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SECTION 4 Phrasing 8 – Intersections

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Sounds/syllables/words omitted from a phrase are underlined

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An intersection is a stroke written through an outline, in order to represent a whole word,
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It is never vocalised.
It can take Circle S to form plurals/possessive.
Find that New Era outline on
the Shorthand Dictionary page If the intersection word comes before, it is written through or adjacent to the first
- free PDF downloads stroke of the main outline. If the intersected word comes after, it is written through
or adjacent to the last stroke. The strokes should still be written in the order that
Home they are spoken, even if the intersection comes first.
Site Map Where both words in a phrase can be intersections, it is preferable to write the first
as the full outline and intersect the second one, making it easier to place the
SECTION 4 LISTS intersection.

Short Forms The position of the main outline or phrase is as normal, it is not influenced by the
intersection.
SF Intro The intersected stroke may be written in proximity when more convenient. When
written in proximity, it is sometimes possible to also place it in position to indicate its
SF List 1 vowel e.g. Bs through the line for "biz" = "business".
SF List 2 Two intersections can be written through each other, but these need to be very
common or obvious phrases, as the resultant phrase will contain minimal
SF List 3 information.

SF List 4
Contractions
Contractions Intro
Contractions Main
Contractions Optional
Phrasing
1 Phrasing Intro &
Contents list
2 Phrasing Theory
3 Phrasing Theory
Those commonly given in instruction books are marked with an asterisk*. The others may
be considered for adoption, depending on how useful you consider them to be in your line
of work or interest. Sometimes an intersection is only useful for a single phrase e.g.
House of Commons, bona fide.
New intersections can be made at will to suit your own requirements, preferably after
completing your learning of the system and when your shorthand is being used in a real-
life situation (rather than an exam) where the subject matter is likely to have its own set
of common phrases or technical/jargon words. You should consider carefully whether a
new intersection will remain legible and that no clashes are possible. It is helpful to keep
them listed in your resource file so that you can review and revise from time to time.
There is no need to assimilate all of those shown, as many are of specialist use only, and
unlikely to occur in a shorthand exam. In any case, the slower speeds in exams may
require textbook shorthand, rather than personalised or advanced intersections and
abbreviations. A seldom-used or half-remembered intersection is more likely to produce
hesitation than time saving.

4 Omission Part words
5 Omission Whole words
6 Miscellaneous
7 Miscellaneous
Intersections should not be used haphazardly as a way of avoiding consulting the
dictionary and learning the correct outline, but in a difficult moment a hasty untried
intersection or part of an outline is better than leaving a gap.
STROKE FULL OUTLINE INTERSECTION
P

8 Intersections
party*
Distinguishing
Outlines political party, birthday party, Christmas party, office
party
DO Intro
DO 1 Vowel

DO 2 Rule

DO 3 Care A-B policy council policy, insurance policy

DO 4 Care C-D Proximity only:

DO 5 Care E-N
5 per cent, 10 per cent per annum
DO 6 Care O-Z per cent
* "Per annum" on its own should be written in full, as the single
Vocabulary Pee stroke is allocated to "per cent".

Vocab Intro per annum

Numbers
Pr
Punctuation

Word Lists
professor Professor Smith, professor of music, music professor
Text Lists from PDFs Pl
Shorthand Books

Shorthand Dictionaries to make application, many applications, enclosed

application application
Pn

corporal punishment, school punishment, necessary

punishment
punishment
Ps

apparatus

heating apparatus, electrical apparatus, scientific

apparatus

PPs

purpose

for the purpose, for the purposes, for these purposes,

for those purposes

any other purpose, primary purpose, for many

purposes

This version shows two P strokes for "purpose", as that is clearer

than a single one. It should always be intersected, not just joined,
so that it is not mistaken for "possible"

sPr

superintendent chief superintendent, railway superintendent

 superintendent of works, superintendent of police

PM

for some period of time, during this period of time,

various periods of time

period of time
B

bank*

national bank, bank charges, river bank, Thames

Embankment
bill

bishop

Parliamentary Bill, Finance Bill*

* "finance" can also be pronounced "fye-" so you could write this

outline above the line

Top of page

Bishop of York, Bishop of London

(See Contractions Optional for archbishop)

Bs

business*

See Phrasing daily business, business contact, any business, any

4/Omission/business other business
for other joined
versions

printing business, terms of business, business

references, business practice

attention*
for your attention, paying attention, immediate
attention, undivided attention
 draw your attention, draw your immediate attention to
the matter, call attention to the matter

urgent attention, my attention has been called, your

best attention

Tr

alternative
there is no alternative, do we have any alternative, we
have no alternative

alternative sources, alternative energy, alternative

plans
Use full outline for "alternate" to avoid ambiguity.

alternative = a second choice, option or possibility available

alternate = every other one, every second one

This comes from Latin "alter" = other, one of two

Tl Suggested intersection, based on the common longhand

abbreviation "Tel" :

telephone

telephone message, answer the telephone, telephone

call
Tv/Tf Suggested intersection:

television

television screen, television signal, television cable,

cable television

If the person says "TV" or "telly" then you would write

that in full:

television aerial but TV* screen, telly

*Suggest separate T and V strokes, clearer than joining them.

Trf
 traffic
motorway traffic, traffic warden, traffic problems
D

department*
sales department, training department, Department of
the Environment

department manager, departmental manager

Do not use the intersection for "departmental" as the meanings are
almost identical

Dr

director
company director, director's report

board of directors Attach, if intersecting is not practical

Use full outline for "director" if you think you might misread it as
"doctors"

Dv

dividend

declare a dividend, long division, division of labour

division

cellular division, political division, first division, second

Top of page
division

Ch

charge*
electrical charge, free of charge, in charge, take
charge

Chancery*

*This was included

when intersections
were first introduced,
as it was assumed
extra charges, surcharge, Chancery report
reporters would very
often be reporting
government
business.
J

journal
daily journal, medical journal, financial journal, copy of
the journal
See Contractions Optional for "journalist"

Jnr

engineer
electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, civil engineer

mechanical engineering department, electrical

engineer but electrical knowledge*
*Don't use plain N-J as an abbreviation for "engineer", as that is
the short form for "knowledge". In fact, the latter is not a good
phrase, as its components are not immediately recognisable, and is
only shown here as a warning.

company* manufacturing company, ballet company, company

report

council*

from the company, of the company, to the company, in

the company
capital

county council, city council*, council of reference

captain*
*Choice of full outline
or optional
contraction
capital city*, capital expenditure, capital gains

*Compare the position of the intersections in "city council" and

"capital city"

Captain Jones, Captain Grant, Captain Pitt

This intersection best only used with personal names

Kr

corporation
 colonel
The pronounced R of
"colonel" is shown in
the shorthand broadcasting corporation, publishing corporation
instead of the first L
of the spelling

Colonel James, Lieutenant Colonel

See also Phrasing 2/corps where the Kr is joined, not intersected

As K = captain, and Kr = colonel, this leaves "corporal" having to

be written in full, although a non-textbook suggestion might be to
intersect Kr+P = "Corp".

K+L

Speedy Company Limited, Design Company Limited

company limited If you wanted to signify the shortened version "Co Ltd" you could
vocalise the Kay.

government*
local government, government policy
If necessary, expand to "gov" G+V to distinguish from "company".

company report, government report

"Gov" is a good non-textbook substitute, quicker than the full
outline, and more reliable than the Gay intersection. "Gov" alone is
also the short form for govern/governed.

Take care with:

United States Government, United States of America

Here again, "gov" would be more reliable, or you could place the
intersection through or above the Ses Circle (non-textbook
suggestion)

Gn

beginning* at the beginning, in the beginning, small beginnings

at the beginning of the year, beginning of the book,

from the beginning, from the beginning to the end,
from beginning to end
Please note "from the beginning" has been corrected with the "tick
the" (27 Sep 2013)
F

application form, necessary forms, we have just

formed
form*
formed*

in one form or another, some other form

faithfully*

yours faithfully, faithfully yours

official

official papers, official reason, official opening

federal
federal reserve, federal offices, federal army = You need
to be perfectly sure of the context, because "official" would make
sense in all of these.

forth

call forth, go forth, come forth

Top of page
See also forth Phrasing2/forth

valuation
short form very low valuation, valuation of the property, valuation
department*
*The second version is quicker

Vn

convenience* it will be convenient, it is convenient, if convenient,

convenient* convenient time

at your convenience, at your earliest convenience,

public convenience
 Don't use this intersection through "not" "no" or "any" because that
would clash with "inconvenient":

inconvenient*, it is inconvenient, it is not convenient, it

is no convenience
*Contraction

Ith

authority* local authority, military authority, we have the

authority

month*

railway authority

many months, for months, few months

some months, some months ago, summer months

month of March, twelve months, in a month's time

from month to month, several months, seven months

See also Phrasing 4 Omission/month where the stroke Ith is joined

society* musical society, agricultural society, drama society

scientific society of musicians, musicians' society*, building

society, artists' society
*Writing the intersection alongside makes it clear that that word
comes last.

Australia
 scientific research, scientific papers, scientific
experiments

government of Australia, Northern Australia, Western

Australia

Sn

Australian
Australian English, Australian customs, Australian
government
Ish+s

assurance* life assurance, life assurance policy compare life

insurance
M

mark*
trade mark, water mark, dirty marks, mark of respect

market

financial markets, market conditions, farmers' market,

cattle market
morning*

this morning, yesterday morning, tomorrow morning,

manager* Monday morning See also Phrasing 2/afternoon evening

minister

sales manager, general manager, team manager, club

Major manager

America
Minister for Defence, Education Minister, minister of
religion
mentioned

Major Brown, Pipe Major, Drum Major

 "Major General" should be in written full, as an intersection would
be the same as "general manager" above, and writing the stroke
Em over the top would look too much like "majority".

See also sergeant major in Contractions Optional

South America, North and South America but United

States of America

above-mentioned, I have mentioned, it was

mentioned, it has been mentioned

it should be mentioned, before-mentioned, afore-

Top of page
mentioned

s+M

similar*
similar reasons, similar reaction, very similar, or
similar
Must be clearly intersected, and not written adjacent, so it does not
look like "some" or "same".

same reasons, some reasons These could also be phrased

See also Contractions Optional/dissimilar

I will enquire, we have enquired, we have made

enquiries

enquire
enquired
for your enquiry, in reply to your enquiry
enquiry
(also spelled inquiry,
with third place dot)

national newspapers, national affairs, national

national* production
 But national importance in full, compare unimportant
industry

heavy industry, steel industry, iron and steel industry*,

rural industry

*The Circle S looks looped, but that is because it is written

between curved strokes. A Stee Loop would never occupy such a
position.

Ns

insurance*

insurance papers, insurance policy

life insurance, necessary insurances, fire insurance

company, third party insurance

N+Shun

communication

in/any communication, regular communication,

communication system, communication difficulties
Must be clearly intersected, and not written adjacent, so that it
does not look like the short form "information".

regular information, information system

See also Phrasing 2/information

Ing

angle
sharp angle, wide angle, obtuse angle

right angle, at right angles, angle of attack

See also Phrasing 2/right angle

limited*
limited company, And Sons Limited, Dance Company
Limited
 liberal
Liberal candidate, Liberal manifesto, Liberal Party
As these two words above have opposite meanings, it is probably
best to use the "liberal" intersection for political terms only. Non-
textbook suggestion: for greater safety you could interesect L+B
instead.

lieutenant
(English and
American
pronunciations Lieutenant Brown compare Lord Brown
respectively)
Best only used with a personal name

Ar

I have arranged, make arrangements, will you please

arrange the matter

arrange*
arranged*
arrangement*
necessary arrangements, formal arrangements,
wedding arrangements

Ray

I will require, you may require, we have required

require* I know the requirements, their requirements, they are

required* required, they are requiring
requirement*

railway station, railway carriage, railway lines, railway

railway authority* *See also authority above

royal
royal family, royal throne, royal jewels
Don't use this for "royal carriage", as it may be misread "railway
carriage"
already
The "already" intersection is best used attached to a following verb:

recollection
we have already seen, we have already done, it has
already been
 which is already being, I have already found, I have
already said

I have already referred*, I have already received*

compare I have referred, I have received
*Note the intersected Ray represents "already" and not the R of
"referred" or "received"

Top of page
best of my recollection, best of our recollection, best of
your recollection
Rf

referring referring to your letter, referring to your call, referring

to my recent report
s+Ray

conservative conservative estimate, conservative figure,

conservative total

Conservative Party

Hay Hay, Way and Wel, like all strokes, can be used for any
term that you are dealing with on a regular basis
Way within a particular field of work/interest. These few
suggestions are given to illustrate the general method,
Wel but you would not use them in a shorthand exam as
there would be insufficient context and reading back
would be approaching guesswork:

hypodermic needle, hydraulic pump, hydrogen

peroxide, helicopter pilot

walking club, wedding dress, weather forecast, welfare

support

Yay
 yield

higher yield, average yield, regular yield, yield per

annum
united

unanimous
unanimously
United Nations, United Dairy Company Limited

See Contractions Optional for "United Kingdom, United States"

carried unanimously, unanimous vote, unanimous

decision* *See also Phrasing 2/unanimous

As the meaning is similar to "united", only use for well-known

"unanimous" phrases.

One-
offs

leader of the opposition, speaking from memory, vote

of thanks

bona fide, in the fullness of time*, pro forma

*Not to be confused with for the first time/Phrasing 5

public library, hire purchase, by return of post

House of Commons, House of Lords, in the House of

Top of page Commons, in the House of Lords
Note that these do not show the final S

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy – think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)

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