William Strunk Jr. > Quotes

“Omit needless words.”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style; How to Speak and Write Correctly

“Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style

“Instead of announcing what you are about to tell is interesting, make it so.”
― William Strunk/E.B. White

“When a sentence is made stronger, it usually becomes shorter. Thus, brevity is a by-product of vigor.”
― William Strunk, The Elements of Style

“Never call a stomach a tummy without good reason.”
― William Strunk/E.B. White, The Elements of Style

“Rather, very, little, pretty -- these are the leeches that infest the pond of prose, sucking the blood of words. The constant use of the adjective little (except to indicate size) is particularly debilitating; we should all try to do a little better, we should all be very watchful of this rule, for it is a rather important one, and we are pretty sure to violate it now and then. ”
― William Strunk/E.B. White

“Do not, therefore, say "I feel nauseous," unless you are sure you have that effect on others.”
― William Strunk Jr.

“Consciously or unconsciously, the reader is dissatisfied with being told only what is not; the reader wishes to be told what is... If your every sentence admits a doubt, your writing will lack authority.”
― William Strunk, Jr., The Elements of Style

“None are so fallible as those who are sure they're right.”
― William Strunk Jr.

“It is an old observation that the best writers sometimes disregard the rules of rhetoric. When they do so, however, the reader will usually find in the sentence some compensating merit, attained at the cost of the violation. Unless he is certain of doing as well, he will probably do best to follow the rules. After he has learned, by their guidance, to write plain English adequate for everyday uses, let him look, for the secrets of style, to the study of the masters of literature.”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements Of Style

“Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessay sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all sentences short or avoid all detail and treat subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.”
― William Strunk Jr.

“Avoid fancy words....If you admire fancy words, if every sky is beauteous, every blonde curvaceous, every intelligent child prodigious, if you are tickled by discombobulate, you will have a bad time. Reminder 14.”
― William Strunk

“...when a sentence is made stronger, it usually becomes shorter. Thus, brevity is a by-product of vigor.”
― William Strunk/E.B. White

“Remember, it is no sign of weakness or defeat that your manuscript ends up in need of major surgery. This is a common occurrence in all writing, and among the best writers.”
― William Strunk

“Writers will often find themselves steering by stars that are disturbingly in motion.”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style

“Rich, ornate prose is hard to digest, generally unwholesome, and sometimes nauseating.”
― William Strunk/E.B. White

“A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style

“1. Make the paragraph the unit of composition: one paragraph to each topic.”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements Of Style

“If you have received a letter inviting you to speak at the dedication of a new cat hospital, and you hate cats, your reply, declining the invitation, does not necessarily have to cover the full range of your emotions. You must make it clear that you will not attend, but you do not have to let fly at the cats. The writer of the letter asked a civil question; attack cats, then, only if you can do so with good humor, good taste, and in such a way that your answer will be courteous as well as responsive. Since you are out of sympathy with cats, you may quite properly give this as a reason for not appearing at the dedicatory ceremonies of a cat hospital. But bear in mind that your opinion of cats was not sought, only your services as a speaker. Try to keep things straight.”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style

“A careful and honest writer does not need to worry about style. As you become proficient in the use of language, your style will emerge, because you yourself will emerge, and when this happens you will find it increasingly easy to breakthrough the barriers that separate you from other minds, other hearts - which is, of course, the purpose of writing, as well as its principal reward.”
― Strunk Jr., William, The Elements of Style

“Vigorous writing is concise.”
― William Strunk Jr.

“This book is intended for use in English courses in which the practice of composition is combined with the study of literature. It aims to give in a brief space the principal requirements of plain English style. It aims to lighten the task of instructor and student by concentrating attention (in Chapters II and III) on a few essentials, the rules of usage and principles of composition most commonly violated. The numbers of the sections may be used as references in correcting manuscript.”
― William Strunk, The Elements Of Style

“The language is perpetually in flux: it is a living stream, shifting, changing, receiving new strength from a thousand tributaries, losing old forms in the backwaters of time.”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style

“Try - Takes the infinitive: "try to mend it," not "try and mend it." Students of the language will argue that 'try and' has won through and become idiom. Indeed it has, and it is relaxed and acceptable. But 'try to' is precise, and when you are writing formal prose, try and write 'try to.”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style

“Nothing becomes funny by being labelled so.”
― William Strunk Jr. E.B. White

“The writer who has a definite meaning to express will not take refuge in such vagueness.”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style

“If you use a colloquialism or a slang word or phrase, simply use it; do not draw attention to it by enclosing it in quotation marks. To do so is to put on airs, as though you were inviting the reader to join you in a select society of those who know better.”
― William Strunk

“ Prestigious. Often an adjective of last resort. It's in the dictionary, but that doesn't mean you have to us it.”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style

“Prefer the specific to the general, the definite to the vague, the concrete to the abstract.”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style

“2. As a rule, begin each paragraph with a topic sentence; end it in conformity with the beginning.”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements Of Style