Take the Cursive Quiz
What is cursive handwriting, after all?
Here are five questions to test your knowledge — just for fun!
Scroll Down for each question
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Question 1:
One is not like the others
"Cursive" means flowing and connected.
Here are five handwriting samples from over 2,000 years of history.
Which style would you say is not cursive?
A
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B
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C
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D
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E
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A: Ancient Egypt Demotic script
500 BCE to 500 CE
A
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500 BCE to 500 CE
B: Ancient Roman script circa 400 CE
B
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C: Magna Carta 1215 in hybrid Gothic
C
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D: England circa 1545 in the Italic style
D
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E: United States 1878 in Spencerian
E
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Which sample above is the least cursive?
(Touch here for the answer.)
Answer:
Sample C — the Magna Carta
The five existing copies of the Magna Carta from 1215 are written in English Documentary Cursive, sometimes called Secretary Gothic. Although this style is more flowing than formal Gothic of the 13th century, it is generally not considered cursive by modern standards. Its letters are rarely connected, nor is it a flowing style of writing. Think of "cursive" as a mode of handwriting, rather than a particular style of handwriting.
Question 2:
What about signatures?
Which of the three statements below is correct?
According to FindLaw.com: "Anything that marks the paper can be a signature. Pencil is not favored because it can smudge and be erased. But a signature made with a pencil is as valid as a signature in pen. Signatures can also be made with stamps or electronic means. This is because they are different forms of writing implements as long as authentication and security standards are met."
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NO
Writing in pen is not a legal requirement for a signature.
According to LegalDepot.com: "A signature is your name written in a distinct, personalized form as a way of identifying yourself to authorize a document..." Look at a US $1 bill signed by Treasury Secretary Steven Terner Mnuchin (2017-2021) and you will see a manuscript (print) signature.
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NO
A signature need not be in cursive to be legally valid.
From LegalDepot.com: "If there is a dispute regarding a signature, a court will typically look at the circumstances of the contract's signing and the signing parties' intensions, rather than the form of their signature."
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YES
A signature must be intended by the signer to authenticate the document.
Question 3:
Where do you draw the line?
Where would you draw the line between print and cursive
in the handwriting sample below?
Where do you draw the line?
Cursive mode isn't an on/off switch.
It is a continuum.
In the example, which "This" begins to show signs of being flowing and connected?
There is no one right answer.
Touch here to see where most people say cursive starts. That's the spot where research says handwriting is the fastest and most legible.*
* Source: Graham, S., Weintraub, N., & Berninger, V. W. (1998). The relationship between handwriting style and speed and legibility. Journal of Educational Research, 91(5), 290-296.
Question 4:
Can you name these cursive styles?
Here are four popular educational handwriting styles in the United States.
Can you tell them apart?
What style is this?
This is Getty-Dubay cursive italic.
Getty-Dubay Italic was created by handwriting specialists Barbara Getty and Inga Dubay in 1979. Their script faithfully matches the original Italic style of the Chancery scribes of 16th century Rome, including the writing slope and letter proportions. Learn more...
What style is this?
This is Zaner-Bloser cursive.
The Zaner-Bloser was developed by Charles P. Zaner and Elmer W. Bloser in the late 19th century. The style now comprises two different sets of letters for handwriting - one for print writing (sometimes also called "ball-and-stick"), and one for cursive writing (often called "looped cursive"). Zaner-Bloser letters are written straight up and down in print and highly slanted in cursive.
What style is this?
This is Handwriting Without Tears cursive.
Handwriting Without Tears is a script created by Jan Olsen in 1977. Like other looped cursive styles, it has a manuscript form and a cursive form. In this case, both are written without a slant. Unlike other looped cursive forms that take their letterforms from historical models, many of the Handwriting Without Tears letterforms are the invention of the author.
What style is this?
This is D'Nealian cursive.
Donal Neal Thurber developed the D'Nealian Method beginning in 1965. The name of the D'Nealian Method comes from Thurber's first name contracted with his middle name ("Neal"). Thurber's system of writing was first publicly introduced in the United States in 1978. As with other looped cursive styles, it utilizes print and cursive forms which have few letter paths in common.
Question 5:
How many new letters?
Children who have learned print in Kindergarten and 1st grade typically begin to learn the cursive mode in 2nd and 3rd grade.
Within these four popular educational handwriting styles in the United States,
how many new letters do students need to learn in order to write in the cursive mode?
For example, here is lowercase 'f' in print and cursive modes. Notice how some styles require a completely new letter path?
In each style below, guess how many new letters cursive requires.
(Include capitals and lowercase. Here is a chart, in case you need help counting.)
Getty-Dubay®
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1
One letter path change
D'Nealian
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42
42 letter path changes
Zaner-Bloser
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39
39 letter path changes
HWT
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33
33 letter path changes
How did you do?
Takeaways:
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- "Cursive" is a writing mode, not a specific style.
- You don't need to write in cursive all the time, and you don't have to join all letters.
- There are many cursive styles from which to choose.
- Cursive Italic has the fewest letter path changes between print and cursive.