William Strunk, Jr.
William Strunk, Jr.
William Strunk Jr.was an American professor of English at Cornell University and author of the The Elements of Style. After revision and enlargement by his former student E. B. White, it became a highly influential guide to English usage during the late 20th century, commonly called Strunk & White...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth1 July 1869
CountryUnited States of America
stronger vigor made
...when a sentence is made stronger, it usually becomes shorter. Thus, brevity is a by-product of vigor.
details attention matter
The surest way to arouse and hold the attention of the reader is by being specific, definitive, and concrete. The greatest writers - Homer, Dante, Shakespeare - are effective largely because they deal in particulars and report the details that matter. Their words call up pictures.
language colorless assertion
Make definite assertions. Avoid tame, colorless, hesitating, non-committal language.
loud pronunciation knows
If you don't know how to pronounce a word, say it loud!
cute dollars use
Every writer, by the way he uses the language, reveals something of his spirit, his habits, his capacities, his bias....Avoid the elaborate, the pretentious, the coy, and the cute. Do not be tempted by a twenty-dollar word when there is a ten-center handy, ready and able.
sometimes rich prose
Rich, ornate prose is hard to digest, generally unwholesome, and sometimes nauseating.
reason stomach
Never call a stomach a tummy without good reason.
feels effects
Do not, therefore, say "I feel nauseous," unless you are sure you have that effect on others.
opinion mark egotism
Opinions scattered indiscriminately about leave the mark of egotism.
philosophy men two
In his Philosophy of Style, Herbert Spencer gives two sentences to illustrate how the vague and general can be turned into the vivid and particular: In proportion as the manners, customs, and amusements of a nation are cruel and barbarous, the regulations of its penal code will be severe. In proportion as men delight in battles, bullfights, and combats of gladiators, will they punish by hanging, burning, and the rack.
simplicity style orderliness
The approach to style is by way of plainness, simplicity, orderliness, sincerity.
nouns adjectives weak
The adjective hasn't been built that can pull a weak or inaccurate noun out of a tight place,
contain drawing lines machine paragraph reason sentence vigorous
Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.