The Elements of Style
Written: Aug 01 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: So much info in such a little book
Cons: Not one!
The Bottom Line: If you write, then you should already own this.
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| phungus's Full Review: William Strunk et al - The Elements of Style Books |
If you write on a regular basis, Strunk and White’s Elements of Style should already be in your personal library. This is the definitive reference guide for writing and requires multiple readings. It should be kept for reference and frequently studied. This little silver paperback may only be only 85 pages (plus glossary and index), but it packs a wallop.
This handbook consists of five chapters that offer the kind of information you’d have to spend several semesters in a college English class to learn. The first chapter, titled Elementary Rules of Usage contains a plethora of great rules on the basic usage of the English language. It covers everything from comma rules to the proper use of colons and semicolons. These first thirteen pages ought to be read once a week by every writer, just to keep it all fresh.
The second chapter, Elementary Principles of Composition, delves into the more technical details of writing by thoroughly covering language structure. I believe this to be the most important chapter because the rules it sets forth can make or break a writer’s message. Writing, after all, is communication. If you want to be an effective communicator, the rules covered in this chapter will show you how.
Chapter three, A Few Matters of Form, is only a few pages long and mostly covers formatting issues, such as headings, margins, quotations ,and so on. The fourth chapter contains a great reference list and is appropriately titled, Words and Expressions Commonly Misused. Most of the words contain both good and bad examples of the common mistakes and makes for a great reference. I’ve developed some bad writing habits that are mentioned in this chapter, and I’m going to have to wean myself off them.
The final chapter concerns An Approach to Style and is packed full of rules and examples for better writing. Rather than go into details for grammar and structure, it deals with your writing style. Style is the most difficult subject to tackle because it is unique to the individual. Rather than try to say one style is better than the other, this book just sets some ground rules and recommends some method for putting together your work. It is packed full of examples to show you the difference style can make in a message.
There isn’t one wasted word or line of text in The Elements of Style. The information it presents is both useful and easy to understand. The hard part is getting all this material ingrained in your mind and letting it influence your technique. If you can master this handbook, then you can master your writing. Buy one for yourself and read it often. It will help you.
Recommended:
Yes
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