The Writing Procedure
How to go from a thought in your head to marks on paper. Every act of writing in Universal Language follows these four steps.
DECOMPOSE
Break the meaning into Σ_UL sorts by asking four questions.
Circle every noun or noun-phrase. Each becomes a point (•) or an enclosure containing sub-structure.
Ask: Is this entity simple (a single thing) or compound (a thing with internal structure)?
Underline every verb, preposition, or connective. Each becomes a line or curve.
Ask: Is this relation static (a fixed connection) or dynamic (a process of change)?
Note every adjective, adverb, or qualifier. Each becomes an angle.
Ask: What is the quality of this relationship?
Group entities + relations + modifiers into complete claims. Each claim gets a sentence frame (enclosure).
Ask: How many distinct things am I claiming?
The Four Questions:
- •What are the THINGS? (entities)
- •What CONNECTS them? (relations)
- •WHAT KIND of connection? (modifiers)
- •What is being CLAIMED? (assertions)
SELECT OPERATIONS
Identify which of the 11 Σ_UL operations combine your sorts into the intended structure.
Decision Tree:
- •Are you connecting two entities with a relation? → predicate()
- •Are you applying a quality to an entity? → modify_entity()
- •Are you applying a quality to a relation? → modify_relation()
- •Are you denying a claim? → negate()
- •Are you combining claims (both true)? → conjoin()
- •Are you presenting alternatives? → disjoin()
- •Are you turning a claim into a thing? → embed()
DRAW
Realize each operation as geometry on paper using the primitives and conventions.
VERIFY
Read back your drawing using the 5-pass procedure. Does the reading recover your intended decomposition?
The Five Passes:
- •Pass 1: What enclosures exist? (hierarchy, containment)
- •Pass 2: What connections exist? (what touches what)
- •Pass 3: What angles exist? (qualities of relations)
- •Pass 4: What points exist? (entities within enclosures)
- •Pass 5: What curvatures exist? (nature of processes)
Distinguished Angles
These six angles have geometrically forced meanings. If your intended meaning maps to one of these, exaggerate it when drawing.
Draw: Two strokes going the same direction (parallel)
Visual cue: Lines clearly parallel or overlapping
Draw: A sharp but open angle (like one corner of an equilateral triangle)
Visual cue: Draw a small equilateral triangle as guide mark
Draw: Clearly perpendicular strokes — draw the ∟ symbol in the corner
Visual cue: Use the square-corner mark (∟)
Draw: A wide-open angle (supplement of 60°)
Visual cue: Visibly wider than 90°, almost flat
Draw: Two strokes going in opposite directions (pointing away)
Visual cue: Strokes clearly on a straight line, pointing apart
Draw: Three-quarter turn — returning through the opposite of independence (360° − 90°)
Visual cue: Visibly past 180° but not yet closed — a returning arc
Draw: A closed loop returning to start
Visual cue: A complete loop or spiral that returns
Common Operation Patterns
Most everyday statements fall into these patterns. Recognize the pattern to quickly select the right operations.
predicate(e₁, r, e₂) → a→[ •───→───• ]predicate(e₁, modify_relation(m, r), e₂) → a→[ •───∠θ──→───• ]predicate(e₁, r_curve, e₂) → a→[ • ◠ • ]conjoin(predicate(e₁, r₁, e₂), predicate(e₃, r₂, e₄))→[ •──→──• ]∩[ •──→──• ]predicate(embed(predicate(e₁, r₁, e₂)), r₂, e₃)→[ [•──→──•] ══→══ • ]negate(predicate(e₁, r, e₂))→[ •──→──• ] but content reflected/mirroredquantify(m_universal, e₁) with predicate→[ ●══→══• ]The Four Sorts
| Sort | Symbol | What it IS | How to draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entity (e) | • or ○ | A thing that exists | Tap (dot) or closed boundary |
| Relation (r) | ─ or ◠ | A connection between things | Straight pull (line) or curved pull |
| Modifier (m) | ∠θ | A quality/transformation | The angle between two strokes |
| Assertion (a) | [ ... ] | A complete claim | A closed frame around contents |
Writer's Checklist
Before Drawing:
- □I can name each ENTITY (→ points/enclosures)
- □I can name each RELATION (→ lines/curves)
- □I know the QUALITY of each relation (→ angles)
- □I know which parts are CLAIMS vs THINGS
- □Static (line) or process (curve)?
- □Directed (→) or symmetric (─)?
After Drawing:
- □Read back using 5-pass procedure
- □Does reading match decomposition?
- □Would someone else recover the same structure?
- □If ambiguous: exaggerate the primitive
Common Mistakes
These errors appear frequently when learning the writing procedure. Each shows a wrong decomposition and its correction.
“Love is patient.”
Mistake: Using predicate(e_love, r_is, e_patience) — treating "is patient" as a relation between two entities.
Why wrong: "Patient" is an adjective modifying love, not a second entity. The test: can you say "Love has the property of patience"? If yes, use modify_entity, not predicate.
Correction: modify_entity(m_patient, e_love) — the modifier is applied inside the entity's enclosure, not connected by a line.
“The big red ball bounced quickly.”
Mistake: Drawing the angle (∠) for "big" floating between two entities instead of attached to the ball entity.
Why wrong: A free-floating modifier has no target — it modifies nothing. Every modifier must attach to exactly one entity or relation.
Correction: Attach "big" as modify_entity(m_big, e_ball) and "quickly" as modify_relation(m_quickly, r_bounce).
“Cats chase mice.”
Mistake: Drawing the sentence frame (enclosure) without closing it — leaving a gap in the boundary.
Why wrong: An unclosed boundary does not partition the plane into interior and exterior. The Jordan Curve Theorem requires a complete closed curve to define "inside."
Correction: Close the sentence frame completely. Every enclosure must be a continuous closed curve with no gaps.
See It In Action
The best way to learn is through examples. Walk through complete worked examples that demonstrate each step.
View Worked Examples