The Elements of Style: The "Little Book" that’s invaluable
Written: Jul 26 '01
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Short, easy to read; an excellent guide for writing that can easily apply to speech
Cons: Is not required reading in EVERY school!
The Bottom Line: If you are a writer or speaker, the principles in this book should be read, learned, memorized, and taken to heart.
|
|
|
| LLFigment's Full Review: William Strunk et al - The Elements of Style Books |
The Elements of Style is essentially a guide to style and grammar as they apply to the written word. Many of the principles (or "rules") within can be applied equally as well to the spoken word. I first came across this "little" book (the pith of which occupies a mere 85 pages) as a freshman in college while browsing the college bookstore. E.B. White’s name caught my eye…what on earth would a book by E.B. White be doing in the textbook section? I soon realized the wealth of information contained in the pages of the small book.
The Introduction
Written for the 1979 edition by E.B. White, the introduction pays homage to the author, William Strunk Jr., to his ideals, and to some of the whys behind the rules. White recounts his first exposure to the book and Strunk and gives a basic outline of what is to follow.
Part I: Elementary Rules of Usage
This section deals with basic tenets of grammar, including (but not limited to) subject and verb agreement, pronoun usage, correct comma usage, other punctuation usage, and (one of my favorites):
"Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding ‘s"
"A common error is to write it’s for its, or vice versa. The first is a contraction, meaning ‘it is.’ The second is a possessive."
"It’s a wise dog that scratches its own fleas."
Part II: Elementary Principles of Composition
Having planted you somewhat firmly in the grammatical ground, this chapter introduces several principles that are the basis for good composition; among other rules, here can be found the timeless advice "Omit needless words," "Use the active voice," "Use definite, specific, concrete language." Every politician, public official, and news media person should take note of this last rule. Too often do they use evasive, wishy-washy language!
As to "Omit needless words," I have only to say that not only is concise writing (or speaking) vigorous, it is also a courtesy to your reader or listener. In today’s busy society, how refreshing is the writer or speaker who doesn’t take up one second more of your time than is necessary to get the point across!
Part III: A Few Matters of Form
This section has little tidbits of information that don’t seem to fit anywhere else: when to use the exclamation mark or bang (!); how to hyphenate and use parentheses; margin and heading sizes; when to spell out numerals in writing; how to correctly indicate references and quotations.
Part IV: Words and Expressions Commonly Misused
By far my favorite part of the book! How many of today’s writers and speakers can accurately explain the difference between "affect" and "effect" and use them both correctly? How about the nuances between "farther" and "further"? Strunk presents commonly misused words and expression as well as his own "pet peeve" words and expressions. While they are not strictly "misused," you do get a sense of appropriate and inappropriate usage of them. He shows them alongside their more proper, more formal counterparts. If taken to heart, this section of the book will greatly improve both writing and speech!
Part V: An Approach to Style
E.B. White wrote this section as an addendum to Strunk’s original work, in an effort to bring correct principles of grammar into line with common usage and modern society. While this section is interesting, it’s one of the drier portions of the book.
I read the book at least once a month, and writing and speaking are not even my profession! My only wish is that more people would follow these rules!
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
LLFigment
|
|
Member: Laura La Borde
Location: Pomona, CA, US
Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 16 members
About Me:
"When you look for the bad in mankind, expecting to find it, you surely will."
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.