william strunk jr.

The Elements of Style

First published 1918
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contents

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I. Introductory
This book aims to give in brief space the principal requirements of plain English style. It aims to lighten the task of instructor and…
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II. Elementary Rules of Usage
Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write,
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III. Elementary Principles of Composition
If the subject on which you are writing is of slight extent, or if you intend to treat it very briefly, there may be no need of subdividing…
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IV. A Few Matters of Form
Headings. Leave a blank line, or its equivalent in space, after the title or heading of a manuscript. On succeeding pages, if using ruled…
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V. Words and Expressions Commonly Misused
(Some of the forms here listed, as like I did, are downright bad English; others, as the split infinitive, have their defenders, but are in…
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VI. Spelling
The spelling of English words is not fixed and invariable, nor does it depend on any other authority than general agreement. At the present…