The Elements of Style - Updated and Annotated for Present-Day Use

by William Strunk Jr.

Foreword
(excerpt)

The ancients wrote at a time when the great art of writing badly had not yet been invented. In those days to write at all meant to write well. --Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

My name is Stanford Pritchard. I'm a writer who has written seven works of fiction (one of which, Terminal Vibrato and Other Stories, is currently in print), as well as numerous poems and plays. I have written and/or worked for The New York Review of Books, The New York Free Press, The International Philosophical Quarterly, Cavalier, and other journals. My work (poems, plays, essays, short stories, and excerpts from novels) can be viewed at www.stanfordpritchard.com.

William Strunk, Jr., was a professor of English at Cornell University where, in 1918, he published The Elements of Style, a little book of grammatical and stylistic rules for the use of his students. In 1957, one of those students, E.B. White, at the time an editor and writer for The New Yorker (and the author of Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web), added to, and revised the book; he revised it again in 1972 and 1979, and subsequent editions appeared in 1999 (with minor revisions made anonymously) and 2005 (with illustrations). The meeting of these two minds, Strunk and White (Strunk died in 1946, White in 1985), proved serendipitous. The book has sold millions of copies, and today is known almost as much by the names of its authors as by its title.

From time to time people say to me: "Your work is so well crafted." At first I took this as a compliment, but eventually I began to think: No, no, no! My work is not well crafted! I simply write according to the rules and procedures I was taught, the rules and procedures whose observation was noteworthy in all the good writers I read! (I recently read two books and the copy on a record jacket, both from the 1960s, that left me feeling: Hell, people don't even know, anymore, what it is to write like this, they don't even see how simply good, solid, and elegant this writing is. I was left with the melancholy feeling that I was visiting a lost world.) It disheartens me to say it, but most of what I read, nowadays, is pedestrian at best, sloppy at midpoint, and atrocious at worst. Newspaper and magazine articles are riddled with infelicities and outright grammatical errors, and clichés, buzzwords, and hackneyed expressions are everywhere; I am routinely left pining for that lost world of the Fifties and Sixties, all the while asking myself, what went wrong?....

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Reference, Language, Classics, Education, Self Help

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1918

About the author

William Strunk Jr. was a professor of English at Cornell University and, together with E.B. White, author of The Elements of Style (1918).

Reviews

[Lisa of Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa of Troy Takes on Two Prestigious Literary Heavyweights

Round One

Ding! Ding!

When I was in high school, my Spanish teacher frightened me to the point where I wouldn’t speak. It was one of those situations where you internally plead, “Please don’t call on me. Please don’t call on me.” Of course, disaster struck. During one class, I got something in my eye. Tears were streaming down my face. The other students noticed and essentially crowd-surfed me up to the front of the class, explaining the situation in rapid fire Spanish. After nearly 20 years, I still remember this experience so vividly.

This fear-based environment profoundly impacted my Spanish skills in a negative way.

Do you want to know when I learned the most Spanish?

When I was at university, I met two native Spanish speaking students – one from Mexico and one from Venezuela. We would learn from each other. We would talk in a mixture of Spanish and English, discussing things like to how order from Subway when you didn’t know the name of all of the toppings (ultimately, we settled on using words like “this”, “that”, and pointing). My learning extended beyond dated textbooks, and I learned slang, swear words, and listened to music in Spanish for fun. Soon I even started dreaming in Spanish. There wasn’t a person of authority, no “I’m-better-than-you.” We learned from each other, and we unlocked worlds by doing so.

This book transported me back into Spanish class.

If Charlotte’s Web is a hug, The Elements of Style is a punch in the face.

Although the authors have passion and enthusiasm, this book lacks kindness, basic respect, and empathy. The authors write in such a conceited tone as if they are talking to peasants.

Shall we look at some examples? Strunk/EB White in italics below.

Colloquialisms. If you use a colloquialism or slang word or phrase, simply use it; do not draw attention to it by enclosing it in quotation marks. To do so is to put on airs, as though you were inviting the reader to join you in a select society of those who know better.

Enthuse. An annoying verb growing out of the noun enthusiasm. Not recommended.

I am not enthused by the authors’ pompous demeanor.

Finalize. A pompous ambiguous verb.

Is this the author’s favorite word then?

Meaningful. A bankrupt adjective. Choose another, or rephrase.

Prestigious. Often an adjective of last resort. It’s in the dictionary, but that doesn’t mean you have to use it.

He says that you are illiterate if you don’t know that inflammable means combustible.

The truth is…The fact is…A bad beginning for a sentence. If you feel you are possessed of the truth, or of the fact, simply state it. Do not give it advance billing.

Extreme disagree! The truth is always perks up my ears. What is the truth? What is the point?

This shame-based education should be a thing of the past.

Do not affect a breezy manner.

Terrible advice. What I loved so much about Project Hail Mary is that I felt like one of my nerdy friends was having a conversation with me. Rick Riordan in the Percy Jackson series took some classic Greek mythology, modernized the language, and retold the myths in an unpretentious, interesting way, making them his own.

In ordinary composition, use orthodox spelling. Do not write nite for night, thru for through, pleez for please, unless you plan to introduce a complete system of simplified spelling and are prepared to take the consequences.

Stay in your lane, Strunk, telling me what I can and cannot write! This paper is my canvas. As the painter, there are no limits. My creativity isn’t bounded. If I want to say, “Good nite, my readers!” who cares? Maybe it will wake some people up. Why can’t I use magic in my writing? Why can’t I make up words or spelling, stretching myself, pushing readers to think outside the box?

Overly stuffy and formal writing and expecting strict compliance to a rigid set of rules is paralyzing.

The truth is that plot, character, and setting as well as using appropriate sentence and paragraph length are more important than using a few words correctly. In fact, I have already violated several of the rules of The Elements of Style in this review.

Avoid foreign language. It is a bad habit. Write in English.

What about carpe diem? Seize the day? Readers are smart. Treat them as such.

Avoid fancy words. 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.

Isn’t that one of the beauties of reading? Ordinarily, our vocabulary is limited to a certain set of words in our everyday usage; however, when you read you get to dust off those fancy words, words that you recognize but you don’t often use when you speak. When I encounter a fancy word, I feel like when I am walking along a beach and find an amazing seashell. The fancy words are beautiful treasures.

For example, take the first sentence from His Dark Materials by my favorite author, Philip Pullman:

Lyra and her daemon moved through the darkening Hall, taking care to keep to one side, out of sight of the kitchen.

Darkening is not a word that I normally say out loud, but I really enjoyed it in this sentence. Of course, fancy words should be balanced. If I attempted to use the thesaurus to change every single word into something more sophisticated, the sentence would sound ridiculous and take away from the storytelling.

Do not inject opinion.

Is this guy joking? This is classic, “Do as I say and not as I do.”

No one can write decently who is distrustful of the reader’s intelligence, or whose attitude is patronizing.

Who proofread this? The entire book is distrustful of the reader and is patronizing. Also, you don’t need a comma between “intelligence” and “or.” What kind of grammar book is this?

Time for street justice. Who won: Lisa of Troy or Strunk/EB White? Put your “two cents” in the comments!

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[Patricia]

This book is good for the following things:

1. Propping up a short table leg

2. Lining a bird cage

3. Building a fire

4. Using as a coaster for cold drinks



I devoted some of my grammar thesis to criticizing this book, and it was time well spent.


Geoff Nunberg may have said it best: "The weird thing is to see rules like these passed down as traditional linguistic wisdom. Take that edict that you ought to say "10 persons" rather than "10 people." You can still find it in the recent editions of Strunk and White's revered Elements of Style, along with antique admonitions against saying "contact us" or calling something "worthwhile." The linguist Arnold Zwicky calls these zombie rules. Somebody should have run them through a wood chipper long ago, but here we are in 2010 assigning students a style guide that tells them that correct English requires them to write, "There were 5,000 screaming persons at the Lady Gaga concert." http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...

[Robin Hobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes. This is a very good book for anyone who wants to write anything.

Of course, you can break any rule when you are writing. But I believe that is more effective when you know the rule you are breaking, and you know why you are breaking it.

No matter if you are writing a high school book report or a novel, familiarity with these old fashioned guide to writing can be helpful.

I recommend it for any writer's reference shelf.

[Patrick Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember, my Freshman year, sitting in the Music Building lounge waiting for my next class when Maryanne came crashing in, with an appropriate amount of chaos, announcing to all “Oh crap, I can’t find my Strunk and White.” Everyone else in the room apparently knew what she was talking about, but I sat with a blank stare. A few weeks latter my required English 101 professor insisted we hit the bookstore and buy ‘The Elements of Style.’ We were to treat it like the Holy Grail of grammar, carry it with us at all times, sleep with it, and consider it our eternal faithful lover. This would become the first of many copies of Strunk & White that have come and gone in my life. I think at one time I actually had four copies. Maryanne, made a similar pontification in the same lounge a month later “Oh no, I have lost my Boosey & Hawkes”* which I did understand. It may have sounded more erotic than Strunk & White but certainly less dramatic. For me Boosies and Hawksies came and went, but Strunks and Whites have remained constant.

This year, for my birthday, I received yet another copy. Only this edition is hardback and Illustrated! At first I thought: how queer can this be? It has got to be a mistake. It’s a grammar book! This had to be a novel, a book on fashion, or something sharing a name. Nope. Same Strunk & White – only this time with pictures.

Over the years, I have acquired other books on grammar (even one on Pittsburgh diction—go figure) but none can compare. The Elements of Style is concise, easy to understand and practically perfect. It’s the best. Ever.

And a very clever artist has figured out how to illustrate sentence fragments, misused words, the hyphen, participle phrases and lots of other teeth gritting English stumbling blocks—in a very Magritte sort of way.

Yet, there is one thing, even the most excellent book, won’t be able to do, as, my friends will attest, and this, would be, comma abuse, of which, I am the Master.

*It’s a Music Publisher

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

In her charming essay, "Insert a Carrot", Anne Fadiman describes a trait shared by everyone in her family - a heightened sensitivity to the flaws in other people's writing. The Fadimans all belong to that tribe whose members cannot read without simultaneously copy-editing. When dining out, they amuse each other by pointing out typos on the menu. It might seem obnoxious, but really they just can't help it. If you're blessed with the copy-editing gene you can't just switch it off.

I have the same problem. When I read, typographical and grammatical errors leap off the page, assailing my eyeballs, demanding to be noticed. A distraction that I am incapable of ignoring, they hijack my attention and diminish my respect for the author. I want my own writing to be free of such distractions; it should be forceful and persuasive. I welcome constructive advice that helps me attain that goal. My copy of "Modern American Usage" is grubby and well-thumbed. I think its author, Bryan A. Garner, has accomplished something quite remarkable. He has written a usage guide that gives writers clear, concrete, reasoned advice, without being overly dogmatic or erring on the side of sloppiness. I hate sloppy writing.

I also hate Strunk and White. Its popularity is inexplicable to me. Here are just a few of my objections:

1. Their famous motto, "Omit needless words", is fatuous and has absolutely no practical value. (If I knew how to do this, I'd already be some kind of great communication guru.) Repeating this essentially vapid advice in similarly empty formulations like "Be clear" and "Don't explain too much" is of no practical help to anybody, and suggests that even the authors have difficulty in deciphering their own admonitions.

2. The stylistic tips that are not simply platitudinous are often just silly, hopelessly vague, or reflective of the long outdated prejudices of a couple of old white dudes.

For example -

Do not inject opinion.
Prefer the standard to the offbeat.
Do not use dialect unless your ear is good.
Write with nouns and verbs.
Don't construct awkward adverbs.
Avoid fancy words.
Use figures of speech sparingly.
Do not overwrite.

Having trouble figuring out whether your ear is "good", your adverb is "awkward", or your writing is "over"? Good luck with that. S & W will be of no help whatsoever. Why not?

3. The examples used to illustrate "bad" style in the book are generally ludicrously bad. The need for correction is so glaringly obvious that the examples have little instructive value. The authors are well able to demolish straw men, but if you want advice on a subtle point, they are unlikely to be of any practical help.

4. The fetishistic obsession with avoiding the passive voice is (a) baffling (b) profoundly irritating when some freaking paperclip starts to lecture you about it (c) so obviously idiotic that the authors themselves ignore it throughout the book.

Other questionable decrees include the ukase that "none" should always take a singular verb, the prohibition on starting a sentence with "however", and the pointless "which/that" discussion.

These exemplify one of the book's biggest problems, which - to be fair - is not necessarily the authors' fault. It has achieved the status of a kind of sacred text, with all of the problems that result. People become blind to the internal inconsistencies within the text, it gets quoted with the kind of self-righteous zeal characteristic to "true believers" and to similar ends. Instead of stimulating thoughtful discussion, S & W is wielded as a weapon to end it. Which might not be so terrible if the advice it contains were not so vague, idiosyncratic and frequently inconsistent. Probably the most infuriating aspect of writing our book was my co-author's continual invocation of Strunk and White as the final arbiter. One can only wonder by whose authority these two gentlemen were anointed God.

In a cunning marketing gimmick, the latest edition of Strunk and White has been jazzed up by including illustrations by Maira Kalman. Ms Kalman is a delightful artist, whose work elsewhere I greatly admire. But she really should have said no to this particular project. Her illustrations are occasionally pretty, sometimes baffling, but generally pointless. They add no particular insight, though some readers may find them a welcome distraction from the barked eccentricities of the book's two main authors.

[J.G. Keely · Rating 3 out of 5]

There must be some structure to language. We must agree on some aspects of it, and creating rules and definitions around those mutual agreements helps to foster intelligibility throughout the language.

Likewise, this agreement to abide by these rules means that we can teach communication. This does not mean only in the case of children, but it certainly simplifies it for them. This also means that writers can continue to learn, to interact, and to write understandably and not wastefully.

We take these rules from traditions, but also from common sense. Strunk's rulings on word use (especially amongst words with similar meanings) are based on the root words, and the original meanings. Strunk means to separate these similar words so that instead of synonyms, we have two similar but precise words.

This also prevents confusion, as various English dialects may take these words in different ways, but all share the same roots.

However, language changes constantly, so regulating it and placing rules on it is difficult. Many feel that it stifles creativity, or that it places hegemonic power in the hands of the elite. One benefit of this regulation is that we can read Shakespeare today with little trouble.

Dictionaries came into popularity around the time of Shakespeare, as did the study of philology. We have more trouble reading Chaucer, even though only two-hundred years separate Chaucer and Shakespeare, while twice that length separates Shakespeare from us.

The work of Strunk and White is not to close off language, nor to set it absolutely free, but to make a linguistic analysis of its forms, meanings and changes, but one that the layman can appreciate. The work is somewhat dated by today's standards, but this actually provides the perfect example for many of the book's observations on the mutability of language.

It likewise supports the assertion that language may change, but not as much as you might think. Strunk and White is just as useful to an author today as it was when it was compiled.

It is light-hearted and often humorous, and presents language and communication in a thoughtful way. Any writer should come away from this book with a new respect for language, and with a keener eye for seeing their own writing.

While the book sometimes seems severe in its regulations, this is only because misuse is so rampant and so ugly. Similarly, someone might tell you "under no circumstances should you balance on a chair on the edge of the roof of a ten story building". This rule is perfectly reasonable, despite the fact that some well-trained, adventurous individuals are quite capable of this feat.

The fact remains that for the majority, violating these simple rules will result in an unsightly mess. A talented and experienced writer can flaunt and even break the rules when it suits him. The greatest writers do, and this book gives examples of how and why they do it.

However, rules are how we create meaning. Whether you follow them or break them, you must know them and understand how they work in order to communicate to your reader. You cannot subvert and idea unless you understand it, and you cannot communicate anything to your reader that doesn't have a basis in their experiences and understanding.

There is no impressive act of creation that is not conscious and considered, because rebellion cannot happen in a void. It's the rule that proves the exception.

[Leonard Gaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

“It is an old observation that the best writers sometimes disregard the rules of rhetoric”, says professor Strunk. The old fart was probably referring to his students at Cornell University. The Elements of Style is indeed a dusty textbook (1918), but still widely in use today. It aims at providing a set of rules and tips on how to write properly, if not elegantly. Stephen King, in On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, strongly recommends this book to any aspiring fiction writer.

In truth, such rules as, for instance, the pre-eminence of the active over the passive voice, or the superiority of the positive over the negative mode in a sentence (which, at the time, were perhaps not as evident), have become the sesame of communication, advocated at school, in business and even in spelling and grammar software.

Some of Strunk’s remarks are amusing, sarcastic even, like this one on the use of the word Nature: “Often vaguely used in such expressions as “a lover of nature;” “poems about nature.” Unless more specific statements follow, the reader cannot tell whether the poems have to do with natural scenery, rural life, the sunset, the untracked wilderness, or the habits of squirrels.”

While this hodgepodge of rules is at best a bit arbitrary and, at worst, quite outdated, the core of it all is to prompt students to write boldly, confidently, legibly, with crispness and vigour, and avoid fizzling out with sloppy writing — nothing wrong about that.

[Kenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

The gold standard. No more need be said than to quote Mr. Strunk's thoughts under the headline "Omit Needless Words":

"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. This requires not that the reader make all sentences short, or avoid all detail and treat subjects only in outline, but that every word tell."

And every word of Mr. Strunk's (as updated and expanded by the brilliant and self-effacing E.B. White) indeed does tell.

Don't touch your keyboard without reading this book!

[Roy Lotz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still remember, and will always remember, my 11th grade English class. Before that year, English class had meant little more than vocabulary tests, book reports, and those five-paragraph (hamburger) essays. But this class was different. Our teacher was not interested in getting us to pass a standardized test; instead, she wanted to really teach us how to read and write.

To my astonishment, I realized that nobody had ever done that before. I had been taught how to write a five-paragraph essay, but not how to write. I had been taught how to pass tests on books, but not how to read them. Writing formulaic essays and passing multiple-choice tests requires certain skills: brute memorization and learning by rote. But reading and writing require something much different: a sensitivity to the written word. Integral to developing this sensitivity was reading this slim volume.

The Elements of Style is normally billed as a kind of guidebook or instruction manual—these are the rules of grammar; these are the rules of style: follow them and you will produce good writing. And, indeed, this is how the book is formatted. But half of Strunk’s rules of grammar and usage are hopelessly outdated; the other half will probably be outdated in another fifty years. What’s more, how can anyone hope to encapsulate ‘good style’, since highly respected authors have written an enormous variety of styles?

No; the value of this book lies neither in its rules of grammar nor of style. It is valuable because Strunk and White cherish language. Consider this quote: “The colon has more effect than the comma, less power to separate than the semicolon, and more formality than the dash.” Now, this may or may not be true; I’m not saying it isn’t. My point is that, regardless, what’s important is Strunk’s attitude—that he cared deeply enough about writing to sit down and describe the feelings evoked by punctuation. To my high school self, this was beyond belief.

Strunk felt that writing was about communication—getting your point across fully without wasting the reader’s time. Say what you will about him, he was not a hypocrite; this little book can be read in one sitting. In fact, so fully does this book live up to its author’s ideals, that the reader gets a full dose of his personality. When reading Strunk's taut bullet points—“Put statements into positive form!” “Omit needless words!”—you can almost hear him yelling them in a crowded classroom—his voice harsh and nasal, his skin pale, his face cleanly shaven, wearing a tweed jacket and tapping the lectern with an open palm.

“Omit needless words!” he says again, this time with a slight grin. And with that grin, you both realize the obvious: that he’s secretly thankful for all the writers who don’t abide by his principles; otherwise, he would have nothing to be grumpy about.

The point is not that you write this way or that; the point is that you care about the way you choose.

[Richard Derus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5* of five

The essential guide to HOW to write! How much better to start with a guide to achieving an effect you're looking for.

[Daniel Cowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book for beginning writers to use as a guide. It cleary spells out the rules of English grammar, and provides examples to explain each guideline. I highly recommend this little gem! I bought this book at special price from here:
https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Style...

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is very good for what it does, which is advise on how to write clearly and concisely. But generations of writers have completely misunderstood its purpose and used it as a Bible of Good Writing. It's not. Linguist Geoffrey Pullum has famously gone on something of a crusade against The Elements of Style, and while he makes good points, it may be a little unfair to blame S&W for the fact that writers don't realize the original authors were addressing an audience of barely-literate college students. If you are a fiction writer, S&W's advice should be taken with a very large grain of salt — if you try to write novels using The Elements of Style as your guide, you will probably write very cleanly and correctly but very badly.

[Arupratan · Rating 4 out of 5]

একটা লেখার সবচেয়ে বড় গুণ কী? স্পষ্টতা। সাহিত্যের ভাষা অবশ্যই স্বতন্ত্র হবে। তাতে বিভিন্নরকম নিজস্বতা গুঁজে দিতে হবে। লেখক চাইবেন দশটা লেখার মাঝে নিজের সৃষ্টিটা অনন্য হোক। কিন্তু সাহিত্য লিখি কয়জন? গল্প উপন্যাস কবিতা লিখি কয়জন? আমরা বেশিরভাগ মানুষ বিবৃতি লিখি। কেউ ব্যক্তিগত বিবৃতি। কেউ উদ্দেশ্যমূলক বিবৃতি। ইন্টারনেট এসে আমাদের বিবৃতি লেখার এই ইচ্ছেটাকে দশদিকে প্রসারিত করে দিয়েছে। এই যে আমি এই লেখাটা লিখছি, এটাও তো একটা বিবৃতি। এটা সাহিত্য নয়। আজ থেকে মাত্র বছর-কুড়ি আগেও এমন সুযোগ ছিল না।

আমার পড়শী দেশ বাংলাদেশে এই মুহূর্তে একটা অভূতপূর্ব আন্দোলন চলছে। আমার বাপের জন্মে আমি এরকম তীব্র আন্দোলন দেখিনি। দেশের ক্ষমতাসীন সরকার নিজের দেশের অল্পবয়েসি ছাত্রদের, সাধারণ মানুষদের, নির্দ্বিধায় গুলি করে মারছে। দেশের প্রধানমন্ত্রী শেখ হাসিনা দেশবাসীর সঙ্গে ফাজলামি করছেন। একটা ক্রূর ফাজলামি। উপমহাদেশের এই অঞ্চলের মানুষ স্মরণাতীত কাল থেকে অত্যাচারিত হয়ে এসেছেন। ইংরেজ আমলে জমিদারদের হাতে কৃষক প্রজারা অকথ্য অপদস্থ হয়েছে��। তারপর ইংরেজ গিয়ে এলো পাকিস্তান আমল। তখনও এই অঞ্চলের মানুষ লাঞ্ছনার মুখোমুখি হয়েছেন। তারপর দেশ স্বাধীন হয়েও শান্তি নেই। এই দেশটা কোনোদিন দীর্ঘমেয়াদীভাবে শান্তিতে থাকতে পারলো না।

আজ একবিংশ শতকের প্রায় সিকিভাগ পার হয়ে গেলেও বাংলাদেশের মানুষ রাষ্ট্রের তরফ থেকে ন্যূনতম মানবাধিকার পেলো না। এতদিন একটা নাম-কা-ওয়াস্তে গণতন্ত্রের "ম্যানেকিন" দাঁড় করানো ছিল। এবারের আন্দ��লনের চোদনে ধাক্কায় সেই খেলনা পুতুলের কঙ্কাল বেরিয়ে এসেছে। দুঃখের কথা হলো, এই পুতুলটাকে দাঁড় করিয়ে রাখতে আমার নিজের দেশের প্রচুর অবদান আছে। আমি জানি এর পিছনে কিছু কূটনৈতিক কারণ রয়েছে, আমার দেশের স্বার্থ রয়েছে। কিন্তু একজন সাধারণ বাঙালি হিসেবে আরেকটা দেশের সাধারণ বাঙালি মানুষের এই দুরবস্থা দেখতে ভালো লাগেনা আমার। কূটনীতির পাছায় ঝাঁটা মারতে ইচ্ছে করে।

এই গণআন্দোলনের নেতৃত্ব দিচ্ছে ইশকুল-কলেজ-ইউনিভার্সিটির পড়ুয়ারা। এই অল্পবয়েসি ছেলেমেয়েরা কয়েকদিন আগেও জীবনের প্রায় কিছুই দ্যাখেনি। কিন্তু এখন অনেক কিছু দেখে ফেলেছে! কতজন খুন হয়েছে এখনও পর্যন্ত? মিডিয়ার হিসেব যা-ই হোক, আমার সন্দেহ হয় সংখ্যাটা ৫০০ ছাড়িয়ে গেছে। শেখ হাসিনার এই সরকারকে কোনোভাবেই গণতান্ত্রিক সরকার বলার উপায় নেই আর। এই সরকার খুনি সরকার। এরা ফ্যাসিস্টও নয়। ফ্যাসিজমেরও একটা রাজনৈতিক দর্শন থাকে। এদের সেটাও নেই। সাদা বাংলায় বলতে হলে, শেখ হাসিনার নেতৃত্বে এই আওয়ামি লিগ সরকার একটা গণহত্যাকারী, হিংস্র, নির্দয়, ধান্দাবাজ, ক্ষমতার অহংকারে অন্ধ হয়ে যাওয়া সরকার। এমনকি গণতান্ত্রিক ব্যঞ্জনায় এদের "সরকার" বলতেও দ্বিধা হয়। এরা স্রেফ খুনি। প্যাথোলজিক্যাল মৃত্যুবিলাসী খুনি।

এই উন্মাদ খুনিদের হাত থেকে দেশটাকে বাঁচাতে হবে। শয়ে শয়ে ছাত্র, শয়ে শয়ে সাধারণ নিরস্ত্র নিরীহ মানুষ, বেঘোরে প্রাণ দিয়েছেন। রোজ মারা যাচ্ছেন তারা! গুলি খেয়ে মরছেন, অস্ত্রের আঘাতে মরছেন, চিকিৎসার অভাবে মরছেন, পুলিশ কাস্টডিতে মরছেন। কতো মানুষ মারাত্মক আহত হচ্ছেন। কেউ হয়তো সারাজীবনের মতো অন্ধ হয়ে যাবেন। কেউ পঙ্গু হয়ে বেঁচে থাকবেন। কারো ভাই মারা গেছে, কারো বোন, কারো সন্তান, কারো অভিভাবক, কারো প্রেমিক, কারো প্রেমিকা, কারো প্রিয় বন্ধু। এই মানুষগুলোর মৃত্যু কিছুতেই মেনে নেওয়া যায় না। এদের স্মৃতির উদ্দেশ্যে যদি কিছুই করার মতো না খুঁজে পাই, তাহলে কিছু বিবৃতি তো লিখতে পারি। বিবৃতি সাহিত্য নয়, জানি। কিন্তু অক্ষরের শক্তি অসীম। নির্জলা স্পষ্ট ভাষায় লেখা, কয়েকটি সোজাসাপ্টা বাক্য দিয়ে গঠিত, একটা বিবৃতির শক্তি অনেক! আর অনেকগুলো বিবৃতির শক্তি—সীমাহীন!

গুডরিডস ছাড়া আমার আর লেখার জায়গা নেই। তাই আমার বিবৃতিটা আমি এখানে লিখলাম। যদিও একটা বইয়ের রিভিউ লেখার ভান করে এই বিবৃতিটা লিখছি, কিন্তু রিভিউটা পুরোটা ভান নয়। কীভাবে নিজের মনের কথা স্পষ্ট লিখিত ভাষায় প্রকাশ করা যেতে পারে, সেটা শেখার জন্য এই বইটার দ্বারা আমি বহুভাবে উপকৃত হয়েছি। বইটার উদ্দেশ্য যদিও ইংরিজি ভাষায় লেখালিখির নিয়মকানুন শেখানো, কিন্তু এই বইটার অনেক নিয়ম যেকোনো ভাষাতে লেখার কাজে প্রয়োগ করা যেতে পারে। সামান্য কিছু নমুনা দিই।

প্রথমেই সবচেয়ে মূল্যবান নিয়মটা বলি। বিবৃতি লেখার সময় জটিল বাক্য লিখবেন না। বাক্যের দৈর্ঘ্য বড় করবেন না। ছোটো ছোটো সরল বাক্যে লিখবেন। যেমন : দেশের প্রধানমন্ত্রীর গদিতে বসে থাকার যোগ্যতা নেই শেখ হাসিনার।

পরিচিত শব্দ ব্যবহার করবেন। নিজেকে পণ্ডিত প্রমাণ করার জন্য অহেতুক কঠিন শব্দ ব্যবহার করবেন না। যেমন : আমি জানি আমারও প্রাণের ভয় আছে, কিন্তু আজ যদি আমি ভয় পেয়ে চুপ করে বসে থাকি, তাহলে সারাটা জীবন ভীতু হয়ে বেঁচে থাকতে হবে (দেখুন এই বাক্যে একটাও কঠিন শব্দ নেই, অথচ আপনার মতামত স্পষ্টভাবে জানানো হলো)।

সাহিত্য রচনার জন্য নানারকম পরিশীলিত প্রক্রিয়া আছে। সাহিত্যে উপমা ব্যবহার করা হয়। রূপক ব্যবহার করা হয়। অলংকার ব্যবহার করা হয়। বিরোধাভাস ব্যবহার করা হয়। এরকম আরো গাদা গাদা পদ্ধতি আছে রচনাকে সাহিত্যগুণসম্পন্ন করার জন্য। কিন্তু এই দুঃসময়ে নিজের বিবৃতি থেকে এইসব পদ্ধতি বাদ দিলেই ভালো হয়। তার চেয়ে বরং একেবারে সহজ ভাষায়, সাদামাটা ভঙ্গিতে লিখলে বিবৃতি অনেক বেশি জোরদার হবে। যেমন : আমি অনেক সহ্য করেছি। এই অপদার্থ সরকারের পতন এবার ভীষণ জরুরি। এরা নির্বিচারে মানুষ খুন করছে। তারপরেও এরা অনুতপ্ত হচ্ছে না। এদের কথায় আমি আর কীভাবে বিশ্বাস করবো? অসম্ভব!

কোনো বিখ্যাত লেখক কিংবা কবি কিংবা সাহিত্যিকের থেকে পঙক্তি ধার করার চেয়ে নিজের মনের কথা নিজস্ব ভাষায় লেখা ভালো। নবারুণ ভট্টাচার্যের কবিতার লাইনকে বারবার ব্যবহার করলে সেই লাইনের তীক্ষ্ণতা এবং মৃত্যু উপত্যকার উচ্চতা—দুটোই কমে যায়। এই দুঃসময়ে অন্যের লেখা কবিতার কাঁধে ভর দিয়ে দাঁড়ালে এটা প্রমাণ হয় যে আপনার নিজের ভাষায় লেখার সাহস নেই। কিংবা আপনি ঘুরিয়ে নাক দেখাচ্ছেন। আপনার সাহিত্যরুচি প্রদর্শন করার সুযোগ, বেঁচে থাকলে পরবর্তী সময়ে অনেক পাবেন। এমনও হতে পারে কালকে আপনার নিজের ভাই গুলি খেলো। কিংবা আপনার সবচেয়ে কাছের বন্ধু। কিংবা আপনার বাবা? মা? স্ত্রী? সন্তান? যার সঙ্গে একবেলা কথা না বললে আপনার ভালো লাগে না, সে? যে আপনার দিকে তাকিয়ে হাসলে আপনার সারাটা দিন উজ্জ্বল হয়ে ওঠে, সে? এমনকি কালকে স্বয়ং আপনি নিজেই চন্দ্রবিন্দু হয়ে যেতে পারেন, হঠাৎ-ছিটকে-আসা একটা গুলির আঘাতে। মরে গেলে তো এমনিতেও লিখতে পারবেন না। কোনো জনপ্রিয় সেলিব্রিটি কিংবা বেস্টসেলার সাহিত্যিকের বিবৃতির অপেক্ষায় থাকবেন না। প্রত্যেকেরই নিজস্ব ধান্দা আছে, যাকে যার ইচ্ছেমতো থাকতে দিন। এই দুর্দিনে নিজের মনের কথা নিজেই লিখুন। যেমন:

তুমি আর কতো গুলি করবে শেখ হাসিনা? পাকিস্তান যেমন তোমার বাবাকে দাবায়ে রাখতে পারেনি, তুমিও আমাকে দাবায়ে রাখতে পারবে না। এবার হয় তুমি থাকবে, নয় আমি। তোমার এবং তোমার সাঙ্গপাঙ্গদের এই নৃশংস নাটক আমি আর সহ্য করতে পারছি না। আমার সহ্যের সব সীমা এখন পেরিয়ে গেছে। বুঝলে না ব্যাপারটা?

কিভাবে সহজ ভাষায় স্পষ্ট ভঙ্গিতে নিজের মনের ভাব লিখিত বাক্যে প্রকাশ করা যায়, সেটা বোঝার জন্য এই বইটা সত্যিই দারুণ! যারা দেশের দুঃসময়েও স্পষ্ট ভাষায় দরকারি কথা লিখতে পারছেন না, অবস্থার পরিবর্তন হলে, ভাবগম্ভীর আঁতেলমার্কা কেতাব পাশে সরিয়ে রেখে সবার আগে এই বইটা পড়বেন। কারণ স্পষ্ট কথার অনেক ওজন!

[L.S. Popovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many other books on writing are not as directly helpful as this one. I have made every mistake a human being can make while writing. I'm making mistakes right now. Improvement is a lifelong process. This readable and referenceable book is one to keep in the desk drawer, to peruse before and after writing.

Aside from the argument that the English language is sliding toward less standardization, many editors, agents, publishers and readers demand or expect PhD-level grammar (whatever that equates to). But it really should not take years of reading and diagramming sentences to put words together in a satisfactory fashion.

If you have tried other how-to-write books, I'd set them aside until you've finished this one. This may contain all you need to know in a much smaller bundle. As a rule, I am not a fan of criticism. I could pick apart most pieces of writing. You could pick apart most of what I write. It's human nature to seek out flaws. In order to write competitively, writers must arm themselves against critics. But even more than that, communication benefits from clarity and articulation. I feel that a close study of this book will elevate a writer's awareness of certain flaws. These flaws pass most of us by without notice. But they can also undermine an otherwise excellent piece of writing.

Wouldn't we all like to write at a level where grammar is no longer part of the equation, where each sentence unfurls from the pen with the pithy lightning strike of Oscar Wilde's polished prose, on the first draft of course, where we can excavate the furthest reaches of our imagination and mind without regard to "should the comma go here, or here?" But I am not sure if such a state of nirvana exists. Revision never ends.

In summary, I recommend picking up this book. I trust it much more than those bloggers (paid by the word) posting "Helpful Tips."

[Meredith (Trying to catch up!) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find this book fascinating, especially when comparing it to modern style guides. While it won't become my go to when working with students, I consider it a valuable resource.

[Amir Tesla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an essential book on the basic principles of a good writing style.
A must-read for anyone who aspires to be a serious writer. (Stephan King)

[Tassa DeSalada · Rating 5 out of 5]

This small book is a mountain of good writing advice!

[Lusy · Rating 5 out of 5]

To quote Stephen King in the foreword of his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft: "I figured the shorter the book, the less the nonsense*. One notable exception to the nonsense* rule is The Element of Styles, by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White. There is little or no detectable nonsense* in that book."

I agree with that statement!

This book is not perfect so of course it's got some errors. However, there are reasons this is considered one of the most important books on writing. The fact that it stands the test of time since its first publication in 1918 also goes to show how helpful it's been to a lot of people.

I based my review on my own experiences and observations. From what I can see, the main lesson for most people I know who have read this book is 'omit needless words' which is good and might be music to an editor's ears but it's more than that to me! It shows how clear thinking will produce clear writing which is a great deal in communicating a message to others.

Every time I revisit it, I'm reminded of not only how much I can learn from my past mistakes but also how much more I need to know in order to improve myself. It's a very humbling learning experience! The playful and vibrant illustrations by Maira Kalman in this edition also make learning from this book more enjoyable and fun.

Knowing the elements of our writing style will help us express our voices better. Like someone dear to me used to say: To live is to serve. In the end, if the expression of our voices is clear, so much so that it can help others find their voices as well? Then that's all that matters!





* = edited words
Picture credit: unsplash.com

[Ulysse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Settantatré

There was a book by Strunk & White
A book I read in only one night
Its style so simple
Like a smile or a dimple
Has led me to think I can’t write

A sinistra... / A destra...


.

[Simon Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a couple of reviewers have mentioned, Elements of Style has become somewhat out of style. There are plenty of people who stand by it as a trusted source for all things grammar, but I imagine even diehard supporters will grudgingly admit that the standards it established have led to some truly convoluted sentences.

Even so, I still recommend it as a handy pocketbook for anybody who's interested in the craft of writing. When I originally read it a number of years ago, I was a little strict in following the rules it outlined. It had a negative impact on my writing. But as I outgrew some of the habits it taught me, I began to think of it more as a leap off point for amateur wordsmiths, a sturdy foundation for beginners to build their own style on.

Yes, there are probably more up to date guides on grammar and writing, but I haven't read those, so my rating for this book exists in a vacuum of sorts: It's a good manual if you take it as the beginning of wisdom, not the end. Most importantly, the material is simple and engaging. The examples and logic are straightforward. And at the very least it will get you playing with the English language.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never thought I would say this about a book, but every writer needs to read this book. Hell, if you plan on writing anything you should read this book. The title is very misleading. Anyone who came across it for the first time might think it was a book about "style" as an artform. For those who are worried about the pedantry of writing, this book is mostly about grammar and what can be more effective in using the English language. This needs to be in the curriculumn for high schools, especially now when grammar is being forgotten so that people can e-mail and sound stupid on myspace. I only had two bones to pick with this book: First, I thought a comment E.B. White made in terms of using only "he" instead of "she" as a universal antecedent for sentences that may begin, "One must watch his/her step," is a bit off for somebody who studies language. On one hand we have someone in love with language who agrees with Strunk that student body should be replaced with studentry, and on the other hand White is giving in to gender roles within language. A bit silly, and as many readers might have picked recognized, writing books have "she" in a lot of them. Second, White made a comment about not using a foreign language in a work which, though I agree can be confusing, can still be pulled off. The way it came across was distasteful. But those are perhaps just comments on what I might feel about White as a person and not as a writer or teacher. Get this book!

[da AL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew a book about grammar could be so entertaining & useful? And Frank McCourt is the perfect choice to perform the audiobook!

[Elyse✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read this book in an attempt to improve my Goodreads reviews. Don't hold your breath. As soon as I started reading I knew I was in trouble. I couldn't remember what a gerund was and had to look it up. The last time I diagrammed a sentence was in my 8th grade public school class (1967). Thank you, Mrs. Redmond! She was a good teacher. She also taught us how to use a library card catalog. Ancient times. Later I taught many of my fellow state college freshmen classmates how to use one.

It has taken me almost two months to finish these 85 pages. I could only read a few examples at a time for them to sink in. I did not buy an English Grammar to brush up on sentence structure. Life's too short. Especially now that I'm retired and 90% of my writing is via text. I don't really need to bother as long as my Goodreads friends remain patient. Thankfully I can't see your eyerolling over the internet. I will continue to use my "whatever sounds right to my ear" style method. If I post something and later discover a blooper, I'm not above going back and re-posting after correction. Yes, I'm one of those PIAs.

NOTE: A delightful thing I learned - E.B. White wrote Charlotte's Web!

[Clumsy Storyteller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful for young authors. And should be read more than once.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ stars (9/10 hearts). This book is excellent and every single writer—whether you are a professional author or simply a high-school student—needs it. Simple, clear, witty, wise (and really very pretty as a printed book or an ebook—crisp and clean in style.) I recommend it to anyone 13+ for understanding. The rules are excellent reminders; there are plenty of help for words we all get confused between; the last chapter is beautiful and amazing; and did I mention how humorous it was? This is one of those books that should be read at least twice a year, and that I just love to read. It’s also one that can be finished and begun instantly. Highly, highly recommended. 

A Favourite Quote: “Write in a way that comes easily and naturally to you, using words and phrases that come readily to hand. But do not assume that because you have acted naturally your product is without flaw. The use of language begins with imitation. The infant imitates the sounds made by its parents; the child imitates first the spoken language, then the stuff of books. The imitative life continues long after the writer is secure in the language, for it is almost impossible to avoid imitating what one admires. Never imitate consciously, but do not worry about being an imitator; take pains instead to admire what is good. Then when you write in a way that comes naturally, you will echo the halloos that bear repeating.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “Flammable. An oddity, chiefly useful in saving lives. The common word meaning ‘combustible’ is inflammable. But some people are thrown off by the in-and think inflammable means ‘not combustible.’ For this reason, trucks carrying gasoline or explosives are now marked FLAMMABLE. Unless you are operating such a truck and hence are concerned with the safety of children and illiterates, use inflammable.”

Content: A mention of a sperm bank and one curse word, but in each case they are in example sentences and can be whitened out easily. There’s also sentence quoted from another writer as an example that mentions wine, but only in passing.

[Dannii Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find it very impressive that this was written almost one hundred years ago and still remains so relevant and revered today.

The book does exactly what the title suggests – covers stylistic elements of the English language. Each rule covered has multiple examples attached to it for proficient understanding and it managed to be both highly informative, whilst offering me nothing new. This is certainly of great practical help in academic writing, but I found it rather lacking for my current desires.

I listened to this in audiobook form and I don't think it was really suited towards that format. The information was relayed in a dry and uninspiring style that felt a little repetitive and I could feel my attention dwindling as I attempted to process the over-abundance of information. The grammatical advice was not new to me, which allowed my attention to drift further, and I think I would have more appreciation for this if I had discovered it sooner.

This covers the basic grammatical and stylistic principles of good academic writing and I feel it is a good starter manual for any budding writer. Unfortunately, I was expecting something different going into this and it wasn't exactly what I was currently looking for.

[Prakriti Regmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

All writing is communication; creative writing is communication through revelation — it is the Self escaping into the open. No writer long remains incognito.

To review, the book is an amazingly curated edition that has scored well in the attempt of presenting vital things in a concise and clear manner.

And, here are some of my prime takeaways from the book.

• Unnecessary emphasis of a sentence is never the demand.
• The word but when trailed after doubt or help turns needless.
• Data is and always were data.
• Avoid however at the start of a sentence, they tend to fit better when placed in between.
• The habit of adding the suffix -ize into a noun in order to create a verb is responsible for making one ignorant regarding the already present words.
• “One of the” is a feeble writing formula. Cut it and find a precise orientation.
• Facts require no advance billing.
• Do not be tempted by a fancy word when there is already a handy word.
• The best spelling is the one that is regarded as orthodox today.
• Writing style matters as it is what overpowers emotions into the words.
• Revise & Rewrite, but do not overwrite.

I am absolutely glad to have read this book.

[Amy Ransohoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a little prescriptive, but this book's advice is solid. The fourth chapter was actually fun to read because parts of it came across as a long, pompous rant.

"To say, "Hopefully I'll leave on the noon plane" is to talk nonsense. Do you mean you'll leave on the noon plane in a hopeful frame of mind? Or do you mean you hope you'll leave on the noon plane? Whichever you mean, you haven't said it clearly. Although the word in its new, free-floating capacity may be pleasurable and even useful to many, it offends the ear of many others, who do not like to see words dulled or eroded, particularly when the erosion leads to ambiguity, softness, or nonsense."

Hopefully I don't run into Strunk or White on the street; they would really hate how I usually talk and write. There is some great advice about writing forcefully and concisely in this book, and at a hundred pages it's well worth the time.

[Kellyn Roth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly, I use the dictionary a lot less than this little book.

[Blake · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had I read this a year ago, happily under the spell of grammar nazism, I might have filled this little review with the kind of gleaming praise and happy diligence of the awakened; however, in the past year I was compelled to take up a few contemporary grammar and style guides and subsequently have developed a sore throat around these pills. I spit them out.

My grammar is not sparkling, nor even prone to an occasional gloss shimmer; nonetheless, a book of this sort does little to help the sheen. Its voice is commanding and the pressing of its commands outright to the reader leaves little space for compromise. The authority it has gained thereby, and particularly over young writers and students, is somewhat unnerving in its potential. It is troubling, in particular and general, that the book's tidiness comes at the cost of elaboration. A command is short and to the point, but it is not explicative. There are a few exceptions in which the categoricity of these commands is spelled out for the reader, but in most cases we are left alone with the word. So in these circumstances there is no knowing those rules that are worth following from those that are not.