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    The Elements of Style
    The Elements of Style
    The Elements of Style
    Ebook76 pages57 minutes

    The Elements of Style

    By William Strunk

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    About this ebook

    The original edition of the concise classic, with essential advice for aspiring writers like “omit needless words.”

    With simple principles and helpful tips on usage and composition, as well as lists of common errors to avoid, The Elements of Style was first published during World War I by Cornell University professor William Strunk Jr. Originally intended for Cornell students, it would become widely renowned as a memorable short guide for those who want to write clear, correct, and effective prose. A staple in countless classrooms and a touchstone for generations, it is still relevant and useful a century later.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Media
    Release dateMay 5, 2020
    ISBN9781504063050

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    Reviews for The Elements of Style

    4/5

    2,494 ratings81 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A virtual necessity yet considering its age, a wonder that it’s still relevant. A legend for a reason and an essential foundational work.
    • 5/5
      I can see why this is a classic. Short and to the point, this book is must for all writers. This title will be by my side whenever I write. Buy it! Learn it! Master it!
    • 2/5
      While not really the sacred text of written style that some American high school English teachers still try to make it, Elements of Style nevertheless remains a high watermark for literary style guides. It's slipping into irrelevancy as people cease to read and write books, alas.
    • 3/5
      This is a great pocket style guide almost. It covers all of the basics and is good for looking up quick writing references. It is not nearly complete so it is only good for general information.
    • 4/5
      I've written in LiberaryThing that I read this book from July 3th to July 6th 2008, but it's not really a book you read. It's a book you study over and over again. And use as a reference.And for that it's excellent. It's filled with solid advice and "rules", or directions, on how to write a better text.
    • 5/5
      The Elements of Style is an invaluable reference to anyone who writes (everyone). Revisit it often and you will see its secrets permeate your writing. At 100 pages it fits in anyone's reading schedule and bookshelf.
    • 5/5
      Classic. I remember seeing my first copy in seventh grade English class and thinking what a clever, handy little book. I think I've probably gone through a few copies of my own since then. Other style books may be bigger and cover more complex usage situations, but really, if you have Strunk and White the chances are good you can find an answer to your question.
    • 5/5
      If everybody in the world read this book before afflicting us with their writing, the world would be a better place. THE book on improving one's writing style.
    • 4/5
      Is this a flawed book?Of course. The style of prose it advocates was already out of date when it was published. It presents the taste of its authors' as inviolable laws, leading to painful contortions in the written language of those who try to follow it.As the previous sentence indicates, even in matters of simple punctuation I do not agree with The Elements of Style.And yet much of the advice is still solid. Even if you disagree with Strunk and White, it is better to have consciously rejected a rule than to have never considered the matter. There is also a surprising playfulness with language that appears between dour pronunciations. This side of The Elements of style was unknown to me prior to reading it, seemingly having been missed by both its detractors and fanatics.
    • 5/5
      Whenever I write (this line included), I make use of something I read in this book.
    • 3/5
      Not as good as blurb suggests.
    • 5/5
      A bit intense on grammar vocabulary, but beyond that, an invaluable handbook.
    • 5/5
      Really a wonderful guide. It's not just a guide, though! I actually read it front to back and the voice of these men blends and instructs with sharp wit and dry humor. There are one-liners here on writing that are priceless!
    • 3/5
      A fairly boring read - the book is just a long list of grammar and style suggestions - but a decent reference to check every now and then. That said, if you already know what to look for, a google search is likely more effective. Therefore, a quick read through of this sort of book may be useful to know what questions to ask.
    • 4/5
      I like the concise points and don't understand what the controversy is about the book; his points make sense to me and seem valid, especially for student writers.
    • 5/5
      An absolute must-own for every writer. I've been teaching journalism/communications classes since 1986, and I've been recommending this book to students every semester.
    • 5/5
      Should be required reading annually for all speakers of English, from grade school 'til death.
    • 4/5
      In some circles, this little book is something of a raging debate. Is it anachronistic? It was written 80 years ago. Is it helpful? Most of my syllubi from various English professors/teachers have this as recommended reading.Because of the wild divergence in writing styles between different English dialects, genres (horror, westerns, romance) let alone between different classifications (creative, exposition, technical), there is no one book that can be pointed at as the style guide to have. Strunk & White, however, do come close despite some of the outdated advice. We rarely hyphenate a word at the end of a line---that was a typewriter thing. To-morrow is outmoded. The mistakes the average student makes today are very close to the ones Strunk found in the essays he read a century ago. Use consistent tense, use active voice, do not overwrite. The Elements of Style works across dialect and genre. An intelligent writer will find more helpful advice in this book than anything else.
    • 1/5
      Another review gave links to discussions by linguists on this book. You should read what people who have made their living studying language have to say about Strunk and White. Strunk and White can't even follow their own advice well. In one instance they say not to use the passive voice unless it is necessary, and yet in the first hundred sentences in their book, they use the passive 21 times, and none of them because it was necessary. E.B. White is a wonderful author, but if you read Charlotte's Web, he is consistantly breaking his own rules. If he can't follow them, why should you?If you really want to learn how to write well, practice writing. Read the classics, and study how the masters write. Don't let the blind lead the blind.
    • 5/5
      The Bible of writing. In fact, more Library Thing members have this Bible than the King James Bible. I checked.
    • 5/5
      The epitome of concise usage among English speaking writers. Only the best.
    • 5/5
      I firmly believe that everyone who plans to attend school past the ninth grade needs to own a copy of this book, and read it cover to cover at least once. It's not exactly a gripping read, but so many common mistakes could be avoided if the general public would at least skim this classic work. And really, it's not as boring as you would think. In fact, some parts are downright amusing.
    • 5/5
      A classic and it should be. Eliminate needless words. Be clear. Know the language and let it speak.
    • 5/5
      a classic guide to clarity in writing. Strunk and White steer a course towards clean, lean writing that clearly communicates its purpose. While little or nothing in the book seems wrong, it fails only in that it is not extensive enough.
    • 5/5
      Classic book on usage, composition, form and style, it's less than 100 pages and is a miracle of lucidity and succinctness. Most memorable rule? Easy: 13. Omit needless words.
    • 5/5
      A unique book worth memorizing
    • 5/5
      Great style guide for non fiction and fiction. Tart rules for everything written.
    • 4/5
      Nearly a century on it remains an excellent guide to clear communication, though time has rendered the tone prescriptive enough to make you want to commit the occasional atrocity to the language just to annoy the long dead author.
    • 4/5
      Every writer should read this. It's short and sweet, but you'll still get something out of it in addition to the joy of checking it off of your To Read list.
    • 2/5
      It has some good advice on writing and some terrible lies about grammar.

    Book preview

    The Elements of Style - William Strunk

    cover.jpg

    The Elements of Style

    William Strunk, Jr.

    Contents

    Introductory

    Elementary Rules of Usage

    Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding ’s

    In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last

    Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas

    Place a comma before a conjunction introducing a co-ordinate clause

    Do not join independent clauses by a comma

    Do not break sentences in two

    A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject

    Elementary Principles of Composition

    Make the paragraph the unit of composition: one paragraph to each topic

    As a rule, begin each paragraph with a topic sentence; end it in conformity with the beginning

    Use the active voice

    Put statements in positive form

    Use definite, specific, concrete language

    Omit needless words

    Avoid a succession of loose sentences

    Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form

    Keep related words together

    In summaries, keep to one tense

    Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end

    A Few Matters of Form

    Words and Expressions Commonly Misused

    Spelling

    Exercises on Chapters II and III

    I. INTRODUCTORY

    This book aims to give in brief space the principal requirements of plain English style. It aims to lighten the task of instructor and student by concentrating attention (in Chapters II and III) on a few essentials, the rules of usage and principles of composition most commonly violated. In accordance with this plan it lays down three rules for the use of the comma, instead of a score or more, and one for the use of the semicolon, in the belief that these four rules provide for all the internal punctuation that is required by nineteen sentences out of twenty. Similarly, it gives in Chapter III only those principles of the paragraph and the sentence which are of the widest application. The book thus covers only a small portion of the field of English style. 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 numbers of the sections may be used as references in correcting manuscript.

    The writer’s colleagues in the Department of English in Cornell University have greatly helped him in the preparation of his manuscript. Mr. George McLane Wood has kindly consented to the inclusion under Rule 10 of some material from his Suggestions to Authors.

    The following books are recommended for reference or further study: in connection with Chapters II and IV, F. Howard Collins, Author and Printer (Henry Frowde); Chicago University Press, Manual of Style; T. L. De Vinne, Correct Composition (The Century Company); Horace Hart, Rules for Compositors and Printers (Oxford University Press); George McLane Wood, Extracts from the Style-Book of the Government Printing Office (United States Geological Survey); in connection with Chapters III and V, The King’s English (Oxford University Press); Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, The Art of Writing (Putnam), especially the chapter, Interlude on Jargon; George McLane Wood, Suggestions to Authors (United States Geological Survey); John Lesslie Hall, English Usage (Scott, Foresman and Co.); James P. Kelley, Workmanship in Words (Little, Brown and Co.). In these will be found full discussions of many points here briefly treated and an abundant store of illustrations to supplement those given in this book.

    It is an old observation that the best writers sometimes disregard the rules of rhetoric. When they do so, however, the reader will usually find in the sentence some compensating merit, attained at the cost of the violation. Unless he is certain of doing as well, he will probably do best to follow the rules. After he has learned, by their guidance, to write plain

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