How long has it been since you wrote in cursive?
Even if loops and curlicues were the bane of your existence in elementary school, probably a while. Thanks to Common Core and the ubiquity of typing, penmanship has become somewhat of a lost art, although it's enjoying a renaissance in some states. Good thing, too -- writing by hand is good for your iPhone brain.
But is cursive like riding a bike or do we forget it instantly like virtually anything we learned in high school math? To find out, we asked 11 adults with varying degrees of cursive experience to write the same sentence: "Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs." This sentence is a pangram, so it contains each letter of the English alphabet -- even the hard ones like "z" and "q." There's only one rule: no googling allowed. 😈
Honestly, everyone did way better than expected. If you want to check their work, though, please use these cursive worksheets as your guide. And please enjoy the uniquely satisfying voyeurism that is looking at someone else's handwriting.
1. Peter, 35
Did you learn cursive in school? When? "We weren't required to write in cursive in high school, but we were in grade school."
When was the last time you wrote in cursive? "It's been 15 to 20 years."
2. Martha, 25
Did you learn cursive in school? When? "If I'm remembering correctly, I feel like it was around third grade when we started learning cursive in school."
When was the last time you wrote in cursive? "I usually write in some sort of cursive scrawl when I'm scribbling in a journal so last time I wrote was probably in January!"
3. Amanda, 25
Did you learn cursive in school? When? "I learned it in elementary school."
When was the last time you wrote in cursive? "I usually write in a mix of cursive and print. I filled out an RSVP to my cousin's wedding in 100% cursive last week."
4. Petrana, 22
Did you learn cursive in school? When? "Third grade. I actually switched classes mid-year and they were ahead of my previous class and I nearly freaked out because I wasn't good enough and went to a family friend to train me in cursive."
When was the last time you wrote in cursive? "My regular handwriting is a mix of print and cursive, tbh."
5. Nicole, 24
Did you learn cursive in school? When? "I think because I learned cursive in third grade, I still write in cursive like a third grader."
When was the last time you wrote in cursive? "I only write in cursive to sign my name. So on receipts. Or to be fancy on Instagram but only when [the letters are] easy."
6. Chelsea, 24
Did you learn cursive in school? When? "I learned cursive in the second grade."
When was the last time you wrote in cursive? "My handwriting now is kind of a mix between script and print, so all the time."
7. Kyle, 26
Did you learn cursive in school? When? "Learned it in second grade. Thought it was required for the rest of school and got in the habit of only writing in cursive."
When was the last time you wrote in cursive? "Four months ago."
8. Vicky, 26
Did you learn cursive in school? When? "I started writing cursive in the second grade and used it for, like, handwritten essays until about end of high school where I used it more infrequently."
When was the last time you wrote in cursive? "I also do typography work on the side so I've kept it up."
9. Katarina, 22
Did you learn cursive in school? When? "Probably in second or third grade."
When was the last time you wrote in cursive? "I do a fair amount of hand lettering for art reasons so almost every day (but probably not following the right rules lol)."
10. Heather, 34
Did you learn cursive in school? When? "Third grade."
When was the last time you wrote in cursive? "I last wrote in cursive in college."
11. Angie, 34
Did you learn cursive in school? When? "Second grade."
When was the last time you wrote in cursive? "No idea! Probably years ago."
