The Elements of Style

By

WILLIAM STRUNK, Jr.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORDFRONTMATTER

The original of this text may be found at http://www.columbia.edu/acis/bartleby/strunk/

CONTENTS

  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
    1. Make the paragraph the unit of composition: one paragraph to each topic
    2. As a rule, begin each paragraph with a topic sentence; end it in conformity with the beginning
    3. Use the active voice
    4. Put statements in positive form
    5. Omit needless words
    6. Avoid a succession of loose sentences
    7. Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form
    8. Keep related words together
    9. In summaries, keep to one tense
    10. 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


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