Next come B, P, R, which start with a slant down and come back up for their bumps, and F and T, which start with a wavy top. (The first capitals are in Cursive Capitals A, C, E and O.)
- P: slant down; go back to the top and make one bump that ends at the middle.
- B: like P, with a second bump down to the baseline.
- R: like P, then a leg that kicks out to the baseline. R joins the next letter.
- T: a wavy top, then a stem slanting down and curling left at the bottom.
- F: T with a short cross in the middle.
Key idea
B, P and R: slant, then bumps. F and T: wavy top, then the stem. F has a cross; T doesn’t.
Why it works
The little cross is the whole difference between cursive F and T, so it needs to be there and be easy to see.
Worked example: F or T?
Tia wrote her name, but a reader saw Fia. What went wrong?
- Cursive T and F share the wavy top and the stem.
- F has a cross in the middle; T doesn’t.
- A stray mark in the middle of T makes it look like F.
Answer: The T had a mark like F’s cross.
Common mistake
Forgetting the wavy top of F and T, or confusing them. Check: F has a cross; T has none.
For the grown-up. See capital P, capital B and capitals T and F in the Palmer guides. Handwriting books differ a little in these capitals; any clear form is fine.