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The Elements of Style: 60 Minutes to Better Writing & Grammar
Unavailable
The Elements of Style: 60 Minutes to Better Writing & Grammar
Unavailable
The Elements of Style: 60 Minutes to Better Writing & Grammar
Audiobook1 hour

The Elements of Style: 60 Minutes to Better Writing & Grammar

Written by William N. Strunk

Narrated by Deaver Brown

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

What you need to know about grammar and writing as taught widely in colleges, high schools, and grammar schools wherever American English is spoken!
William Strunk, Professor at Cornell, wrote his famous Little Book on good grammar and writing to simplify the subject for students far and wide. His famous motto was, "Omit needless words." This unabridged version follows this motto and can be listened to in just 60 minutes!
This is the original "Little Book," without add ons by later writers. This is a treasure to writers because it "omit(s)" needless words" and subject matter Professor Strunk did not believe was core to better writing. The brevity encourages relistening to deepen one's knowledge of the subject, the point made by Professor Strunk to his students: "the knowledge comes from rereading" or in our case, relistening. This unabridged version has 25 tracks: 1. Preface. 2. Introduction.. 3. Elementary Rules of Usage. 4. Form the Possessive Singular of Nouns with 's. 5. Three or More Terms with a Single Conjunction. 6. Enclose Parenthetic Expressions Between Commas. 7. Place a Comma before and or but. 8. Do Not Join Independent Clauses by a Comma. 9. Do Not Break Sentences in Two. 10. A Participial Phrase at the Beginning of a Sentence. 11. Divide Words at Line-ends. 12. Elementary Principles of Composition. 13. Make the Paragraph the Unit of Composition. 14. Begin a Paragraph with a Topic Sentence. 15. Use the Active Voice. 16. Put Statements in Positive Form. 17. Omit Needless Words. 18. Avoid a Succession of Loose Sentences. 19. Express Co-ordinate Ideas in a Similar Form. 20. Keep Related Words Together. 21. In Summaries Keep to One Tense. 22. Keep the Emphatic Word of a Sentence at the End. 23. A Few Matters of Form. 24. Words and Expressions Commonly Misused. 25. 56 Words Commonly Misspelled.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateDec 3, 2008
ISBN9781614961055
Unavailable
The Elements of Style: 60 Minutes to Better Writing & Grammar

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Reviews for The Elements of Style

Rating: 4.261261261261262 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

111 ratings87 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I am surprised that anyone would give this book a one-star rating, and yet some people have done that. I have no arguments with them, as we each have our own view of the books we read.For me, this is a brilliant book. I did not think that it would take me ten days to read 97 pages, but it did. The writing style is simple, and not a word is wasted. It was well worth the time I took to read the book carefully. The rules have been laid out in a simple manner, and the examples are clear. I like this book so much, that I ordered two paperback copies, one for my son and one for me. It is good to have this book as a handy reference. Prof Strunk seems to have been a man of exceptional clarity of thought, and this is reflected in the manner in which he has laid out the book, and given the examples. Mr White's section is a very useful addition. It adds to the value of the book. It is an essential guide to any aspiring writer.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Excellent, if a bit stodgy at moments.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
     From a writer as an ode to his late teacher, it's a great pocket book reference/words of wisdom for writing in any medium. Does what it sets out to do—clearly—and that's about it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Indispensable.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White is a classic that should be in every writer's library. It is full of good guidance, practical examples, and useful advice. More than just a reference book it should be reread at least once a year.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Compact and easy to use, but it can really sharpen your writing. I'm recommending it to my students now, and I'll be adding it as a suggested book on all future syllabi.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    It has some good advice on writing and some terrible lies about grammar.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Bible of writing. In fact, more Library Thing members have this Bible than the King James Bible. I checked.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Really a wonderful guide. It's not just a guide, though! I actually read it front to back and the voice of these men blends and instructs with sharp wit and dry humor. There are one-liners here on writing that are priceless!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The gold standard in American language composition.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I like the concise points and don't understand what the controversy is about the book; his points make sense to me and seem valid, especially for student writers.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Always good to recap occasionally and give this a reread.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Bible of writing. In fact, more Library Thing members have this Bible than the King James Bible. I checked.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I firmly believe that everyone who plans to attend school past the ninth grade needs to own a copy of this book, and read it cover to cover at least once. It's not exactly a gripping read, but so many common mistakes could be avoided if the general public would at least skim this classic work. And really, it's not as boring as you would think. In fact, some parts are downright amusing.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I've written in LiberaryThing that I read this book from July 3th to July 6th 2008, but it's not really a book you read. It's a book you study over and over again. And use as a reference.And for that it's excellent. It's filled with solid advice and "rules", or directions, on how to write a better text.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not as good as blurb suggests.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This style manual offers practical advice on improving writing skills. Throughout, the emphasis is on promoting a plain English style. This little book can help you communicate more effectively by showing you how to enliven your sentences.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a good reference book on the elements of academic writing. The book provides several examples to follow and many rules. It is an easy read and should be kept as reference material.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    If everybody in the world read this book before afflicting us with their writing, the world would be a better place. THE book on improving one's writing style.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    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.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An absolute must-own for every writer. I've been teaching journalism/communications classes since 1986, and I've been recommending this book to students every semester.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The Elements of Style is an invaluable reference to anyone who writes (everyone). Revisit it often and you will see its secrets permeate your writing. At 100 pages it fits in anyone's reading schedule and bookshelf.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    To seem effortless in one's writing, practice and attention to detail make for perfection.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The classic among style manuals--simple, practical, urbane.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Great style guide for non fiction and fiction. Tart rules for everything written.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This little book is a great reminder of how easy it is to write in clear, plain English, but how it is just as easy to stumble into common pitfalls. Concrete, prescriptive and short, this book is a great quick reference. Witty and sometimes downright funny examples keep the reader's interest up. I will definitely have this handy little book by my side at the office. Administrative mumble jumble has become too common for me to fall prey to it. This will help me stay on the straight path!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is a must to read if not to own and reference. The updated version gives further insight and explanation, but overall the information remains valid for writers in the modern day. I refer to this when needed or when instructing writing.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Another review gave links to discussions by linguists on this book. You should read what people who have made their living studying language have to say about Strunk and White. Strunk and White can't even follow their own advice well. In one instance they say not to use the passive voice unless it is necessary, and yet in the first hundred sentences in their book, they use the passive 21 times, and none of them because it was necessary. E.B. White is a wonderful author, but if you read Charlotte's Web, he is consistantly breaking his own rules. If he can't follow them, why should you?If you really want to learn how to write well, practice writing. Read the classics, and study how the masters write. Don't let the blind lead the blind.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The epitome of concise usage among English speaking writers. Only the best.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A classic and it should be. Eliminate needless words. Be clear. Know the language and let it speak.