The Elements of StyleWilliam 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 litera
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ture, 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.
William Strunk, Jr. (1869–1946). The Elements of Style. 1918.
CONTENTSI. INTRODUCTORY II. 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
III. 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 IV. A FEW MATTERS OF FORM V. WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS COMMONLY MISUSEDI. INTRODUCTORY
This book is intended for use in English courses in which the practice of
composition is combined with the study of literature. It 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. The numbers of the sections may be
used as references in correcting manuscript.The book covers only a small portion of the field of English style, but 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 prefers
to that offered by any textbook.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 11 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 Vinn>>收起
