Strunk and White’s timeless secrets for rocket-powered writing
Omit needless words. Avoid dangling modifiers. Cut ‘there is.’ One hundred years on, a primer still inspires writers.
Many wordsmiths return time and again to the lessons of William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White’s “The Elements of Style,” the product of a prose partnership that began in a classroom a century ago.
Chock-full of writerly wisdom, this free download offers a refresher on one of America’s most enduring guides to clear, lively prose.
This download covers:
- Strunk’s famous plea for terseness: “Omit needless words!”
- The difference between (writing) tools and rules
- Why boldness and colorful language beat the tame and the irresolute
- The importance of putting the reader first
- Irksome phrases to jettison (Start with “the fact that.”)
- The difference between restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses—and why you should know this
- Ways to build better sentences
- The advantages of semicolons (Don’t believe those who say they are outdated.)
- How to avoid stumbling over dangling modifiers
- Why it’s better to state things in positive form (“trifling” rather than “not important”)
Relearn forgotten writing lessons—and gain new tricks in crafting your prose.
