and free from incorrect statements. 35 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL Paragraphing the Letter If the dictator does not give you the paragraphing, it is necessary to use your own judgment about it, for sel- dom, except in very short letters, should the letter be solidly typed, with no paragraphs. This fact means that you should know how to break a letter into paragraphs. The general rule is that each idea should be given a separate paragraph. Accordingly, when you are transcrib- ing your notes, begin a new paragraph whenever you come upon a new idea or a break in the thought. It might be advisable, also, to read and study the chapters on para- graph structure which you will find in any book on English rhetoric. Punctuation and Capitalization The subject of punctuation and capitalization is dis- cussed in detail in Chapter VIII, beginning on page 133. At this point, therefore, it is only necessary to remind you of the importance of attention to these matters when you are transcribing. Always Read Over Your Work After you have finished transcribing the letter, read it over very carefully before you take it out of the machine, and try to find any errors that you may have made. It is better to make corrections while the letter is in the machine, for you are then assured of good alignment when you make the correction. Read for sense, but watch the grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. Be especially careful that you have not transposed numbers. It is much better for you to find the error on yourself than 36 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL to have the dictator find it. At this time bear in mind the fact that accuracy and correctness are the most valuable qualities of your work. Be sure that your letters are correct before you hand them in to be signed. If you have been given some copying work to do, always compare your finished work with the original. There is no excuse for errors in copying. As you finish each letter put any inclosures that bo- long with the letter into the addressed envelope so that you won't forget them. It is a dangerous practice to leave this matter until all the letters are done. By that time you may have forgotten about the inclosure. The Appearance of Your Work The second quality by which your work is judged is that of appearance. Your work should be clean and neat; it should have good mechanical make-up, and in general should make a good appearance. In these days business concerns are paying more and more attention to the appearance of the letters that go out and represent them to their customers. Hence, the stenographer who can get out good-looking letters is in greater demand than ever before. The appearance of the letter is a very important matter, remember that. Try to make your letters as good-looking as you can. Be proud of your work. Bear in mind that your ability is judged to a great extent by the appearance of your letters and that you are responsible for the appearance of your letters. Making Erasures and Changes First of all, the letter should be neat and clean-looking. There should be no unsightly erasures, smudges, or other 4 37 47085 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL marks indicating slovenly work. Erasures seem to cause most of the trouble. Of course, it is hardly possible to type all letters perfectly; but try to make as few mistakes as possible. Again, it is better to go a little more slowly and do better work. Whenever it is necessary to make an erasure make it first in the letter, being sure, however, to place a piece of heavy paper between the carbon paper and the carbon copy, so that your erasing won't smudge up the latter. In making the erasure use an erasure shield, so that you won't erase letters or marks other than those you wish to erase, and make the erasure lightly and neatly, but still do it completely. Brush and blow away any particles of paper or rubber that remain on the letter sheet, so that when you strike over the erased spot the new letters or marks will be neat, and also so that these particles will not get into and clog the typewriter keys. Then make a neat erasure on the carbon copy. Sometimes you do not detect the error until after you have taken the letter from the machine. In this case make your erasures before you put the letter back into the machine. Be sure that the carbon copy is in its proper position, and that, when you strike the key to put in a letter or word, the proper alignment is secured. Be careful of these things, for careless work in these matters is very noticeable. The same is true when the dictator has indicated on the letter certain corrections, additions, or changes. Try to make them so that they will not be noticeable. Here is where your skill in operating the type- writer is put to a real test. But when you do make these corrections, changes, or additions, be sure to make them on the carbon copy also, in order that the copy will be a "true" copy. Never strike one letter over another except in such 38 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL cases as striking "h" over "n," and "p" over "o." Other- wise the work doesn't look right. It is better to erase and make a good job of it while you are at it. Keep Your Machine in Good Condition Even a good workman can't do good work with poor tools. Nor can you do good work if your machine isn't in good working condition. The responsibility of seeing that it is in good order rests upon you. Of course, if there should be something seriously wrong with it, such as letters out of alignment, you aren't expected to be able to repair it, but you are expected to take steps to have it put in repair as soon as possible. Bring the matter to the attention of the chief stenographer, or, if you are in a small office, ask your employer for permission to have the repairs made. Keep the type letters clean. The moment you notice that a letter is clogged, stop your work and clean that letter. At least once a week you should give the faces of the type and the whole machine a good cleaning. If you don't know how to clean and oil your machine, read the printed instructions that the manufacturer of your machine will be glad to give you. In oiling the machine be careful that there is no superfluous oil left on the machine, for this oil will make oil spots on your paper and will gather dust. Wipe off the machine carefully with a cloth after you have oiled it. If your paper slips and doesn't move with the roller or platen, put in another sheet with it. If it still slips, use emery paper to roughen the platen so that it will grip the paper. A worn-out ribbon is often the cause of poor-looking work. The moment that you notice that the typing looks 39 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL faint or "spotty," either "turn" the ribbon or get a new one. Take good care of your machine and it will do good work for you. This suggestion is given, not because your care of the machine may make it last longer, but because your care will mean that your letters will be better-looking and that's what you want. Don't Dispute with the Dictator Sometimes the dictator may call you back and tell you that you made him appear to say certain things in his letters that he didn't say. Don't bridle under this criti- cism and retort that that was what he said according to your notes. Your notes may be incorrect. Even if the dictator is in the wrong let him have his way. You gain nothing by disputing his statements. If you gain a repu- tation with him for being accurate, he will soon realize that you were right in these matters. Taking Care of Your Notebooks As you finish transcribing each page, draw a cross through it or indicate in some way that its contents have been typed. After you have filled your notebook write your name on the cover, and also note on it the dates covered by the contents, as January 5-January 18, 1921; then file it. In case of any questioning of the correctness of a letter you can then easily find the notes of the letter. Office Supplies Make sure that you have in your desk adequate office supplies, such as pencils, the various types of letterheads 40 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL and envelopes, notebooks, carbon paper, and second sheets. You should have at least a day's supply of such things, so that you will not have to interrupt your work while you are getting enough supplies to go on with. Chapter V The Mechanical Make-up of the Letter Know and Use Good Mechanical Make-up THE appearance of your letters depends to a large extent upon the mechanical make-up you use. By mechanical make-up is meant such matters as placing the letter properly on the letter sheet so that the margins will be right, the spacing of the letter, the observance of good usage with respect to titles, to forms of the saluta- tion and of the complimentary close, and similar points that often cause worry. The competent stenographer should be well informed on these matters, for such knowl- edge will help much in getting out good-looking letters, and will insure that the form used conforms with correct usage. In some offices the stenographer is provided with a standardized form and arrangement of a letter, which she is asked to follow, so that all letters going out of that office will have the same kind of mechanical rnake-up. This fact does not imply that the way you learned to arrange and type your letters is incorrect; it merely means that the office wants all its letters to be standardized in appearance and form. If you are provided with such in- structions and rules, you should, of course, follow them out fully. If you are not so provided you may be in- 42 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL terested in the following points that will help make your letters present a good appearance and that will inform you as to what is considered correct usage. Placing the Letter on the Page Before you start typing the letter you should first glance over your notes and get a pretty accurate estimate of the amount of material in the letter. This step is necessary if you wish to have the proper margins and good margins help the appearance of your letter a great deal. Some stenographers always begin their letters the same distance from the top of the sheet and the same dis- tance in from the edge. This practice will mean that the letter consisting of only three or four lines will not look right, for the typed matter will be too near the top. If you find that the letter contains only a small amount of material, begin your letter lower down on the sheet [this means the date, too], and leave a wider margin at the left. The right-hand margin should be the same as the left- hand one. The margin at the foot of the letter should be the biggest. Sometimes it is advisable, in very short letters, to double space between the lines of the address and also between the lines in the body of the letter. If the letter is longer, begin nearer the top and make your margins smaller. But never crowd the letter so that there is less than one inch between the signature and the bottom edge of the sheet, and never make your side mar- gins less than three-quarters of an inch. It is much better to go to a second sheet. But if you do go to a second sheet, do not have only the complimentary close, like "Yours truly," and the signature on that sheet. There should be at least three or four lines of typing on it; 43 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANIA I, THE ^VA\S PRtfPOaS CO/flPAIZY 5O CMVRCM STREET .... REWYORK. Hoyember 16, 1920. John tfananajcer, 8th Street and Broadway, NOT York City. Attention of Superintendent of Building This letter will ierre to introduce to you Ur. R. A. Holne of the Manhattan Sxport Coap.ny ho isies to impect toe condition of the wood flooring on t.;a eiijhto floor of t..e new builiinn, which our conpany treated eeroral jreare ajo. 3e, ioU appreciate your courtesy in tiia natter. Very truly your, SiE SAUUS PS03UCTS COUPA2TT 7. S, EXAMPLE OF POOR PLACING OF MATTEU ON THE LETTER SHEET 44 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL THE S\VA\5 PROPOCTS COMPART SO C/WRC/V STREET - - - - KBWYORlt NoTWber 16, 1920. John Wanama>er, 8th Street and Broadway, HOT York City. Oentlomen: Attention of Superintendent of Gliding. Holmes of the Manhattan Sxport Company ho wishes to inspect the condition of tne wood flooring on the eighth floor of the new builiinn, hich our conpaay treated several years ago. We shall appreciate your .courtesy in this matte- Very truly yours, THE SAWliS PRODUCTS COtPAUT F. S. Injriihan - C. F. EXAMPLE OF BETTER PJLACING OF MATTER ON THE LETTER SHEET THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL otherwise the second sheet won't look right. Try to plan out these things in advance. And be especially careful of these points when you are approaching the foot of the letter. You must then decide whether or not you have enough space left to complete the letter on that sheet and still leave a good margin, or whether you will have to go to a second sheet. All this is a matter of judgment and experience on your part. Of course, it is impossible to make the right-hand edge of your typed letter exactly even, as you can do with the left-hand edge, but you can 'at least try not to have it look too jagged and irregular. Be particularly careful in typing the end of your first line, for the end of the last word in this line determines the imaginary margin line that you are trying to keep for the right-hand side of the typed matter. The Parts of the Mechanical Make-up of a Letter For the purpose of discussion, the mechanical make-up of the letter may be divided into six parts: the heading, the inside address, the salutation, the body of the letter, the complimentary close, and the signature. In reading what is said about these matters, please remember that this book attempts to give you examples of what is con- sidered correct usage. Other forms are not necessarily incorrect. The Heading 1. Since you are provided with printed letterheads, the only part of the heading that you will type is the date. This is sometimes placed in the center, or on the date line printed on the sheet. The most common practice, how- ever, is to place it at the right, below the heading. If 46 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL you place it at the right, remember before you do so that its position depends upon the length of the letter. [See "Placing the Letter on the Page," page 43.] Remember also that the last figure in the date is often used to deter- mine the imaginary line which you try to keep at the right as the margin line of your typing. 2. The date should consist of the month, the number of the day, and the number of the year. Do not use a num- ber for the month, and do not abbreviate the year. Wrong: 4-8-'21 4/8/'21 Right: April 8, 1921 3. Although on the face of it the use of the number of the month and of the year seems to be more efficient than the use of the month written out, nevertheless the reader is often confused in trying to find out exactly what month is meant. In many European countries, 4-8-'21 would be read "the 4th of August, 1921," instead of "April 8, 1921." 4. In ordinary business letters the numbers in the date should not be written out in full, as May twenty-four, Nineteen hundred twenty-one. In certain cases, however, such as in official letters, the date is spelled out to secure a greater formality. 5. The number of the day does not need to be followed by d, nd, rd, st, or th. Incorrect: May 5th, 1921 Correct: May 5, 1921 NOTE. This rule holds good when referring, in the body of the letter, to the date. It is permissible, how- ever, to use such forms as "the 10th of May." 47 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL The Inside Address 1. The name and address of the person or group to whom the letter is directed is placed at the left-hand side of the page, below the heading. Its distance below the printed heading depends upon the arrangement of the matter in the body of the letter [see page 43]. When "window" envelopes are used, however, it is necessary to type the inside address within a prescribed space. These two forms, the straight edge and the indented, are used: The Smith Hardware Company, Inc., 35 Broadway, New York City. [Or] The Smith Hardware Company, Inc., 85 Broadway, New York City. 2. According to custom and courtesy, some title should always be used with the name of the person or persons addressed; but no title is used before names of corpora- tions (United States Rubber Company), nor before part- nerships with an impersonal style (Electric Novelty Manu- facturing Company). Moreover, it is now good practice to omit the title (Messrs.) before the style of a partnership that contains the names of the individuals (Meyer & Ayres). The commonest titles used in business are as follows: Mr., Messrs,, Mrs., Miss, Dr., Rev., Hon., Prof., Esq. 3. In addressing a person, always use whatever title the person may possess; for example, Dr., Rev., Lieutenant. 4. Sometimes a woman, whose letter is being answered, will have signed her name without the title Mrs. or Miss 48 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL before it. In such an instance try to ascertain whether she is married or unmarried, so that you can use the proper title. If you cannot find out, assume that she is unmarried, and use the title Miss. Note that the title Miss is not now considered an abbreviation and is there- fore not to be followed with a period. 5. The title Esq. (Esquire) follows the name of the man addressed. It has practically gone out of general use in the United States, although it is still commonly used by banks and lawyers, and in addressing a man residing in the British Empire. When it is used it should not be used together with Mr. Wrong: Mr. Howard T. Maxwell, Esq. Right: Howard T. Maxwell, Esq. [Or, preferably] Mr. Howard T. Maxwell 6. The title Messrs, is an abbreviation of Messieurs. It is a common error to write it Messers. or Mess. This title should not be used in addressing corporations or in addressing partnerships with an impersonal style (name) ; and it need not be used with other partnership styles. Wrong: Messrs. American Chain Company, Inc. Right: American Chain Company, Inc. Wrong: Messrs. The II. K. McCann Company Right: The H. K. McCann Company Wrong: Messrs. Cluett, Peabody & Co., Inc. Right: Cluett, Peabody & Co., Inc. Right: Messrs. Meyer & Ayers [a partnership] [Or] Right: Meyer & Ayers 49 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL K. & G. WIRELESS SUPPLY CO. MANUFACTURERS OF DEPENDABLE APPARATUS 1M.IU CHAMKJU STRUT NEW YORK CITY Noveaber 18, 1920. Montgomery a Smith, 415 North Perry Street. P*oril U- vul op-ojite the paragraph to VUich it rfert. Ltt at li-it fc tuarur inch b< tten tte nd of the tub-htt-d ' cnil thb p*re-jraph r^rgln. ?p.'.en:o pi-ri.r*pht. Shencvtr there it A u>in healii., drop doan three trucct, typt the oMr> hradir-t nnd then drop ion t-w trt fftH* befort it^rtir.g th* xt paraiyrajh. KXAMPLE OF ARRANGEMENT OF A REPORT PAGE (PUNCHING AT TOP) 68 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL purpose a skilled repair machinist snould be of these machines to tha bead of the department, secured far enough ahead. nornical care of and files should be furnished by the accounting Planning of the Planning of the work for the day should be the had of th having been completely chocked by tlie head of Eochanice should bo signed by the head of the department. EETECTS OF SVOSESTIO Departnental With properly standordited equipment, work may equipment save time in making estimates but will safeguard .the company from errors in estimates. Considerable saving will result from the" benefit $14,000, With the standardized equipment Testnent for such items will not exceed 43,000 at catalog prices. .Tne loss ir. "idle tine", both of labor and of EXAMPLE OF ARRANGEMENT OF A REPORT PAGE (PUNCHING AT LEFT) ft 69 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL plish these two purposes, the following suggestions will help: 1. Leave a wider margin than you ordinarily use in letters, at the left-hand side of the sheet, for often these pages are stapled together or bound at the left, and a narrow margin will mean that the reader will have difficulty in reading the words at the beginnings of the lines. 2. Type subheads in capitals, in red, underline them, or in some other way separate them from the body of the reading matter so that they will be seen at a glance. Sometimes they are placed in the left-hand marginal space. The appearance and efficiency of the report can be materially enhanced by good display of titles, captions, main heads, subheads, etc. 3. The page number may appear either at the top or at the bot- tom of the sheet. 4. Leave good margins at the top and bottom; in other words, don't crowd the page. Chapter VI About Your Spelling The Importance of Correct Spelling THE ability of the stenographer to spell correctly all the words in her letters is important, not only to the stenographer, but to the dictator and to the business concern as well. It is important to the dictator because he is made to appear in a disadvantageous light to the reader of the letter if the letter contains misspelled words. He is made to appear either ignorant or careless. More- over, if he is not sure of the ability of his stenographer to make certain that there are no faults in spelling in his let- ters, he is obliged to read every word carefully to assure him- self that it is correctly spelled. If he is compelled to do this before he is willing to attach his signature to the letter, it means a loss of time and much worry. You can readily realize, therefore, why the dictator thinks highly of the stenographer who is consistently dependable in her spelling. Correct spelling is an important matter to the business concern, for it, too, cannot afford to have its name attached to letters that contain misspelled words. Such letters injure its standing in the eyes of its readers. How would you yourself feel if you received a letter from a high-class firm and then found several mistakes in spelling in the letter? Wouldn't you look down on that firm? And, again, the business house loses money whenever one of 71 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL its highly paid dictators is forced to spend time checking the spelling of his letters. For these reasons, therefore, you can see why your ability to spell correctly all the time is important to them, and because it is an important matter to them it is im- portant to you. It makes you more valuable to your dictator and to the house. You have possibly never looked at this seemingly unimportant matter from this viewpoint; but now that you understand the business reasons for good spelling you can appreciate that correct spelling means a lot to business houses. Consistently dependable spelling is, and always will be, an asset to the stenographer. It should be part of her stock in trade, a tool that she needs constantly in her work. Probably in no other trade or occupation is the ability to spell well more important. Resolve now, there- fore, to develop your ability in this matter, and resolve never to misspell another word if you can help it. If you really want to, you can so develop your ability that you will be very close indeed to 100 per cent proficient in it. And since it is so valuable to you, you should want to. Spelling, after all, is not a difficult subject to master. It is chiefly a matter of carefulness and close concentration. It is not as though you were taking part in a "spelling bee" and could not look up a word about which you were not sure, for you can always assure yourself of the correct spelling by consulting your dictionary. Surely that is easy. And if you don't look up the word it is downright laziness or neglect of your duty. It is just carelessness in matters like this that brands a stenographer as being lazy, negligent, and incompetent. Some stenographers think it is a disgrace to be seen using a dictionary. Quite the contrary; it shows that a girl is careful and is trying to do accurate work. The 72 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL girls who have the best record for correct spelling are not those who neglect the use of the dictionary. Remember that there is absolutely no excuse for even one misspelled word in the letter, for you always have the opportunity to use the dictionary. So make it a rule and a habit with yourself to look up every word concerning the spelling of which you have any doubts. If you do this you will find in time that you will have to use the dictionary only rarely. There is no need to give space in this book to the rules of spelling. You will find them given in complete detail in any good dictionary. It might be advisable to study them, for if you can remember them you need not spend so much time looking up words. Technical and Trade Words Every trade, business, and profession uses words and expressions that are peculiar to it. The dictator in the printing business uses such words as em, pica, Caslon, and saddle stitching; in the banking business, such words as amortize, debenture, bearish, and when, as, and if issued; and in the legal profession, such words as garnishee, prcecipe, quash, and "on all fours." Some of these words and ex- pressions cannot be found in the dictionary. For this reason it is necessary for you to make yourself acquainted, by study and observance, with the spelling of the technical or trade words common to your business, because you will constantly use them. It might not be inadvisable to make a list of them for your own convenience. Words Correctly Spelled in Two or More Ways You will frequently come upon words that are correctly spelled in two or more ways. The only rule to observe 73 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL here is to be consistent. Don't spell the word in one way in one part of your letter and in a different way in another part. A list of some of these words follows: PREFERRED SPELLING acknowledgment agriculturist almanac amortize appall appareled appraise aught ax \ axe/ acknowledgement agriculturalist almanack amortise appal apparelled apprize ought B balk barreled behavior beveled biased brier burned (c) baulk barrelled behaviour bevelled biassed briar burnt caliber canceled catalog center check chock-full \ chuck-full / color cozy criticize \ criticise / calibre cancelled catalogue centre cheque colour cosy, cosey 74 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL D decrepit defense demeanor dependence dependent develop,-ment dexterous disk\ disc / dispatch distill \ distil / distributer dryly dye (color) ecstasy embarkation enclose \ inclose / encumber endear endeavor endure enroll envelop (v) envelope (n) E decrepid defence demeanour dependance dependant develope,-ment dextrous despatch distributor drily die ecstacy embarcation incumber indear endeavour indure enrol envelope (v) envelop (n) favor formulas \ formulae / favour gauge gayly gray guaranty (n) \ guarantee (n) / guarantee (v) 75 gage gaily grey guaranty (e) THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL H harbor hindrance \ hinderance / honor humor harbour honour humour imperiled incase incumbrance indexes \ indices / indorse inquire install 1 instal / installment \ instalment / intrust inveigle imperilled encase encumbrance endorse enquire entrust enveigle labeled labor leveled libeled license labelled labour levelled libelled licence M mantelpiece marshaled marveled memoranda \ memorandums / mileage mold mould / moneyed moneys movable mantlepiece marshalled marvelled milage monied monies moveable 76 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL N naught neighbor nought neighbour odor offense odour offence paneled paralyze peddler penciled plow \ plough / practice \ practise / pretense \ pretence / program \ panelled paralyse pedler pencilled programme / quartet \ quartette / rancor re-enforce rigor rivaled rancour reinforce rigour rivalled salable shyly skillful suite (n) survivor saleable shily skilful suit surviver 77 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL T theater \ theatre / transship tranship traveled travelled U unbiased unbiassed until untill W wintry wintery woolen woollen Foreign Words and Phrases Commonly Used in English There are certain foreign words and phrases commonly used in dictation, the spelling of which will trouble you. Look them up in the main section of the dictionary; if you don't find them there consult the section on foreign expressions. A short list of the most commonly used foreign words follows : A anno Domini a posteriori apropos a priori au fait ad intinii inn au revoir ad interim ad valorem addendum (plural, addenda) bagatelle alias bete noire alibi blas alma mater bona fide alumnus (m.) \ bon voyage alumni / alumna (/.) \ alumnae / camaraderie amanuensis carte blanche caveat emptor 78 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL chaperon et cetera charge d'affaires ex cathedra confrere ex officio connoisseur ex parte contra expos6 contretemps extempore coup d'etat crises (plural of crisis) criteria (plural of criterion) facsimile cuisine faux pas fete D fiasco datum (plural, data) finale de facto finesse debris finis debut denouement formulae \ / , , , , , . formulas/ (plurak f formula) depot fracas desideratum (plural, desiderata) devoir G dictum (plural, dicta) genre dilletante gratia distingue distrait H dramatis personse habitat habitue E hauteur eclat hoi polloi elite honorarium emeritus hors de combat encore en masse I en rapport ignis fatuus en route impedimenta ennui impromptu ensemble in toto entre nous in transitu entree incognito entrepreneur erratum (plural, errata) indices \ ( , uralg of index} indexes / esprit de corps ingenue 79 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL innuendo,-oes insouciance instanter interim ipso facto L laissez-faire M magnus opus inal de mer manifesto manoeuvre masseur (m.) masseuse (/.) maximum (plural, maxima) melee memoranda \ (plurals of mem- memorandums / orandum) minima \ ( lura]s of min i mum ) mimmums J modus operandi N naive nalvet6 negligee Hum de plume nonchalance nota bene (N.B.) O onus outr6 par excellence passim penchant per annum per capita per cent (or, per cent.) per centum per contra per diem per se persona non grata personnel phenomena (plural of phenomenon) poseur post mortem post prandial prima facie pro forma pro rata pro tempore protege Q quasi questionnaire quondam quota R r6gime rendezvous rdle sanctum sanctorum sang-froid savant savoire faire seance sine die sine qua non sobriquet sotto voce stet sub rosa 80 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL T terra firma totum tout ensemble U ultimatum ultra verbatim (et literatim) via vice vice versa vis-a-vis viva voce Plurals of Foreign Words Many words adopted from foreign languages retain their original plurals. Some of the most commonly used are given below. Many of them, while retaining the original plural form, have also a second, or English, plural form. Singular addendum alumna (/.) alumnus (m.) analysis antithesis apex appendix axis basis cherub crisis criterion curriculum datum desideratum dictum encomium erratum focus formula hypothesis index Original Plural addenda aluiiinse alumni analyses antitheses apices appendices axes bases cherubim crises criteria curricula data desiderata dicta encomia errata foci formulae hypotheses indices 81 English Plural apexes appendixes cherubs criterions curriculums encomiums focuses formulas indexes THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL Singular Original Plural English Plural matrix matrices maximum maxima memorandum memoranda memorandums minimum minima nucleus nuclei nucleuses oasis oases parenthesis parentheses phenomenon phenomena radius radii stratum strata stratums synopsis synopses tableau tableaux terminus termini ultimatum ultimata ultimatums Words That Have the Same or Nearly the Same Sound In the English language there is many a word that has the same or nearly the same sound as another word that is spelled differently and has a different meaning. Since, in stenography, the phonetic outlines of these words are often the same, or nearly the same [clothes, cloths], you must be especially careful that you use the right word when you transcribe. To do this you should know what these words are and what different meanings they have, so that you won't make a mistake. A list of the most com- mon ones is given below. Several words are included, however, which differ in spelling in spite of a logical rela- tionship [maintain, maintenance]. accept (to receive) affect (to influence) except (to exclude; with the excep- effect (to bring about) tion of) allusion (a reference) advice (noun) illusion (o deceiving appear- advise (verb) once) 82 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL all right almost all ready (completely prepared) already (previously) altogether all ways always (at all times) aloud allowed alley (a narrow passage) ally (o confederate) altar (o structure used in worship) alter (to change) base bean been bin born (brought into being) borne (carried) boy buoy breath (noun) breathe (verb) by buy angel (a celestial being) angle (the meeting-place of two lines) calender (a machine) calendar (a register of the days, etc.) appraise (to set a value on) apprise (to inform) capital (the sum invested in a busi- ness; the chief city, etc.) capitol (a statehouse) canvas (a cloth) canvass (to solicit) ascent assent assistants (those who aid) assistance (aid) bad bade (past tense of to bid) cede (to give up) bail (the security for the release of a P ner ) ceiling bale (a large bundle) sealing cease seize bare bear baring (making bare) barring (obstruction) bearing (carrying) cellar seller cereal (edible grain) serial (pertaining to a series) THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL cession (a yielding up) desert (a barren country) session (the actual sitting of a court dessert (food) or other body; the time during which the body meets) choir quire clause claws close clothes (garmenti) cloths (pieces of cloth) device (noun) devise (verb) disappear disappoint disavowal dissatisfaction dissimilar dissipate dissuade discomfit (to thwart) discomfort (to make uneasy) coarse (not fine) course (route, method of behavior) done (past participle of to do) complement (to supply a dcfi- dun (an urgent request for pay- ciency) compliment (to praise) ment; as verb, to ask a debtor for payment) conscious (aware) conscience (an inner moral sense) dual (expressing the number f) duel (a combat between two persons) corespondent (a joint respondent emerge (to come forth from conceal- in a divorce suit) correspondents (those who write communications) correspondence (communication by faint letters) ment) immerge (to plunge into anything) currant (a dried berry) current (a flow) dairy diary feint (a pretense; a mock attack) fair fare (the sum paid for a jour- ney, etc.) flea (an insect) flee (to run away from) decent (respectable, etc.) descent (downward slope or motion) formally (in a formal way) dissent (o disagreement) formerly (in time pott) 84 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL forth forty four fourth foul fowl isle (an inland) aisle (a narrow passage) its (possessive pronoun) it's (contraction of it is) key quay (a wharf) gambling (wagering money on games of chance) know gamboling (frisking or leaping with no joy) later (comparative of late) latter (the second) gate gait (a manner of walking) great grate hear here heard herd hinder hindrance holly (a tree) holy (hallowed, sacred) wholly (altogether) hoping (from hope) hopping (from hop) lead (a metal) led (past tense of to lead) leased (let by written contract) least lessen (verb) lesson (noun) lesser (smaller; inferior) lessor (one who gives a lease) loan lone loose (free, not bound) lose (to suffer the loss of) main mane ingenious (possessed of or proceed- ing from genius) maintain ingenuous (frank, open) instance (an example) instants (periods of time) 1 maintenance medal meddle 85 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL meat meet mete miner minor need knead nineteenth ninetieth ninety ninth not knot ore oar ought (should) aught (anything) naught (a cipher, nothing) pail pale pain pane pair pare pear past (adjective, adverb, prepon- tion) passed (verb, past tense of to pass) patience patients peace (a state of calm) piece (a fragment) peer (an equal; to look narrowly) pier perceive perform persevere persuade purchase pursue perquisite prerequisite personal (private, individual) personnel (the body of persons en- gaged in some activity) Philippines Filipino plain (clear) plain (flat region) plane (geometrical term) planed (past tense of to plane) planned (past tense of to plan) pleasant please pored (looked with close attention) poured precede proceed succeed exceed concede intercede 86 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL recede supersede precedence (act or right of preced- ing) precedents (things said or done be- fore, now used as authority or model) presence (state of being present) presents (gifts) prevail prevalent pride pried (inspected closely; raised with a lever) principal (chief, leading; the leading official of a school; a sum of money) principle (a general truth) profit prophet prophecy (noun) prophesy (verb) quiet (still) quite (completely) rain reign (rule of a monarch) rein (part of a harness) rap wrap (to roll together; a wrapper) recent (of .late occurrence) resent (to consider as an affront) re-sent (sent again) respectfully (with respect) respectively (in a way proper to each; should never be used to close a letter) rest wrest (to force from by violence) right rite (ceremony) write ring wring (to twist) sail sale scene (part of a play) seen (past participle of to see) shone vpast tense of shine) shown (past tense of show) seize siege serge (twilled woolen stuff) surge (a large wave) sight (view, spectacle) site (situation, a plot of ground re- served for some use) cite (to bring forward as evidence) sole soul speak speech 87 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL stairs (a serifs of steps) stares (fixed looks) stationary (not moving) stationery (writing materials) statue (a sculptured likeness) stature (height, figure) statute (a law) steal (to lake by theft) steel (a variety of iron) suite sweet tear tier than then their (belonging to them) there (m that place) they're (contraction of they are) therefore (for that reason) threw through till until to too two track (an imprint; on a road) tract (an area of land) tract (a treatise) village villain wade weighed waist (the middle of the body; a garment) waste (a loss, a useless expense) waive (to forego) wave (to move one way and the other) way weigh weak (not strong) week (seven days) wear ware weather whether therefor (to that end, for that thing) who , e hole (an opening) who's (who is) whose (the possessive of who) wood would wrote (past tense of to write) rote (a repetition of words or sounds) your (the possessive of you) you're (contraction of you are) 88 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL Words Commonly Misspelled Here is a list of words that are commonly misspelled. Study the list with care, for these are the words that give trouble. apparel business conscience appearance busy conscientious absurd appropriate considered accept arctic C continuous accidentally argument calendar control accommodate arising candidate controlled accumulate arithmetic can't convenience accustom arrange cemetery convenient acquainted arrival certain co-operate acquitted ascend changeable corroborate across asks changing country addressed athletic characteristic course adviser audience chauffeur courteous affects auxiliary choose courtesy aggravate awkward chose critici/e \ alley chosen criticise j allotted B chute cruelty all right balance clothes cylinder ally barbarous coarse already baring column D altar barring combating dealt alter based coming debater altogether bearing commission deceitful alumnus becoming committee decide always begging comparative decision amateur beginning compel deferred among believing compelled definite analogous benefited competent derived analysis biscuit concede descend angel boundaries conceivable describe angle brilliant confectionery description annual Britain conferred despair anxiety buoyant conquer desperate apparatus bureau conqueror destroy THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL device exhaust guard irrelevant devise exhilarate guess irresistible difference existence guidance its digging exorbitant it's dilemma expense H itself dining room experience harass disappear explanation haul J disappoint having judgment disavowal F height discipline familiar hesitancy K disease fascinate holy knowledge dissatisfied feasible hoping dissipate February huge L distinction fiery humorous laboratory distribute fifth hundredths ladies distributor finally hurriedly laid divide financier hygienic later divine forfeit latter doctor formally I lead don't formerly imaginary led drudgery forth imitative liable dying forty immediately library four immigration license E fourth imminent lightning ecstasy frantically impromptu likely effects fraternity incidentally literature eighth friend incidents loose eliminate fulfil incredulous lose embarrass furniture independence losing eminent indiscreet lying encouraging G indispensable M 1 enemy gambling induce equipped gauge influence maintain especially generally infinite maintenance etc. government instance manual everybody governor instant manufacturer exaggerate grammar intellectual many exceed grandeur intelligence marriage excellent grievous intentionally Massachusetts except guarantee intercede material exceptional guaranty invitation mathematics 90 mattress opinion possibly rarity meant opportunity practically ready messenger optimistic prairie really miniature original precede recede minutes outrageous precedence receipt miscellaneous overrun precedents receive mischievous preference recognize Mississippi P preferred recommend misspelled prejudice reference momentous paid preparation referred month pantomime prerequisite regard murmur parallel primitive region muscle parliament principal religion mysterious particularly principle religious partner prisoner repetition N passenger privilege replies necessary pastime probably representative negroes peaceable procedure restaurant neither perceive proceed rheumatism nickel perception proceeding ridiculous nineteenth peremptory prodigy ninetieth perform profession ninety perhaps professor sacrilegious ninth permissible proffered safety noticeable perquisite prohibition sandwich nowadays perseverance promissory schedule personal prosecute science O personnel prove scream perspiration psychology screech oblige persuade purchase secede obstacle pertain pursuant seems occasion pervade pursue seize occasionally physical putting sense occur picnic sentence occurred picknicking Q separate occurrence planned quantity sergeant occurring pleasant quiet several o'clock politician 'quite shiftless officers politics shining omitted possession R shone omission possible rapid shown 91 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL shriek supersede treasurer siege sure tries similar surprise triple simulate suspicion trouble since syllable truly smooth symmetrical Tuesday soliloquy two speak T typical specimen temperament tyranny speech temperature statement tendency u stationary than stationery statue their there universally until stature therefor statute steal therefore they're usin^ usually steel thorough stops thousandths V stopped till stopping stories to together vacancy vegetable straight stratagem stretch too track tract vengeance vigilance village strictly tragedy villain succeeds tranquillity successful transference w succession transferred summarize translate wafer superintendent treacherous waive warehouse weak wear weather Wednesday week weird welcome welfare where wherever whether which whole wholly who's whose wintry wiry within without women world writing written your you're Words Ending in "-able " or "-i6/e " Since no useful rules can be laid down for the correct spelling of words ending in -able or -ible, the best thing to do is to observe carefully how they are spelled in the following list: 92 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL able agreeable manageable amenable passable bearable peaceable breakable perishable changeable preferable chargeable regrettable (or regretable) comfortable salable (or saleable) commendable suitable debatable (or debateable) tenable eatable (but edible) tolerable excusable traceable forgetable (or forgettable) unbearable forgivable unmistakable indispensable unnamable (or unnameable) insufferable unspeakable likable valuable lovable wearable -ible admissible intelligible audible invincible comprehensible irresistible contemptible legible convertible perceptible credible permissible edible (but eatable) plausible eligible possible flexible responsible forcible sensible incorrigible susceptible indefensible tangible inexpressible terrible infallible visible NOTE. Observe that final e is regularly dropped before the suffix beginning with a vowel, unless it is retained to preserve the soft sound of c or g before a, as in peaceable, changeable; it is not necessary to retain or insert e for this reason before i: intelli- gible. THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL Spelling of Possessives The spelling of possess! vcs sometimes causes trouble. Here are a few rules on this point: 1. The possessive of singular nouns is formed by the addition of an apostrophe and s ('s). The company's policy. The secretary's report. NOTE 1. Even though a noun ends in s, its possessive singular is formed in the usual way by the addition of an apostrophe and s ('s), unless the repetition of the s sound makes the word difficult to pronounce or unpleasant in sound. Hence we write " Lewis' 's salary," "Jones's ac- count"; but "for goodness' sake," "Ulysses' sales ter- ritory." NOTE 2. It will be well to notice the following: Some- body else's (not somebody's else), everybody else's (not everybody's else), no one else's (not no one's e/.sr). 2. The possessive of plural nouns that end in s is formed by the addition of an apostrophe (') alone. Youths' suits. Ladies' umbrellas. Boys' blouses. 3. The possessive of plural nouns that do not end in s is formed by the addition of an apostrophe and s ('s). Men's shoes. Children's clothing. Women's cloaks. 94 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL 4. The possessive of a compound noun or noun phrase is formed by the addition of an apostrophe and s ('s) to the last word only. The secretary-treasurer's signature. The Palace Theater's new show. NOTE 1. When two or more nouns are so used that joint possession is indicated, the sign of the possessive ('s) is added to the last only. Lord & Taylor's windows. John and George's new houses. (This expression indicates that John and George are joint owners of the new houses.) NOTE 2. But if separate possession is indicated the sign of the possessive follows each name. John's and George s new houses. (This expression indicates that both John and George separately own new houses.) Wanamaker's and Gimbel's new advertising campaigns. 5. The possessive pronouns ours, yours, theirs, hers, its should not be written with an apostrophe. But one, used as a pronoun, forms its possessive case in the regular way, as, one's. Do not confuse the pronoun its with the con- traction it's (it is}. Forming the Plural of Figures, Letters, Signs, Etc. The plural of a figure, letter, or any other character or sign, or of a word mentioned without regard to its meaning, may be indicated by the addition of the apostrophe and s ('s). Examples: All the 3's on the page were blurred. . . . His i's are indistinguish- able from his e's. . . . The report received the O.K.'s of the officers. . . . Two and's were omitted. 95 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL NOTE. In such expressions as the following the number has a specific meaning, and is always spelled out: The eights rowed side by side to the finish line. . . . The strikers walked in front of the entrance in twos and tJirees. . . . The men were formed in ranks of fours. The plural of a figure that is spelled out is formed by the addition of * or es to the singular form. Example: He was very careless in the way he wrote his ticos and sixes. When and When Not to Spell Out Numbers, Amounts, and Sums It is often very puzzling to know how to type a number i.e., whether to spell it out or to use digits. Although no hard-and-fast rules can be laid down since many businos houses have personal preferences in these matters the following suggestions may be of help. 1. Always spell out a number if it begins a sentence. If the number is a large one, rearrange the sentence. Wrong: S,J^18 of these parts were shipped to you on August 15. Right: Two thousand four hundred and eighteen of these parts were shipped to you on August 15. Rearranged: We shipped to you 2,^18 of these parts on August 15. 2. If two groups of figures come together, spell out one or the other of the group, or rearrange the sentence to prevent confusion. 96 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL Wrong: In 1920, 4,624 employees received bonuses for good attendance. Rearranged: In 1920, bonuses for good attendance were given to 4,624 employees. 3. Use figures in statistical tables, measurements, serial numbers of bonds, policies, etc. Examples : The land measures 20 by 110 [or, 20x110] ft. We have no more -lb. containers in stock. The chart appears on page 18 of the report. We need four 16-candlepower lamps. 4. A number that is preceded by the abbreviation No. should always be expressed in figures, as "Your order No. 2468 . . ." "File No. 146." 5. Numbers used in the usual dictated matter, unless specifically governed by other rules, should be written out if they can be expressed in one or two words; if they re- quire three or more words, they should be expressed in figures. Examples: There were seventeen desks in the office. More than a hundred customers canceled their orders. The letter was sent to 2,183 agents. The reservoir covered 1,410,000 acres. We shipped four cases containing 8,248 parts each. NOTE. In applying this rule you should exercise your judgment and experience. Build up your experience by observation of the usage in newspapers and magazines. 6. In a series of numbers maintain a consistent treat- ment throughout. 97 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL Examples: We have fire typists in the foreign exchange department, ten in the credit department, and twenty-two in the main stenographic department. The packages contained, respectively, 10, 60, and 200 sheets. [Note that a space must be left between the comma and the fol- lowing number.] 7. In ordinary dictation sums of money under one dollar may be spelled out, as in "The tickets cost me seventy-five cents apiece." The more common practice seems to be to express them in figures and with the char- acter $ or c., as in " Please send 34c. in stamps for postage." But do not use this form, $.03, except in tabulations. 8. Round sums of money over a dollar may be written out if they can be represented in a few words; otherwise they may be given in figures. The latter way is the more generally used. [See "Note" under 5.] Examples : The bill came to twenty-two dollars. Thank you for your check for $18. NOTE 1. It is not good practice to use this form: $18.00 or $2,500.00. NOTE 2. Except in very formal commercial letters or in legal documents in which it is important that numbers and sums of money be spelled out to prevent misunder- standing, it is not necessary to follow a spelled-out sum with the sum expressed in figures within parentheses, as in "Five hundred dollars ($500) shall be paid. . . ." And it is not necessary to capitalize the first letter of each word of the sum. 98 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL 9. Mixed amounts are usually written in figures, as in "His balance at the bank is $2,416.84-" 10. The time of day is expressed as follows: a. The bell will ring at five minutes of five. [Not, The bell will ring at 5 minutes of 5.] b. The bell will ring at 4.55 p.m. 11. Ages should be written out in words. Example : He is forty-two years old. 12. A fraction, when used alone, should be spelled out, except in tabulations, specifications, and the like. Example : Only one-fourth of the shift turned up for work. [Not, Only J^ of the shift turned up for work.] t NOTE. If your machine has no fraction keys, as J^, 3/, be sure to leave a space between a whole number and the fraction; or, a hyphen may be used. Examples : 4 1/2%, 4-1/2%. 13. Use figures for numbers designating numbered pages, rooms, etc. Examples: Pages 4 and 5 are missing. Send these to the McAlpin Hotel, Room 425. Folder 254 is out. 99 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL 14. Except in formal letters, it is not advisable to spell out the number of the day or of the year. Example : The invoice was sent on July 15, 1920. [Not July fifteen.] 15. Numbers used with such characters as %, @, #, tf, and with such abbreviations as ft., in., Ibs., bbls., and bus. should be expressed in figures as follows: 5% (not five %), 4 ft., 8 Ibs. (or, eight pounds'). 16. In writing decimals supply a cipher if there is no unit, as 0.251. 17. Be consistent. Do not, in one part of your letter, write out the amount or number and in another part use figures, unless, of course, the cases are not similar. Dividing Words at the Ends of the Lines In order that the right-hand margin of the letter or other typed matter might be as regular as possible, the stenographer is constantly compelled to divide words at the ends of the lines. For this reason, and because of the fact that the incorrect division of words makes reading difficult for the reader, she should be careful of the' way in which she divides such words. The following sugges- tions, accordingly, may be helpful: 1. In dividing a word at the end of a line, indicate the connection of the parts by placing a hyphen at the end of that line. Never place it at the beginning of the next line. 2. Avoid unnecessary division of words. Whenever 100 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL consistent with good spacing, type the whole word on that line or carry it over to the next line. If possible, do not divide words at the ends of two or more consecutive lines. 3. Unless absolutely necessary, do not divide amounts or numbers expressed in figures, as $5,214-17, and 14,156 [sq. miles]; nor names of persons or places, as Johnson and Watertown; nor the initials of a name, as W '. S. [Smith]; nor such combinations as a.m., p.m., c. o. d.; nor dates, as September 15. 4. Divide a word between syllables. Correct pronuncia- tion is the best guide to follow in dividing words; it is better than dividing according to derivation. Examples: democ-racy, not demo-cracy; knowl-edge, not know-ledge. 5.- So far as is compatible with proper pronunciation and good spacing, divide according to meaning: dis- pleasure is better than displeas-ure; school-master is better than schoolmas-ter; mani-fold is better than man-ifold. 6. Words of four letters, but of more than one syllable, only and city, for examples, should not be divided; words of five or six letters, but of more than one syllable, oc-cur, of-fice, and rare-ly, for examples, should seldom be divided. Little is to be gained by dividing such words. 7. Do not divide such words as nothing, also, besides, over, and through; nor such words as many, reason, and smoky. A division of such words is likely to confuse the reader. 8 101 THE STENOGRAPHER'S MANUAL 8. Do not divide words pronounced as one syllable, even though they contain more than one vowel. Examples : sure, worked, fringe, marked. Never divide before -ed unless it is pronounced as a separate syllable. Right: un-skilled, not unskill-ed. 9. When two or more consonants come between vowels, the division is made according to the following rules correct pronunciation governing, of course, in all cases: a. When the syllable ends with a consonant, divide between con- sonants. Examples : advan-tage, finan-cier, foun-dation, destruc-tive, let-tcr. b. When the consonants belong to the preceding or to the follow- lowing syllable, divide accordingly. Examples : selling (not set-ling), miss-ing (not mis-sing), grasp-ing, firm-ness, second-ly, de-spair, sti-fling, pam-phlct. 10. Words which according to pronunciation may be divided before or after a vowel should be divided after the vowel. Examples: criti-cize is preferable to crit-icize, medi-tative to mrd-itatire, fraudu- lent to fraud-ulent. But note that words ending in able and ible are exceptions: read-able is preferable to reada-ble; convert-ible to convert i-ble. 11. Do not divide a word so that either part is unpro- nounceable. Examples: ship-ment, not shipm-enl; sal-vage, not salv-age; mem-ber, not memb-er; illus-trat.cd, not iU.itr-titf; abbreviation of first names, 53; punctuation of, 56; use of City, 56; position of in official letters, 66 Judgment, value of, 15 Letter, mechanical make-up of, 42-70 (see Mechanical Make- up for specific references) M Machine, care of, 39 Manners, 10 Margins, 43, 58; of report, 70 Mechanical display of reports, 66- 70; illustrations of, 68, V Z56 K55s The stenographer f s manual. K1 1 duf 000569945 2. if- my (?_ f of -Q a 1 if. 1'ji tu > ,^ ;.';