The Elements of Style:

III. ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION

William Strunk, Jr.

Make the Paragraph the Unit of Composition:

One Paragraph to Each Topic.

• The beginning of each paragraph is a signal to the reader that a new step in the development of the subject has been reached.o Careful that a two chunk still has one main idea or focus

• Allow your ideas to dictate the paragraph structure, do not force your ideas into a structure o More on this later…

• Always outline before writing AP timed essays.o At least get your thesis, evidence, and organization prepped

As a Rule, Begin Each Paragraph with a

Topic Sentence; End it in Conformity with

the Beginning.

• The practice here recommended enables him to discover the purpose of each paragraph as he begins to read it, and to retain the purpose in mind as he ends it.

• A continuous and cohesive paper will take and use one part or idea from the previous sentence or paragraph and incorporate the idea in the next.o Ex.

• Harker relies on the new, modern notions of the Victorian Era that everything has an explanation and science can provide proof for the unknown. Because he is a modern thinker, Harker does not fear what he cannot see, making it easier to fall into Dracula’s trap.

Use the Active Voice.

• Verbs are also said to be either active (The executive committee approved the new policy) or passive (The new policy was approved by the executive committee) in voice.

• As a rule of thumb, write in active voice (the subject is doing the action)

Put Statements in Positive Form.

• Make definite assertions. o The reader is dissatisfied with being told only what is not;

he wishes to be told what is.• Ex: “He was not very often on time” Vs. “He usually

came late”• Ex: “He did not think that studying Latin was much

use” Vs. “He thought the study of Latin useless”

• Use positive phrasingo Positive phrasing and active voice are more concise than

negative phrasing and passive voice.• Ex: “not honest” Vs. “dishonest”• Ex: “Did not pay attention to” Vs. “Ignored”

Omit Needless Words.

• Just say it! o Ex: “He is a man who” Vs. “He”o Ex: “The evidence proves…”

• A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, and a paragraph no unnecessary sentences.o Don’t write all simple sentences, just try and only include what is

necessary. You voice shines through when you are direct.

• A common violation of conciseness is the presentation of a single complex idea, step by step, in a series of sentences which might to advantage be combined into one.

Avoid a Succession of Loose

Sentences.

• Vary your sentence structure= stylistic maturity

Express Co-ordinate Ideas in

Similar Form.

• This principle, that of parallel construction, requires that expressions of similar content and function should be outwardly similar.o Ex: “Formerly, Lormerin saw himself as a young,

handsome man, but now, the image he sees is different” Vs. “Formerly, Lormerin saw himself as a young, handsome man; now he sees himself differently”

Keep Related Words Together.

• Make sure pronouns fit with antecedent (subject that precedes the pronoun)

• Rules of thumb:o Use the male gender: “Each person is entitled to his opinion.”o Use the female gender when all possible referents are women:

“Each nun is entitled to her opinion.”o Use both male and female genders: “Each person is entitled to his

or her (or his/her) opinion.”o Alternate gender references in repeated usage: “Each person is

entitled to his opinion. However, she should also be receptive to those of others.”

o Use an indefinite article in place of a pronoun: “Each person is entitled to an opinion.”

o Recast the sentence to plural form: “All people are entitled to their own opinions.”

In Summaries, Keep to One Tense.

• In summarizing the action of a drama, the writer should always use the present tense.

• In summarizing a poem, story, or novel, he

should preferably use the present, though he may use the past if he prefers.

Place the Emphatic Words of a

Sentence at the End.

• The proper place for the word, or group of words, which the writer desires to make most prominent is usually the end of the sentence.

What Can You Use for Evidence?

• Direct Quote: Quote directly pulled from the text.

• Indirect Quote: Paraphrase your evidence. You must still cite!o Ex: Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of

powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).o Ex: Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative

process (Wordsworth 263).

Taboo Words• things, a lot, very, good, bad, that, this,

something, shows etc.

No Thesaurus

• Just say what you want to say and be direct.

• Try not to skirt around the major ideas with an overuse of big words to make your essay “sound pretty”.o You will often use a word with

the wrong context AND you will just sound pretentious!

And it won’t save you from not knowing

what you are writing about.

No Contractions or “Text” Speak

• In formal essays you are NEVER to use contractions (unless they are used in the quote of course!)