Typing is a physical skill as well as a mental one, repeated thousands of times an hour. This editorial covers the habits that let you type comfortably for years: posture, hand position, a light touch, regular breaks and care for your eyes.
What makes this passage demanding
- Parentheses in Part 6 enclose a list in the middle of a sentence. After the closing bracket, the sentence carries straight on.
- A hyphenated rule.
20-20-20 in Part 7 mixes figures and hyphens. Type each character exactly. - Apostrophes in
arm's and similar forms. - Long instructional sentences with several commas each.
Practise what you type
This is the one lesson where the content can improve your typing directly. As you type each part, check yourself against it:
- Are your feet flat and your shoulders relaxed?
- Are your wrists straight and floating above the keyboard, not resting on the desk?
- Are you pressing the keys lightly, releasing them as soon as they respond?
- Is your screen at about eye level and an arm's length away?
Small corrections here often improve accuracy more than extra practice does.
A note on health
Persistent pain, tingling or numbness in the hands, wrists or forearms should not be ignored. Rest, adjust your workstation and, if symptoms continue, consult a doctor. Nothing in this course is worth practising through pain.
Practice notes
Take the passage's advice literally: after finishing the lesson, stand up, stretch your shoulders and look at something far away for twenty seconds before starting the next one.