The Elements of Style

William Strunk, Jr.

Asserting that one must first know the rules to break them, this classic reference book is a must-have for any student and conscientious writer. Intended for use in which the practice of composition is combined with the study of literature, it gives in brief space the principal requirements of plain English style and concentrates attention on the rules of usage and principles of composition most commonly violated.

Bibliographic Record

Contents

Frontmatter

ITHACA, N.Y.: W.P. HUMPHREY, 1918 NEW YORK: BARTLEBY.COM, 1999

1. INTRODUCTORY
2. ELEMENTARY RULES OF USAGE
   1. Form the possessive singular of nouns with ‘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 and or but introducing an independent clause
   5. Do not join independent clauses by a comma
   6. Do not break sentences in two
   7. A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject
   8. Divide words at line-ends, in accordance with their formation and pronunciation
3. ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION
   9. Make the paragraph the unit of composition: one paragraph to each topic
   10. As a rule, begin each paragraph with a topic sentence; end it in conformity with the beginning
   11. Use the active voice
   12. Put statements in positive form
   13. Omit needless words
   14. Avoid a succession of loose sentences
   15. Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form
   16. Keep related words together
   17. In summaries, keep to one tense
   18. Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end
4. A FEW MATTERS OF FORM
5. WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS COMMONLY MISUSED
6. WORDS COMMONLY MISSPELLED