Key Elements of Style :: Compare Contrast Strunk White Grace Essays

Key Elements of Style William Strunk and E.B. purenesss handbook The Elements of Style, and Joseph Williamss book Style Toward clarity and Grace, are both full of good tips on how to improve piece style. The Elements of Style has some good information on how to make compose more vigorous and emphasized, but it also contains a lot of suasions on word choice that seem frivolous. Although the advice may not be helpful, Strunk and Whites powerfully worded opinions are part of what makes their book enjoyable to read. Of the two, Williamss book is better at describing how to actually form better sentences and paragraphs. Before reading these books, I was of the opinion that all(prenominal)one had their own committal to piece of writing style. Strunk, White, and Williams make it apparent however, that there are rules every sparer can incorporate into their style to help make their writing more clear and direct. Both books contain helpful guidelines for improving writing style, but as Strunk and White say, the first piece of advice is this to achieve style, engender by affecting none (70). Two lines that sum up what Strunk and White want to get across to their readers are, Brevity is a by increase of vigor (19), and flatten needless words (23). These authors are all about writing short, concise sentences. When this is done, they believe the product will be clear, forceful writing. They have some good tips on how to achieve this goal. The first is to omit the phrase the fact that. They feel it is an especially debilitating expression. It should be rewrite out of every sentence in which it occurs (24). They then proceed to set up how the fact that can be revised into shorter, clearer phrases. The above quote demonstrates the tone for much of The Elements of Style. Strunk and White remind me of a stuffy high schoolhouse English teacher I once had, who used to embarrass students by making similar comments. At first I resented this, but subsequently reali zing the authors were no chastising me in front of any class, I grew to find comments desire this amusing. Another good tip that is included in both books is to establish statements in positive form. Make definite assertions (Strunk 19). Said another way, write without using the word not. Again, Strunk and White provide many good examples on how to look for, and achieve this goal.