Waubonsee Community College

The elements of style, by William Strunk, Jr. ; with revisions, an introduction, and a chapter on writing by E.B. White ; foreword by Roger Angell

eng

index present

non fiction

The elements of style

855534743

by William Strunk, Jr. ; with revisions, an introduction, and a chapter on writing by E.B. White ; foreword by Roger Angell

Offers advice on improving writing skills and promoting a style marked by simplicity, orderliness, and sincerity

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 expression between commas -- 4. Place a comma before a conjunction introducing an independent clause -- 5. Do not join independent clauses with a coma -- 6. D 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 quotation -- 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 a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject -- II. Elementary principles of composition -- 12. Choose a suitable design 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.A approach to style -- 1. Place yourself in the background -- 2. Write in a way that comes naturally -- 3. Work form a suitable design -- 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