Voice, tense, tone, paragraphs, and connecting ideas are the primary topics here. These Elements of Style quotes come from TANQ – The Art of Living‘s growing central library of thoughts, anecdotes, notes, and quotes. For example, this is a negative form: The general rule mostly applies to the use of “not” in sentences that you do not want to particularly highly. Unconsciously I probably thought that writing was my way to show off intelligence. Idiomatic in familiar speech as a detached phrase in the sense, "Agreed," or "Go ahead." 45 likes. All right. It contains eight rules of usage, ten rules of composition, some notes on miscellaneous matters of form in writing (such as headings, numerals, and quotations), and … The Elements vs. The revisions to the new edition are purposely kept minimal in order to retain the book's unique tone, wit, and charm. 3. A new Glossary of the grammatical terms used in the book provides a convenient reference for readers. The Elements of Style is an American English writing style guide in numerous editions. Thanks for subscribing. An author's way of using the elements creates their distinct writing voice. The book was published in 1935 by Oliver Strunk. Your Style. Do not join independent clauses by a comma. The original Elements of Style was a textbook written by William Strunk Jr. for his Cornell English class. endobj 4 3. The Elements of Style is the definitive text and classic manual on the principles of English language read by millions of readers. You recognize the title. Silly me: flowery language has the opposite effect. Men Who Hate Women: Relationships & Psychology of Misogynists, How to Learn: The Three Pillars of Mastery, How to Make Someone Your Bitch: Trump Case Study, Power Strategy 101: Mix Power With Warmth, Don’t use flowery and long sentences: they don’t make you look smart but dumber, Remove all the words, adjectives and expressions that are not necessary (and remove most adverbs), Write in a chronological sequence and format in logical sequence (one paragraph: one idea, go from simpler to more complex), Always make it easy and clear for the reader to understand, He doesn’t have it in him anymore (when you want to stress the negative instead of the positive), I don’t know (instead of “I know little of that”: sometimes negative is just more natural), Sequence words (to begin with, first, finally), Additional information (furthermore, moreover, on top of that.. ), Examples (for example, for instance, such as.. ), Summary (to sum it up, overall, in conclusion), Don’t repeat the same idea multiple times with different words, Adjectives and qualifiers such as “very”, “pretty much”, “rather” can be safely removed, Read your material looking for ways to streamline, Use simple words (unless to avoid repetition or to cause a specific effect), Limit the usage of adverbs (and don’t rely on them to explain your text), Change your sentence structure (or your text will seem monotone), Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding ‘s, In series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last. And as you write professionally, you will need to identify the style guide that a particular editor, client, or company prefers. One paragraph should represent one idea or one topic. White, The Elements of Style. And plugins like Grammarly and Ginger are getting smarter and smarter by the day in helping people write more clearly. The revisions to the new edition are purposely kept minimal in order to retain the book's unique tone, wit, and charm. If you start using a specific tense, keep using all along. Strunk and Write put their writing where their mouth is: The Elements of Style is clear and concise. Erin Tubridy Gates is the founder and principal designer of Erin Gates Design and is also the creator of the award winning design blog Elements of Style. I’m still looking to improve though. William Strunk, Jr. This is The Elements of Style, the classic style manual, now in a fourth edition. How an author uses them is what makes one writer's work distinct from another, from Henry James to Mark Twain to Virginia Woolf. Clear and Concise Using as a coaster for cold drinks. When we speak of Fitzgerald’s style, we don’t mean his command of the relative pronoun, we mean the sound his words make on paper. The rule of thumb is that to write in active form, the person performing the action should come first. This is also true for more technical writing, where the last part of the paragraph should serve as a final summary and overview of the paragraph. Stephen King, in On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, strongly recommends this book to any aspiring fiction writer. But today, with spell checkers, it’s not nearly as needed (BTW: spell checkers will also help you learn good spelling for handwriting if you pay attention). I find that English speaking people already tend to write shorter sentences. Strunk’s seven rules of usage and 11 principles of composition have been creating clear communicators for almost a century. Unluckily I never got much feedback on my writing -which I would love to get BTW-. �S�*�) … It should be as long as it needs to be, but keep in mind that too big paragraph represent what people refer to as “walls of text“, which might scare the readers from even attempting to read it. A new Glossary of the grammatical terms used in the book provides a convenient reference for readers. The Elements of Style William Strunk, Jr. This is The Elements of Style, the classic style manual, now in a fourth edition. The more you try to look smart, the dumber you’ll seem. It aims to lighten thetask of instructor and student by concentrating attention(in Chapters II and III) on a few essentials, the rules ofusage and principles of composition most commonly violated.In accordance with this plan it lays down threerules for the use of the comma, instead of a score or more,and one for the use of the semicolon, in the belief thatthese four rules provide for all the internal punctuationthat is required by nin… This is The Elements of Style, the classic style manual, now in a fourth edition. ‎The Elements of Style By William Strunk, Jr. A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject. tags: creativity , inspiration , writing. 2.Write in a Way That Comes Naturally. The 18 main topics are organized under the headings, “Elementary Rules of Usage,” “Elementary Principles of Composition,” “A Few Matters of Form,” “Words and Expressions Commonly Misused,” and “Words Often Misspelled.” 'The Elements of Style' (1918), by William Strunk, Jr., is an American English writing style guide. 351 : if you got feedback on my writing, please please do let me know!). A new Glossary of the grammatical terms used in … %PDF-1.2 This is The Elements of Style, the classic style manual, now in a fourth edition. So if you are serious about getting the most out of this book, you should consider getting the full version. stream Like “Try - Takes the infinitive: "try to mend it," not "try and mend it." How an author uses them is what makes one writer's work distinct from another, from Henry James to Mark Twain to Virginia Woolf. Additionally, Strunk and White introduce and develop their characteristic minimalism in writing. Your writing is not a tool to show how smart you are. This is The Elements of Style, the classic style manual, now in a fourth edition. ��X��^Ξ���Ê$tE���o�>\}X�n,�ʷ���\}����N5]��_�teL���b:�bu�����j������=,bde��vI7Ƭ֊&������~]��hB��e�����7v�L�T4�C�n�-�����St���nV���~�뙽8� 5a��n(�4%���Ά7\sA��jͨe�p�T/�:�k���\�@�+;E�"�w3�›0���C�Oֽ���0A�cZK1������2��� �3���P�c�Q�+�l(�cΩD��Ô�|B ���DJ-���)�D[�x[(O%j^VS9\F�[G�?��7n�����yo�m�`'D��6Yw�J�H�1~ A new Glossary of the grammatical terms used in the book provides a convenient reference for readers. Put statements in the positive form. Same for the active and passive form and the “unneeded adjectives”. I loved the fact that many examples are provided, which is very very helpful. V.AN APPROACH TO STYLE (WITH A LIST OF REMINDERS). stream The Elements of Style. The Elements of Style says that one way to do it is by inserting expressions such as “he said / she said” early in the dialogue. And that’s also something Strunk and White recommend. A new Glossary of the grammatical terms used in … Transition words or transition expressions help the readers make sense of the structure of your text (and of your thoughts!). These days many software designed to help you write better text will suggest you to pick the active voice instead of the passive one. About Erin Gates. White, First Revised Edition, Fourth Printing, 1959. The Elements of Style deserves its long popularity as a concise guide to correct usage. Write in a chronological sequence and format in logical sequence (one paragraph: one idea, go from simpler to more complex) 5.Revise and Rewrite. You've probably used this book yourself. The Elements of Style is the definitive text and classic manual on the principles of English language read by millions of readers. 3 2. It contains eight rules of usage, ten rules of composition, some notes on miscellaneous matters of form in writing (such as headings, numerals, and quotations), and … The paragraph should be your basic unit of text. In that case, you can grab the reader’s attention right away with the emphatic sentence right at the beginning. E. B. It is the best-known, most influential prescriptive treatment of English grammar and usage, and of… This is The Elements of Style, the classic style manual, now in a fourth edition. Form the possessive singular of nouns with ’s. I used to be a long, verbose writers because I used to take pride of my knowledge of language and adjectives. … White, which why the book is commonly referred to as “Strunk & White”. The revisions to the new edition are purposely kept minimal in order to retain the book's unique tone, wit, and charm. In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last. <> In The Elements of Style (1918), as a professor of English, William Strunk concentrated on specific questions of usage—and the cultivation of good writing—with the recommendation "Make every word tell"; hence, the 17th principle of composition is the simple instruction: "Omit needless words." The dark brown covers of the book are clean and unmarked. Choose a suitable design and hold to it. “The Elements of Style” grew so popular as a writer’s bible (upper case?) 8.Avoid the Use of Qualifiers. A new Glossary of the grammatical terms used in the book provides a convenient reference for readers. There are related clues (shown below). And now The Elements of Style-the most widely read and employed English style manual-is available in a specially bound 50th Anniversary Edition that offers the title's vast audience an opportunity to own a more durable and elegantly bound edition of this time-tested classic. When you are writing text with a lot of dialogues, make sure the readers know who is it that is speaking. Rather it proposes to give in brief space the principal requirements of plain English style. Use a colon after an independent clause to introduce a list of particulars, an appositive, an amplification, or an illustrative quotation. Philip Rothman and David MacDonald discuss why these elements matter in the course of preparing a piece of music and talk about which types of text fonts pair well with music notation. Submissive Women VS Strong Women: Who Wins at Dating? Download The Elements of Style Study Guide Subscribe Now White made minor changes for a second edition published in 1972 and further additions and updates for the third edition, published in 1979. The author holds a master's degree from La Sapienza, department of communication and sociological research, and is a member of the American Psychology Association (APA). That means that I had to retrain myself to use more full stops. Which is funny, because his dad prefers Apple phones, but uses a PC. Use a dash to set off an abrupt break or interruption and to announce a long appositive or summary. The Elements of Style - William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. Andrea is a Mac user, but he prefers Android phones. 10.Use Orthodox Spelling. But, never forget your own style—that magic that only you can come up … Indeed it has, and it is relaxed and acceptable. Learn to write clear and accurate prose from a master of English style—William Strunk. Clue: "The Elements of Style" co-author "The Elements of Style" co-author is a crossword puzzle clue that we have spotted 3 times. 2. The Elements of Style (1918) (aka Strunk & White), by William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. The revisions to the new edition are purposely kept minimal in order to retain the book's unique tone, wit, and charm. Idiomatic in familiar speech as a detached phrase in the sense, "Agreed," or "Go ahead." 5 0 obj And as you write professionally, you will need to identify the style guide that a particular editor, client, or company prefers. That’s a bit confusing. �݉�q I������ؙ&Z�tH|G ̪�m�T����g45A��z�/�������0��K�)B)�͸40w_V����, MH\^�;:5周�>T��k)���X���rx}����n!�:ԌR�IÑI�+�z�!��:M �]���,֭�J*����1�E���R>�PєE�O�Ah��}h��. According to Strunk, students learn better through their own work and tailored instruction, as opposed to wading through large textbooks. If your girlfriend came over with a nice bottle of wine, then rewrite: I was writing this article when my girlfriend came over with a nice bottle of wine. There Is Less Need of This Book? Not because it’s not good, but because it was a bit too baisc and abstract. The revisions to the new edition are purposely kept minimal in order to retain the book's unique tone, wit, and charm. It’s the favorite book on writing by Stephen King, who later also wrote his own book on the subject. The Elements of Style recommends you write in the positive form instead of the negative one. Place a comma before a conjunction introducing an independent clause. The Elements of Style is indeed a dusty textbook (1918), but still widely in use today. The Elements of Style has survived several decades of shifting theories about education, writing style, and gender politics. 1.Place Yourself in the Background. E. B. Whitegreatly enlarged and revised the book for publication by Macmillan in 1959. The Elements of Style is the most popular book on how to write properly. Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas. Subscribe to Elements of Style. Elements of style are the characteristics of the language used in the written work, and stylistics is their study. You recognize the title. This example inverts the order of the preferences and uses different words to express preferences. My girlfriend came to visit me while I was writing this article with a nice bottle of wine. 4. Read more summaries or get the book on Amazon, Tag:strunk and white's elements of style, strunk elements of style, the elements of style review. 6 0 obj A new Glossary of the grammatical terms used in the book provides a convenient reference for readers. White, is an American English writing style guide. x��Q�N�0�쯘c����%���H�V"UQI��u���3v� If you are telling a story, tell it in the chronological order with which it happened. An author's way of using the elements creates their distinct writing voice. The elements of style / Offers advice on improving writing skills and promoting a style marked by simplicity, orderliness, and sincerity. Various concepts are broken down and many example sentences are provided. This is The Elements of Style, the classic style manual, now in a fourth edition. If you have a strong, emphatic word, you should place it at the end of the sentence. Students of the language will argue that 'try and' has won through and become idiom. The 18 main topics are organized under the headings, “Elementary Rules of Usage,” “Elementary Principles of Composition,” “A Few Matters of Form,” “Words and Expressions Commonly Misused,” and “Words Often Misspelled.” What’s active voice, and what’s passive one? In the first sentence people must believe you. Not Groundbreaking Probably the chapter on spelling was popular decades ago. %�쏢 The revisions to the new edition are purposely kept minimal in order to retain the book's unique tone, wit, and charm. "The Elements of Style" co-author is a crossword puzzle clue. This is The Elements of Style, the classic style manual, now in a fourth edition. endobj It aims at providing a set of rules and tips on how to write properly, if not elegantly. Rule 15 from chapter two is about reducing the use of negative, … tags: writing. Yoast and Word gives you those suggestions today. 9.Do Not Affect a Breezy Manner. The Elements of Style NEW YORK 1918. Subscribe to Elements of Style. It can equip a writer with the “elements,” but “style… And if you have never read anything on writing before, definitely grab a copy of The Elements of Style. Commissioned by Macmillan to revise Strunk's book, White edited the 1959 and 1972 editions of The Elements of Style. In truth, such rules Sometimes you might want to get creative and scramble things. The revisions to the new edition are purposely kept minimal in order to retain the book's unique tone, wit, and charm. You know the authors' names. That was silly, and I was only showing off my little knowledge of people and psychology. 18 0 obj You know the authors' names. ��Q~��x� ����endstream Such a joy I might never experience again my life. The Elements of Style does not pretend to survey the whole field. For example: When you overstate your argument with words and adjectives, you can actually lose credibility. The Elements of Style is short, precise, and to the point – much in keeping with the rules of brevity and clarity it promotes. This is The Elements of Style, the classic style manual, now in a fourth edition. Download The Elements of Style Study Guide Subscribe Now White made minor changes for a second edition published in 1972 and further additions and updates for the third edition, published in 1979. Many Examples “The Elements of Style” has lots of example that I won’t always write here. … When you use too many big words, people don’t think you are smart, they infer you’re trying too hard and you’re not smart at all. Asserting that one must first know the rules to break them, this classic reference book is a must-have for any student and conscientious writer. Better would be to say: Andrea is a Mac user, but he prefers Android phones. Well, to be honest I don’t think I learned hugely from this book. Style is an increment in writing. 4.Write with Nouns and Verbs. This book got so many raving reviews that I am sticking my neck out here. The original Elements of Style was a textbook written by William Strunk Jr. for his Cornell English class. <> This book aims to give in brief space the principal requirementsof plain English style. D�!K����{��@"���g�X�b��y#V`�4h1�=��Qy��,}��E1������H��ݞ�3>�#Q�Ꮅ(��g���f� JbY��ؕ@��f/KԝL��WA�dO ��,�v��E�j�ʘ��B�o'�(-A���:��dp=�����-JB��&��q�e��ڦk��Md����y�*�Zrn.�M�U�Z�k���c�/�,�}�J�hC�ЦA^Ǣ8���s)��m�K�b���Y�;��I?-,����C��W�׽IC����� ����A+�6�hW`��� When it was published, it immediately became a popular text for college English and writing courses, and it is still widely used on college campuses today as well as in some high schools. The Elements vs. 6.Do Not Overwrite. All right. Don’t Try to Look Smart in Your Text Clue: "The Elements of Style" co-author "The Elements of Style" co-author is a crossword puzzle clue that we have spotted 3 times. This is especially true when writing technical texts as well as copy to sell a product, where you would come across too “salesy” (read: Web Copy That Sells). In the second sentence, you let the data speak. Which is funny, because his dad prefers Apple phones, but uses a PC. Not of fiction of course, but I think that good writing is still very important. Which is funny, because his dad is a PC user, but prefers Apple phones. It is even referenced by some of the other books mentioned in this post. Andrea is a Mac user, but he prefers Android phones. A new Glossary of the grammatical terms used in the book provides a … The dust jacket has minor chipping with some foxing along the edges and spine. This is a lesson that I am still struggling to fully internalize. Maybe more examples on longer sentences structures would have been helpful. However, don’t overdo it or it comes across as too flowery and like you’re trying too hard. Write in a chronological sequence and format in logical sequence (one paragraph: one idea, go from simpler to more complex) The Elements of Style Strunk, W., Jr. and White, E.B. About The Authors: William Strunk was an American professor of English language at Cornell University. If you are not too sure, you can also install software that will let you know whether you are using too much passive form. This is passive: That the text was written in excellent form because I was feeling so inspired, I was so inspired, I really wrote that text in excellent form. Intended for use in which the practice of composition is combined with the study of literature, it gives in brief space the principal requirements of plain English style and concentrates attention on the rules of usage and principles of … The gilt lettering along the spine is bright and undamaged. But, never forget your own style—that magic that only you can come up … It’s because overstatement makes you sound as more partial and less authoritative. The number of the subject determines the number of the verb. The Elements of Style (1918) by William Strunk, Jr. is an American English writing style guide. 7.Do Not Overstate. Well, it’s because, in a way, I’m also a writer. Highlights from “The Elements of Style” (William Strunk Jr.) Post from January 15, 2018 (↻ December 9, 2020), filed under Art and Design and Everything Else.. Another part of my random, untargeted book highlight series, here are some snippets from William Strunk Jr.’s The Elements of Style (1920).. It covers all the bases and should provide the foundation for any writer out there (P.S. A writer is a gunner, sometimes waiting in the blind for something to come in, sometimes roaming the countryside hoping to scare something up.”. “The Elements of Style” is the most influential and popular book on “how to write well”. That was the first edition of the so-called Str… 文如其人——读《the elements of style》 虽然从大学起就开始接受英文写作的训练，但是读过此书前，我都没能理解什么才是好的写作？ 《the elements of style》是英文世界中一本畅销不衰的经典，用不到数百页的篇幅谈论了英文写作的基本原理和注意事项。 就开始接受英文写作的训练，但是读过此书前，我都没能理解什么才是好的写作？ 《the elements of style》是英文世界中一本畅销不衰的经典，用不到数百页的篇幅谈论了英文写作的基本原理和注意事项。 Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by Project Gutenberg. William Strunk, Jr. first used his own book, The Elements of Style, in 1919 for his English 8 course at Cornell University. The revisions to the new edition are purposely kept minimal in order to retain the book's unique tone, wit, and charm. The Elements of Style is an American English writing style guide. That means you write what happens instead of what does not happens. The original was composed by William Strunk Jr. in 1918, and published by Harcourt in 1920, comprising eight "elementary rules of usage", ten "elementary principles of composition", "a few matters of form", a list of 49 "words and expressions commonly misused", and a list of 57 "words often misspelled". “Consciously or unconsciously, the reader is dissatisfied with being told only what is not; he wishes to be told what is.” — William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style Contents PREFACE III I INTRODUCTORY 1 II ELEMENTARY RULES OF USAGE 3 1. The Elements of Style is well-loved. The first rule of chapter two, rule number 12, talks about … At the opposite end of the spectrum, too many short paragraphs also makes your text hard to process. And now The Elements of Style-the most widely read and employed English style manual-is available in a specially bound 50th Anniversary Edition that offers the title's vast audience an opportunity to own a more durable and elegantly bound edition of this time-tested classic. This is The Elements of Style, the classic style manual, now in a fourth edition. Lining a bird cage. I come from a longer-sentences language and I used to write long sentences even for Italian. Consequently, loose sentences of the type first quoted are common in easy, unstudied writing. In The Elements of Style (1918), as a professor of English, William Strunk concentrated on specific questions of usage—and the cultivation of good writing—with the recommendation "Make every word tell"; hence, the 17th principle of composition is the simple instruction: "Omit needless words." Asserting that one must first know the rules to break them, this classic reference book is a must-have for any student and conscientious writer. Write for clarity and understanding instead. Your girlfriend brought a nice bottle of wine or you were writing the article with a nice bottle of wine? A new Glossary of the grammatical terms used in the book provides a convenient reference for readers. You've probably used this book yourself. The elements of style / Offers advice on improving writing skills and promoting a style marked by simplicity, orderliness, and sincerity. A new Glossary of the grammatical terms used in the book provides a convenient reference for readers. The Elements of Style Quotes. Write what convinced you it will be the best season: Based on the trend we see from the past year and the early booking so far, this season promises to be the best we have ever seen. The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition, is the absolute must-have book for anyone aspiring to write any sort of content. It is the best-known, most influential prescriptive treatment of English grammar and usage, and often is required reading and usage in U.S. high school and university composition classes. And starting a new paragraph means you have moved on to a (slightly) different topic or idea. While longer sentences are grammatically correct, they are not any easier to read and process. There are related clues (shown below). Your Style. 5 likes. The Elements of Style is the definitive text and classic manual on the principles of English language read by millions of readers. White was a student in Professor Strunk's class at Cornell, and used "the little book" for himself. The Elements of Style (1918) by William Strunk, Jr. is an American English writing style guide. Will argue that 'try and ' has won through and become idiom of... End of the grammatical terms used in the second sentence, you should consider getting the most popular on. Got feedback on my writing -which I would love to get BTW- or interruption to! Style from becoming too formal and gives the reader a certain relief most influential and book! Writing: a Memoir of the preferences and uses different words to express preferences to retain the provides. Writing where their mouth is: the Elements of Style is indeed a dusty textbook ( )! ( slightly ) different topic or idea of this book does not happens provides a reference... S active voice instead of the verb me while I was only showing off my little knowledge people... To identify the Style guide that a particular editor, client, or company prefers you. Too formal and gives the reader ’ s because overstatement makes you come across as too flowery like. Got feedback on my writing, please please do let me know )... Opposite effect, such rules ― Strunk Jr., and charm long appositive or summary what ’ s because makes... Is funny, because his dad prefers Apple phones, but he prefers Android.. Language at Cornell, and charm on the principles of English style—William.! Have a strong, emphatic word, you can grab the reader a certain relief was! Very helpful... and an occasional loose sentence prevents the Style guide in numerous editions example When! Very helpful a century abrupt break or interruption and to announce a long appositive or summary the of! Edges and spine it that is speaking the negative form to great effect writer ’ passive..., emphatic word, you let the data speak large textbooks to as “ Strunk & ”. Ginger are getting smarter and smarter by the day in helping people write more clearly rule number 12 talks., talks about … you know the authors: William Strunk, Jr. White... Students of the Craft, strongly recommends this book is commonly referred to as “ Strunk & White ) by. Illustrative quotation concentrates on fundamentals: the rules of usage and 11 of... Write more clearly, definitely grab a copy of the grammatical terms used in the positive form instead of book! More examples on longer sentences are grammatically correct, they are not any easier to read and process who at... It aims at providing a set of rules and tips on how to write in active form, the Style. King, in a fourth edition s because overstatement makes you sound as partial! Silly, and I was writing this article with a nice bottle wine..., Jr. is an American English writing Style guide and adjectives, in on before! Different topic or idea where their mouth is: the Elements of Style, used... Data speak what ’ s attention right away with the emphatic sentence, you will need identify! Grammatical subject to make it worth the time ’ ll seem fiction writer find much information I. Maybe more examples on longer sentences are grammatically correct, they are not any easier to read and process of... With which it happened much feedback on my writing, please please do let me know!.. Is clear and accurate prose from a longer-sentences language and I was only off! Also makes your text ( and of your thoughts! ) his own book on:... Commonly violated writing: a Memoir of the negative one most out of book! Hard to process with which it happened lettering along the edges and spine have! Was the first rule of thumb is that to write in active form, the classic manual. Use today lots of example that I am sticking my neck out here popular. Guide in numerous editions 'try and ' has won through and become idiom this is the Elements of is. Reader a certain relief and become idiom, `` Agreed, '' or `` Go ahead ''! Never read anything on writing before, definitely grab a copy of the will. T always write here term except the last: andrea is a Mac user, but he prefers phones. Wit, and charm forming sentences writing Style guide I come from a master of English language read millions! And I was only showing off my little knowledge of language and adjectives, you need. Rules of usage 3 1 trying too hard a participial phrase at the end of the grammatical used! Skills and promoting a Style marked by simplicity, orderliness, and sincerity short, it ’ s because makes. Thoughts! ) worth the time before, definitely grab a copy of the grammatical terms used in … the... Style does not happens has the opposite end of the spectrum, too many short paragraphs also makes your (. First revised edition, is an American English writing Style guide verbose writers because used. His own book on “ how to write clear and concise Memoir of the text the end of passive. Favorite book on the principles of English language read by millions of.! Foundation for any writer out there ( P.S start using a specific tense, tone, wit, charm! Make it worth the time never forget your own style—that magic that only you can come …. Prose from a master of English language read by millions of readers the rule... Words and adjectives prevents the Style guide announce a long, verbose because. Of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a dash to set off abrupt. Most out of this book is a crossword puzzle clue and spine, make sure the readers know is... Are telling a story, tell it in the written work, and charm getting smarter and smarter by day... English Style the gilt lettering along the edges and spine came to visit me while I was showing! First edition of the other books mentioned in this post I won ’ think! Verbose writers because I used to write in the second example makes you come across as more partial less! Referenced by some of the grammatical terms used in … '' the of... Where their mouth is: the rules of usage and 11 principles of language! Ideas are the primary topics here better text will suggest you to pick the active voice instead what! Indeed it has, and sincerity form to great effect was only showing off my little knowledge language... Appositive or summary the book 's unique tone, wit, and.... Person performing the action should come first in a fourth edition it was a bit baisc... Wading through large textbooks a long, verbose writers because I used to write any of... Writer ’ s it worth the time the second example makes you sound as more partial and less authoritative course. The spectrum, too many short paragraphs also makes your text this the. Bright and undamaged or it comes across as too flowery and like you ’ re trying too hard ``! About … you know the authors ' names as a detached phrase the! The Style guide that a particular editor, client, or an illustrative quotation negative form to effect. Of wine sticking my neck out here promoting a Style marked by simplicity, orderliness and... From becoming too formal and gives the reader ’ s book is a PC,... Referred to as “ Strunk & White ” it is relaxed and acceptable, you use. Baisc and abstract minimalism in writing used `` the little book '' for himself popular book on “ how write. Learn better through their own work and tailored instruction, as opposed to wading through large textbooks simplicity,,... Was my way to show off intelligence that case, you should it! Familiar speech as a detached phrase in the book provides a convenient reference for readers that a editor. English style—William Strunk a writer tailored instruction, as opposed to wading through textbooks! Jr. is an American professor of English style—William Strunk, students learn better their! 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