Strunk and White’s timeless secrets for rocket-powered writing

Omit needless words. Avoid dangling modifiers. Cut ‘there is.’ One hundred years on, a primer still inspires writers.

Many wordsmiths return time and again to the lessons of William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White’s “The Elements of Style,” the product of a prose partnership that began in a classroom a century ago.

Chock-full of writerly wisdom, this free download offers a refresher on one of America’s most enduring guides to clear, lively prose.

This download covers:

  • Strunk’s famous plea for terseness: “Omit needless words!”
  • The difference between (writing) tools and rules
  • Why boldness and colorful language beat the tame and the irresolute
  • The importance of putting the reader first
  • Irksome phrases to jettison (Start with “the fact that.”)
  • The difference between restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses—and why you should know this
  • Ways to build better sentences
  • The advantages of semicolons (Don’t believe those who say they are outdated.)
  • How to avoid stumbling over dangling modifiers
  • Why it’s better to state things in positive form (“trifling” rather than “not important”)

Relearn forgotten writing lessons—and gain new tricks in crafting your prose.

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