The Elements of Style, 4th Edition
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You know the authors' names. You recognize the title. You've probably used
this book yourself. This is The Elements of Style, the classic style manual,
now in a fourth edition.
The revisions to the new edition are purposely kept minimal in order to retain
the book's unique tone, wit, and charm. A new Glossary of the grammatical terms
used in the book provides a convenient reference for readers. The discussion
of pronoun use is revised to reflect the contemporary concern with sexist language.
In addition, there are numerous slight revisions in the book itself which implement
this advice. A new Foreword by Roger Angell reminds readers that the advice
of Strunk & White is as valuable today as when it was first offered.
This book has conveyed the principles of English style to millions of readers.
Use the fourth edition of “the little book” to make a big impact with writing.
Features
- How to cut deadwood out of your sentences.
- How enliven your prose with the active voice.
- How to put statements in the positive form.
New To This Edition
- A new Glossary of grammatical terms.
- A new Foreword by Roger Angell.
- The classic principles of English 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.
About the Authors
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.
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