The Elements of Style
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Brief contents
[edit]- Introductory
- Elementary Rules of Usage
- Elementary Principles of Composition
- A Few Matters of Form
- Words and Expressions Commonly Misused
- Words Commonly Misspelled
Contents
[edit]- Introductory
- Elementary Rules of Usage
- 1. Form the possessive singular of nouns with 's.
- 2. In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last.
- 3. Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas.
- 4. Place a comma before and or but introducing an independent clause.
- 5. Do not join independent clauses by a comma.
- 6. Do not break sentences in two.
- 7. A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject.
- 8. Divide words at line-ends, in accordance with their formation and pronunciation.
- Elementary Principles of Composition
- 9. Make the paragraph the unit of composition: one paragraph to each topic.
- 10. As a rule, begin each paragraph with a topic sentence; end it in conformity with the beginning.
- 11. Use the active voice.
- 12. Put statements in positive form.
- 13. Omit needless words.
- 14. Avoid a succession of loose sentences.
- 15. Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form.
- 16. Keep related words together.
- 17. In summaries, keep to one tense.
- 18. Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end.
- A Few Matters of Form
- Words and Expressions Commonly Misused
- Words Commonly Misspelled
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