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1、The Elements of StylebyWilliam Strunk, Jr.Professor of EnglishCornell UniversityPrivately PrintedIthaca, New York1918Copyright1918By William Strunk, Jr.Press of W. P. Humphrey, Geneva, N.Y.ContentsI. IntroductoryII. Elementary Rules of Usage1. Form the possessive singular of nouns with s 2. In a ser
2、ies of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last3. Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas4. Place a comma before and or but introducing an independent clause5. Do not join independent clauses by a comma6. Do not break sentences in two7. A part
3、icipial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject8. Divide words at line-ends, in accordance with their formation and pronunciationIII. Elementary Principles of Composition9. Make the paragraph the unit of composition: one paragraph to each topic 10. As a rule, begi
4、n each paragraph with a topic sentence; end it in conformity with the beginning11. Use the active voice12. Put statements in positive form13. Omit needless words14. Avoid a succession of loose sentences15. Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form16. Keep related words together17. In summaries, keep
5、 to one tense18. Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the endIV. A Few Matters of FormV. Words and Expressions Commonly MisuedVI. Words Commonly MisspelledThe Elements of StyleI. IntroductoryThis book is intended for use in English courses in which the practice of composition is combined with t
6、he study of literature. It aims to give in brief space the principal requirements of plain English style. It aims to lighten the task of instructor and student by concentrating attention (in Chapters II and III) on a few essentials, the rules of usage and principles of composition most commonly viol
7、ated. The numbers of the sections may be used as references in correcting manuscript.The book covers only a small portion of the field of English style, but the experience of its writer has been that once past the essentials, students profit most by individual instruction based on the problems of th
8、eir own work, and that each instructor has his own body of theory, which he prefers to that offered by any textbook.The writers colleagues in the Department of English in Cornell University have greatly helped him in the preparation of his manuscript. Mr. George McLane Wood has kindly consented to t
9、he inclusion under Rule 11 of some material from his Suggestions to Authors.The following books are recommended for reference or further study: in connection with Chapters II and IV, F. Howard Collins, Author and Printer (Henry Frowde); Chicago University Press, Manual of Style; T. L. De Vinne Corre
10、ct Composition (The Century Company); Horace Hart, Rules for Compositors and Printers (Oxford University Press); George McLane Wood, Extracts from the Style-Book of the Government Printing Office (United States Geological Survey); in connection with Chapters III and V, Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, The
11、Art of Writing (Putnams), especially the chapter, Interlude on Jargon; George McLane Wood, Suggestions to Authors (United States Geological Survey); John Leslie Hall, English Usage (Scott, Foresman and Co.); James P. Kelly, Workmanship in Words (Little, Brown and Co.).It is an old observation that t
12、he best writers sometimes disregard the rules of rhetoric. When they do so, however, the reader will usually find in the sentence some compensating merit, attained at the cost of the violation. Unless he is certain of doing as well, he will probably do best to follow the rules. After he has learned,
13、 by their guidance, to write plain English adequate for everyday uses, let him look, for the secrets of style, to the study of the masters of literature.II. Elementary Rules of Usage1. Form the possessive singular of nouns with s.Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write,Charless fri
14、end Burnss poemsthe witchs maliceThis is the usage of the United States Government Printing Office and of the Oxford University Press.Exceptions are the possessives of ancient proper names in -es and -is, the possessive Jesus, and such forms as for conscience sake, for righteousness sake. But such f
15、orms as Achilles heel, Moses laws, Isis temple are commonly replaced bythe heel of Achilles the laws of Mosesthe temple of IsisThe pronominal possessives hers, its, theirs, yours, and oneself have no apostrophe.2. In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each t
16、erm except the last.Thus write,red, white, and blue honest, energetic, but headstrongHe opened the letter, read it, and made a note of its contents.This is also the usage of the Government Printing Office and of the Oxford University Press.In the names of business firms the last comma is omitted, asBrown, Shipley and CompanyThe abbreviation etc.,
