48 things from this book went into her brain. Here are the first 6.
Strunk held that a short set of firm essentials, learned well, serves a writer better than a long list of rules. He believed that most people get the most from individual guidance based on their own work.
Strunk advised that a learner should follow the standard rules of writing until they can write plain, clear English well. Only after that should they study the great writers for the finer secrets of style.
Strunk noted that skilled writers sometimes break the rules, but usually they gain something in return. Unless you are sure you can do as well, it is safer to keep to the rules.
Strunk's rule is to put a comma after each term in a series of three or more, except the last, so that each item stands clearly apart. He also holds that a parenthetic expression needs commas on both sides, never just one.
Strunk's rule is that a restrictive clause, which identifies the thing it describes, takes no commas, while a non-restrictive clause, which only adds a side remark, is set off by commas. Ask whether the sentence still works if the clause is removed.
Strunk warns that a writer who makes every sentence tight and formal wears out the reader, so an occasional loose sentence gives relief. He also advises replacing a casual so with as or since to make the link between clauses clear.
Strunk holds that two closely related independent clauses may be joined by a semicolon, or split into two sentences, rather than run together with only a comma.
Strunk holds that a semicolon joins two closely related statements, even when a connecting adverb like thus or therefore follows, and that this device is one of the most useful in writing.
Strunk warns that an opening phrase must describe the subject of the sentence, so the writer should check who or what is actually doing the action before writing.
Strunk's rule is to give each topic its own paragraph, since a new paragraph signals to the reader that the subject has moved on to a new step.
Strunk's rule is that a good paragraph opens with a topic sentence, builds on it with explanation or proof, and closes by reinforcing the main point or stating its consequence. Ending on a digression or a trivial detail should be avoided.
Strunk holds that a paragraph should be written so the reader knows its purpose from the first line and keeps that purpose in mind to the end. Transitions like 'therefore' or 'again' can link it to what came before.
Stevenson held that a walking tour is best taken alone, so that you can set your own pace, change direction on a whim, and stay open to whatever you see. Company turns it into something closer to a picnic.
Lecky held that historians in the eighteenth century shifted from simply painting a picture of the past to trying to explain it, tracing chains of causes and effects in the life of whole peoples rather than only their kings.
Strunk suggests that a paragraph often opens with a clear topic sentence that holds the details together. Narrative can drop this and let a short, separate paragraph act as a pause that highlights one detail.
Strunk says to avoid the passive voice when it hides the actor or when one passive depends on another. Pick the subject that fits what the paragraph is about, then choose the voice that suits it.
Strunk's rule is to replace limp phrases like there was or could be heard with a strong active verb. Vivid, direct sentences make ordinary description and explanation far more lively.
Strunk holds that a negative is weaker than a positive: tell readers what something is rather than what it is not. Say it was dishonest rather than not honest, and say it was forgotten rather than not remembered.
Strunk says vivid writing comes from definite, concrete details, so the reader can picture the scene. Even general principles need particular examples to land.
Herbert Spencer held that specific words are easier to take in than abstract ones, because the reader does not have to work out a picture from a general term. Choosing the concrete word saves effort and gives a stronger impression.
Strunk's rule is to cut needless words, such as stock phrases like 'the fact that' that can usually be replaced by a single plain word. Write the direct version, since it is shorter and clearer.
Strunk warns against a string of loose sentences joined by 'and' and 'but', which becomes monotonous. Combine related ideas into one well-built sentence instead.
William Strunk held that a run of sentences built on the same mechanical pattern becomes monotonous, so the writer should vary them with simple, compound, or periodic sentences that match the real shape of the thought.
William Strunk held that parallel ideas should be written in matching form, so the reader can see at once that they are alike, and that a writer who keeps switching forms looks undecided.
William Strunk held that the words of a sentence should be placed so that related words stay together, since word order is the main way a reader tells how the parts of a sentence connect.
William Strunk advised placing a modifier next to the word it modifies, such as 'only' before the word it limits, so that no wrong meaning is suggested to the reader.
Strunk's rule is to keep one tense throughout a summary, since switching between present and past makes the writer seem uncertain and irresolute. Say once at the outset that what follows is a summary, rather than repeating 'he said' along the way.
Strunk warns that in criticism the writer should not slide into retelling the work; a good discussion makes general conclusions supported by evidence, not a summary with occasional comment.
Strunk's rule is to place the emphatic words at the end of a sentence, since the end is the most prominent position. The same principle applies to the sentences of a paragraph and the paragraphs of a composition.
Strunk's rule is to write dates and serial numbers in figures or Roman numerals, never spelled out. Put an aside in parentheses without changing the punctuation the sentence would have on its own.
Strunk advised that familiar phrases and proverbs need no quotation marks, and the same goes for colloquialisms and slang. Quoting them only signals that the writer is not comfortable with the words.
Strunk held that when a writer finds a worn-out expression in a sentence, the fix is to rebuild the sentence around what he means, not to swap one word for another. Ready-made formulas save thinking, so refuse them.
Strunk warned against stacking one contrast on another with repeated but, which leaves the reader confused. Rearranging the sentence so the ideas sit in clear order usually fixes it.
Strunk noticed that filler words such as case and character often add nothing and come from habit. Cutting them, as in Hostile acts instead of Acts of a hostile character, makes writing tighter.
Strunk's rule is that the writer with a definite meaning to express will not hide behind vague words like effect used loosely. Be concrete about what you actually mean.
Strunk's rule is to avoid hackneyed words like factor and feature, since they usually add nothing and can be replaced by something more direct. Say what you mean in plain, specific words.
Strunk's rule is to skip the perfunctory preamble such as calling something interesting. Make the point interesting by telling it directly, without announcing it first.
Strunk's rule is to use less for quantity and fewer for number, and to use as rather than like before a phrase or clause. Small distinctions like these make writing precise.
William Strunk warned that a writer seeking freshness should drop worn-out phrases such as along these lines, which have been so overused they have lost their force. Say the plain thing instead.
William Strunk noted that literal and most are often stretched beyond their meaning for exaggeration, so writers should use almost or plain words when they mean that. Precision beats inflated emphasis.
William Strunk held that a sentence should be recast whenever a clumsy construction stands in for something simpler. Choose the plainer wording, such as an if clause, over a tangled phrase.
William Strunk advised cutting needless words like respectively, and replacing padded phrases such as student body with the simple word. Short, direct wording is almost always stronger.
Strunk advises replacing a weak word like 'very' with words that are strong in themselves when emphasis is needed. Use sparingly, since overuse dulls the effect.
Strunk says a distributive word such as 'each' or 'everybody' takes a singular pronoun, even though it implies more than one person. Plural pronouns with these words are a common mistake.
Strunk's test for a sentence built on 'while' is to rewrite it as two separate statements joined by 'at the same time'. If the rewrite makes sense, the use is fine; if not, a semicolon is better.
Strunk holds that for habitual action the plain past tense is briefer and more emphatic than adding 'would'. Brevity usually makes a sentence stronger.
Strunk's passage on the 1788 French crisis shows how a leader who misjudges the gravity of a situation can drive people to act in ways he never intended. Byron's account of Childe Harold shows that a writer's strongest work often lies in concrete description rather than in the invented persona.
Strunk's examples teach that a sentence should make clear what it is about, so modifiers and participial phrases must attach to the word they describe. A stated principle of law, that a person is innocent until proved guilty, is a good model of a clear, balanced idea.
