STYLE TIPS (from The Elements of Style by Strunk and White)

1.Choose a suitable design and hold to It BAD: No outlining, no brainstorming, no structure GOOD: clearly organized and adhering to a conventional structure depending on the genre “…in most cases, planning must be a deliberate prelude to writing” (15).

2. Make the paragraph the unit of composition BAD: No organization, Large blocks of text without regard for divisions of topics GOOD: * Paragraphs indicate the shift from one small focus to another within discussion of a larger topic “Ordinarily…a subject requires division into topics, each of which should be dealt with in a paragraph” (16).

3. Use the active voice BAD “Painting is what I do” “The ground was covered in leaves” “The rooster’s crow could be heard at dawn” Other passive verbs: were, are, am, been GOOD “I paint” “Leaves covered the ground” “The rooster’s crow came with dawn” “The active voice is usually more direct and vigorous than the passive” (18).

4. Put statements in positive form BAD “He was not very often on time” “She did not think that studying Latin would help her” “did not remember” GOOD “He usually came late” “She thought studying Latin was useless” “forgot” “Avoid tame, colorless, hesitating, noncommittal language” (19)

5. Use definite, specific, concrete language BAD “A period of unfavorable weather set in” “He showed satisfaction as he took possession of his well-earned reward” GOOD “It rained every day for a week” * He grinned as he pocketed his coin” “If those who have studied the art of writing are in accord on any one point, it is this: the surest way to arouse and hold the reader’s attention is by being specific, definite, and concrete”

“Vigorous writing is concise” 6. Omit needless words BAD “The reason why is that” “In a angry way” “His cousin, who is a celebrated doctor, arrived…” GOOD “because” “angrily” “His cousin, a celebrated doctor, arrived” “Vigorous writing is concise”

7. Avoid a succession of loose sentences BAD Using only compound and complex sentences. Putting two clauses in the same sentence that have little relation GOOD Blending simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences. Blending long and short sentences. Including parenthetical asides and modifying phrases “The rule refers especially to loose sentences of a particular type: those consisting of two clauses, the second introduced by a conjunction…” (26)

8. Express coordinate ideas in similar form BAD: “I like to fish, hunt, and swimming” “The French, the Italians and Portuguese” “His speech was marked by disagreement and scorn for his opponent’s position” GOOD: “I like fishing, hunting and swimming” “The French, the Italians and the Portuguese” “His speech was marked by disagreement with and scorn for his opponent’s position” “…parallel construction requires that expressions similar in content and function be outwardly similar” (26).

9. Keep related words together BAD “He saw a stain on the rug that was right in the center” “Toni Morrison, in Beloved, writes about slavery” “She only found two” GOOD “He saw a stain in the center of the rug” “In Beloved, Toni Morrison writes about slavery.” “She found only two” “The position of the words in a sentence is the principle means of showing their relationship” (28)

10. In summaries, keep to one tense BAD After Romeo killed himself, Juliet wakes up. Gatsby had told Nick that he had changed his name years ago. GOOD After Romeo kills himself, Juliet wakes up. Gatsby tells Nick that he had changed his name years ago. “In summarizing a poem, story or novel, also use the present, though you may also use the past if it seems more natural to do so” (31)

11. Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end. BAD: “Humanity has hardly advanced in fortitude since that time, though it has advanced in many other ways” “I got a snowmobile for my birthday last week” GOOD: “Since that time, humanity has advanced in many ways, but it has hardly advanced in fortitude.” “For my birthday last week, I got a snowmobile.” “The proper place in the sentence for the word or group of words that the writer desires to make most prominent is usually the end” (32)