The Elements of Style

The Elements of Style is a practical style guide to writing standard, edited American English, including grammar, best usage[?] and prose style[?].

Originally written and published in 1918 by Cornell University professor William Strunk Jr., it was edited, updated and republished in 1959 by E. B. White, who had studied under the nebbish Strunk in the years following World War I. Macmillan and Company in 1957 commissioned White to prepare this new edition of the book. Though Strunk had passed away, White independently built on his foundation to create a rare reference book[?] that's also a literary classic[?]. Strunk's version concentrated on specific questions of usage, cultivating good writing and avoiding prolixities: "Make every word tell." White updated and extended these sections and added an introductory essay and the conclusion, "An Approach to Style," a broader guide to writing in English. The standard reference for American students and writers, updated editions of The Elements of Style followed in 1972 and 1979.

Related Topics

• Fowler's Modern English Usage
• Plain Words
• style guide

Further Reference

• Hardcover edition ISBN 0-205-31342-6
• Paperback edition ISBN 0-205-30902-X