Writing With Style

By Daniela G.

The Elements of Style, also referred to as the "little book," was written by late professor of English at Cornell William Strunk, Jr. In the years that followed, E.B. White, one of the most eminent of his students, produced an edition of the book for the general public in which he revised the original. He also added a chapter of his own at the end to lead the reader to continue improving their writing toward distinction in English style. The new edition also provides a new glossary of grammatical terms. Furthermore, it is divided into five chapters. Throughout these chapters, the "little" book teaches writers to develop writing that is clear and precise.

The first chapter, "Elementary Rules of Usage," recites necessary rules to follow in any form of writing. These principles include placing a comma before a conjunction introducing an independent clause as well as not joining independent clauses with a comma. Another essential rule is that the number of the subject determines the number of the verb. Although some of these guidelines may be obvious, it is common to break a rule and make a mistake. Overall, these grammatical rules are crucial to know when writing because it is like the foundation in developing a clear and precise voice.

"Elementary Principles of Composition" focuses on constructing concrete sentences. To establish better and powerful sentences, one must choose a suitable design and maintain it. Using an active voice is imperative to powerful writing. Moreover, definite and specific language as well as omitting unnecessary words will lead to effective writing. Using related words and keeping to one tense will demonstrate consistency in one's writing. The rules that are presented in this segment assist writers to acquire a coherent voice.

The third chapter, "A Few Matters of Form," continues with more tips in writing such as not inserting exclamation points in simple statements. For instance, one may write, "It was a wonderful show." as opposed to "It was a wonderful show!" Margins are also discussed. The rule for margins is to maintain both the right-hand and left-hand margin around the same width. The only exception to this rule is if annotations will be made; in this case, the left-hand margin would be wider. Strunk also mentions that dates or other serial numbers should be spelled out. These should be written in figures or in Roman notation. For example, "August 9, 1988," "Rule 3," "352nd Infantry," or "Part XII" using Roman numerals. This chapter displays necessary rules to avoid common mistakes which are discussed in the next chapter, "Words and Expressions Commonly Misused."

The final segment is "An Approach to Style (With a List of Reminders)." Strunk lists useful advice such as placing oneself in the background and writing naturally. He emphasizes that one should revise and rewrite but not overwrite or overstate. As Strunk wrote, an overstatement "has the power to destroy, for readers, the object of your enthusiasm" (73). Readers should also know who is speaking. This section analyzes the various mistakes writers can have in their writing overall.

In conclusion, the handy "little" book is convenient for any writer willing to improve their work. It introduces readers to the common mistakes made by writers and also teaches readers to formulate effective sentences. The purpose of the informative book is to show how every word counts and it did a superb job accomplishing that. I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to improve their writing.

Strunk, William, and E. B. White. The Elements of Style. 4th ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print.