William Strunk, The Elements of Style (1918)

[We have reproduced below the original 1918 text of William Strunk's The Elements of Style: A Style Guide for Writers. Some spelling, advice on hyphens, and the use of "he" may be outdated. But we decided to reproduce the original text without editing it, with two exceptions. First, we have edited into smaller parts the Table of Contents (and some chapters) to make the text easier to navigate. Second, since the original 1918 edition is not as accessible as modern reprints, we have inserted page numbers from the 2004 reprint. For example, "[5] Introductory" shows that the introductory chapter starts on page 5 of the 2004 reprint. Although we have proofread our reproduction carefully, do not rely on our version as error-free; rather, consult the original source].

Table of Contents

I. Introductory

II. 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

III. 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 (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4) 11. Use the active voice (Part 1, Part 2) 12. Put statements in positive form 13. Omit needless words (Part 1, Part 2) 14. Avoid a succession of loose sentences 15. Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form (Part 1, Part 2) 16. Keep related words together (Part 1, Part 2) 17. In summaries, keep to one tense 18. Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end

IV. A Few Matters of Form

• Headings
• Numerals
• Parentheses
• Quotations
• References
• Titles

V. Words and Expressions Commonly Misused

• A-Ca
• Ce-D
• E-F
• G-K
• L
• M-O
• P-R
• S-V
• "While"
• "Whom", "Worth while", "Would"

VI. Words Often Misspelled

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