The elements of style william strunk. The Elements of Style : William Strunk : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive 2022-12-14
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The Elements of Style is a classic style guide written by William Strunk Jr. and later revised by E.B. White. It is a concise guide to English language usage and composition that has influenced the way in which English is taught and written for more than a century.
The Elements of Style is organized into four main sections: principles of composition, principles of language usage, form, and style. The principles of composition cover topics such as writing clearly and concisely, organizing ideas effectively, and using words correctly. The principles of language usage cover topics such as grammar, punctuation, and word choice. The form section covers topics such as sentence structure and paragraph organization. Finally, the style section covers topics such as word choice and tone.
One of the key principles of The Elements of Style is the importance of simplicity and clarity in writing. Strunk believed that writers should strive to use simple, direct language and avoid unnecessary words or convoluted sentence structures. He also emphasized the importance of choosing the right words for the context, and advised writers to avoid jargon and ambiguous language.
Another key principle of The Elements of Style is the importance of organization in writing. Strunk believed that writers should carefully plan the structure of their writing, using clear and logical transitions to guide the reader through the text. He also advised writers to use paragraphs effectively, breaking up their writing into shorter sections to help the reader better understand and retain the information.
The Elements of Style is an invaluable resource for writers of all levels, as it provides practical advice and guidance on how to write clearly and effectively. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to improve their writing skills and communicate their ideas more effectively.
The Elements of Style by William Strunk (PDF)
Kelley, Workmanship in Words Little, Brown and Co. Similarly, if the scope of his discussion includes a number of works, he will as a rule do better not to take them up singly in chronological order, but to aim from the beginning at establishing general conclusions. Incongruent Form Congruent Form The French, the Italians, Spanish, and Portuguese The French, the Italians, the Spanish, and the Portuguese In spring, summer, or in winter In spring, summer, or winter In spring, in summer, or in winter Correlative expressions both, and; not, but; not only, but also; either, or; first, second, third; and the like should be followed by the same grammatical construction, that is, virtually, by the same part of speech. Among his best-known and most widely used books is The Elements of Style 1959 , a guide to grammar and rhetoric based on a text written by one of his professors at Cornell, William Strunk, which White revised and expanded. Take, for instance, the lines from My Last Duchess, Sir, 'twas all one! An unskilful writer will sometimes construct a whole paragraph of sentences of this kind, using as connectives and, but, so, and less frequently, who, which, when, where, and while, these last in non-restrictive senses see under Rule 3. A common fault is to use as the subject of a passive construction a noun which expresses the entire action, leaving to the verb no function beyond that of completing the sentence.
The fourth concert will be given on Tuesday, May 10, when an equally attractive programme will be presented. They are marked like this in the text. The situation is perilous, but there is still one chance of escape. Two-part sentences of which the second member is introduced by as in the sense of because , for, or, nor, and while in the sense of and at the same time likewise require a comma before the conjunction. AN APPROACH TO STYLE WITH A LIST OF REMINDERS. Thus write, red, white, and blue gold, silver, or copper He opened the letter, read it, and made a note of its contents.
Kelley, Workmanship in Words Little, Brown and Co. It became more and more interested. Because of its hardness, this steel is principally used in making razors. The French, the Italians, Spanish, and Portuguese The French, the Italians, the Spanish, and the Portuguese In spring, summer, or in winter In spring, summer, or winter In spring, in summer, or in winter Correlative expressions both, and; not, but; not only, but also; either, or; first, second, third; and the like should be followed by the same grammatical construction, that is, virtually, by the same part of speech. George McLane Wood has kindly consented to the inclusion under Rule 10 of some material from his Suggestions to Authors.
The Elements of Style / Edition 4 by William Strunk, E. B. White
Put statements in positive form. Compare the restrictive relative clause, not set off by commas, in the sentence, The candidate who best meets these requirements will obtain the place. The final reminder, the 21st, "Prefer the standard to the offbeat", is thematically integral to the subject of The Elements of Style, yet does stand as a discrete essay about writing lucid prose. Through the middle of the valley flowed a winding stream. Prefer the specific to the general, the definite to the vague, the concrete to the abstract. A needless and awkward expression meaning no more than the simple word students.
The witches told him that this wish of his would come true. Words and Expressions Commonly Misused 36 VI. Avoid a Succession of Loose Sentences. He published in Harper's Magazine three articles about his adventures in Spain. He picked up the heavy lamp from the table and began to explore. On arriving in Chicago, his friends met him at the station. From time to time new forms, mostly simplifications, are introduced by innovators, and either win their place or die of neglect.
The Elements of Style, by William Strunk (Full Text)
But these uses of so equivalent to accordingly or to so that are somewhat colloquial and should, as a rule, be avoided in writing. In the example above, the relation is that of cause and result. The numbers of the sections may be used as references in correcting manuscript. You recognize the title. Paragraph D would indicate the leading ideas and show how they are made prominent, or would indicate what points in the narrative are chiefly emphasized.
Many a tame sentence of description or exposition can be made lively and emphatic by substituting a verb in the active voice for some such perfunctory expression as there is, or could be heard. Sometimes, however, it is expedient to precede the topic sentence by one or more sentences of introduction or transition. Thus a brief description, a brief summary of a literary work, a brief account of a single incident, a narrative merely outlining an action, the setting forth of a single idea, any one of these is best written in a single paragraph. If the writer wishes to make it refer to the woman, he must recast the sentence: He saw a woman accompanied by two children, walking slowly down the road. He showed satisfaction as he took possession of his well-earned reward. In summarizing a poem, story, or novel, he should preferably use the present, though he may use the past if he prefers.
The Elements of Style : William Strunk : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
The experience of its writer has been that once past the essentials, students profit most by individual instruction based on the problems of their own work, and that each instructor has his own body of theory, which he may prefer to that offered by any textbook. The army was rapidly mobilized. The student will do well to examine the syllable-division in a number of pages of any carefully printed book. PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH IN CORNELL UNIVERSITY NEW YORK HARCOURT, BRACE AND COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1918, 1919, BY WILLIAM STRUNK, JR. Proverbial expressions and familiar phrases of literary origin require no quotation marks. The office and salesrooms are on the ground floor; the rest of the building is devoted to manufacturing.
To compare to is to point out or imply resemblances, between objects regarded as essentially of different order; to compare with is mainly to point out differences, between objects regarded as essentially of the same order. The day spoken of is identified only by the dependent clause, which is therefore restrictive. The Elements of Style By William Strunk Jr. As a rule, begin each paragraph with a topic sentence, end it in conformity with the beginning. If a parenthetic expression is preceded by a conjunction, place the first comma before the conjunction, not after it. This principle, that of parallel construction, requires that expressions of similar content and function should be outwardly similar. The interest aroused by the series has been very gratifying to the Committee, and it is planned to give a similar series annually hereafter.
Like governs nouns and pronouns; before phrases and clauses the equivalent word is as. If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second-greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. Katharine is disagreeable, Bianca insignificant. Place the Emphatic Words of a Sentence at the End. Hence, as a rule, it is better to express even a negative in positive form. If two or more clauses, grammatically complete and not joined by a conjunction, are to form a single compound sentence, the proper mark of punctuation is a semicolon.
