The Elements of Style

by William Strunk

Overview

'The Elements of Style' (1918), by William Strunk, Jr., is an American English writing style guide. 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. This edition of 'The Elements of Style' details eight elementary rules of usage, ten elementary principles of composition, "a few matters of form", and a list of commonly misused words and expressions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781515416159
Publisher:	Dancing Unicorn Books
Publication date:	04/09/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	72
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

William Strunk, Jr. first used his own book, The Elements of Style, in 1919 for his English 8 course at Cornell University. The book was published in 1935 by Oliver Strunk.

E. B. White was a student in Professor Strunk's class at Cornell, and used "the little book" for himself. Commissioned by Macmillan to revise Strunk's book, White edited the 1959 and 1972 editions of The Elements of Style.

Table of Contents

FOREWORD.

INTRODUCTION.

I.ELEMENTARY RULES OF USAGE.

1.Form the Possessive Singular of Nouns by Adding 's.

2.In a Series of Three or More Terms with a Single Conjunction, Use a Comma after Each Term except the Last.

3.Enclose Parenthetic Expressions between Commas.

4.Place a Comma before a Conjunction Introducing an Independent Clause.

5.Do Not Join Independent Clauses with a Comma.

6.Do Not Break Sentences in Two.

7.Use a Colon after an Independent Clause to Introduce a List of Particulars, an Appositive, an Amplification, or an Illustrative Question.

8.Use a Dash to Set Off an Abrupt Break or Interruption and to Announce a Long Appositive or Summary.

9.The Number of the Subject Determines the Number of the Verb.

10.Use the Proper Case of Pronoun.

11.A Participial Phrase at the Beginning of the Sentence Must Refer to the Grammatical Subject.

II.ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION.

12.Choose a Suitable Sesign and Hold to It.

13.Make the Paragraph the unit of Composition.

14.Use the Active Voice.

15.Put Statements in Positive Form.

16.Use Definite, Specific, Concrete Language.

17.Omit Needless Words.

18.Avoid a Succession of Loose Sentences.

19.Express Coordinate Ideas in Similar Form.

20.Keep Related Words Together.

21.In Summaries, Keep to One Tense.

22.Place the Emphatic Words of a Sentence at the End.

III.A FEW MATTERS OF FORM.

IV.WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS COMMONLY MISUSED.

V.AN APPROACH TO STYLE (WITH A LIST OF REMINDERS).

1.Place Yourself in the Background.

2.Write in a Way That Comes Naturally.

3.Work From a Suitable Style.

4.Write with Nouns and Verbs.

5.Revise and Rewrite.

6.Do Not Overwrite.

7.Do Not Overstate.

8.Avoid the Use of Qualifiers.

9.Do Not Affect a Breezy Manner.

10.Use Orthodox Spelling.

11.Do Not Explain Too Much.

12.Do Not Construct Awkward Adverbs.

13.Make Sure the Reader Knows Who is Speaking.

14.Avoid Fancy Words.

15.Do Not Use Dialect Unless Your Ear Is Good.

16.Be Clear.

17.Do Not Inject Opinion.

18.Use Figures of Speech Sparingly.

19.Do Not Take Shortcuts at the Cost of Clarity.

20.Avoid Foreign Languages.

21.Prefer the Standard to the Offbeat.

Afterword.

Glossary.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"So friendly, so classic, so delightful . . . Kalman has taken 'the little book' and made it even more elegant and uplifting."
-Los Angeles Times

"While The Elements of Style has never lacked fans or dutiful adherents, appreciation for this slim volume has taken a turn toward the whimsical and even surreal."
-The New York Times

"The pictures are playful and subtle, which suits the spirit of this beloved bestseller."
-USA Today

Editorial Reviews

"So friendly, so classic, so delightful . . . Kalman has taken 'the little book' and made it even more elegant and uplifting."
-Los Angeles Times

"While The Elements of Style has never lacked fans or dutiful adherents, appreciation for this slim volume has taken a turn toward the whimsical and even surreal."
-The New York Times

"The pictures are playful and subtle, which suits the spirit of this beloved bestseller."
-USA Today

From the Publisher