The Elements of Style - Strunk and White Flashcards
Introduction
The book proposes to give in brief space the principal requirements of plain English style. It concentrates on fundamentals: the rules of usage and principles of composition most commonly violated.
Syntax - the order or arrangement or words in a sentence.
Prose - written language in its ordinary form rather than poetry or verse (writing arranged with a metrical rhythm, typically having a rhyme)
Voice - the attribute of a verb that indicates whether its subject is ACTIVE (Janet played the guitar) or PASSIVE (The guitar was played by Janet)
Predicate - the part of a sentence or clause containing a verb and stating something about the subject (e.g. went home in John went home).
A sentence is a grammatically complete idea. All sentences have a subject (a noun or pronoun) and a predicate (verb + object).
Elementary principles of composition
1/ Make the paragraph the unit of composition
Moderation and a sense of order should be the main consideration in paragraphing.
2/ Use the active voice
The active voice is usually more direct and vigorous than the passive.
When a sentence is made stronger, it usually becomes shorter. Thus brevity is a by-product of vigour.
3/ Put statements in positive form
Make definite assertions. Avoid tame, colourless, hesitating, noncommittal language.
As a rule, it is better to express a negative in positive form.
not honest = dishonest
not important = trifling
did not remember = forgot
did not pay attention to = ignored
Statements qualified with unnecessary auxiliaries or conditionals sound indecisive. Save the auxiliaries would, should, could, may, might and can for situations involving real uncertainty. Swap can or would for will.
4/ Use definite, specific, concrete language
Prefer the specific to the general, the definite to the vague, the concrete to the abstract. The greatest writers are effective largely because they deal in particulars and report the details that matter. Prose is made vivid by the use of words that evoke images and sensations.
5/ Omit needless words
Vigorous writing is concise
6/ Keep related words together
The position of the words in a sentence is the principal means of showing their relationship. Confusion and ambiguity result when words are badly placed.
An Approach to Style
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