White is also famous for his coauthorship of the elements of style, also known as strunk and white. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. White 1899 1985, essayist for the new yorker, author of stuart little, charlottes web and the elements of style, was a defining voice of american writing this century. Notice white s habit of putting keywords in the most emphatic spot in a sentence. White 18991985 was an american author, renowned for his childrens books. White cornell class of 1921 praised the elements of style by william strunk jr. White graduated from cornell university in ithaca, new york, in 1921 and worked as a reporter and freelance writer before joining the new yorker magazine as a writer and. White was born in mount vernon, new york, the youngest child of samuel tilly white, the president of a piano firm, and jessie hart white, the daughter of scottishamerican painter william hart. White is not a writer to be discarded once we slip out of childhood. White advocated for cleanliness, accuracy, and brevity in the use of english.
A summary of the elements of style by strunk and white. Thus write, charless friend burnss poems the witchs malice this is the usage of the united states government printing office and of the oxford. Since 1959, the publisher says, 10 million copies have. Foreword the elements of style has lots of example that i wont always write here. A new glossary of the grammatical terms used in the book provides a convenient reference for readers. Published april 16, 1959, strunk and white s the elements of style went on to win critical acclaim and total sales of more than 10 million copies. Diction use of the word spat to describe commuter exiting the city to characterize the harsh and unfavorable conditions of new york, white uses surgeons when describing the construction men working on the sites and serves to personify similesmetaphors commuter compared to a bird which depicts the migration, city is like poetry which. Sep 27, 2017 a song about strunk and whites the elements of style a song about strunk and whites the elements of style. The elements of style illustrated by william strunk, jr. The elements of style edition 4 by william strunk, e. The elements of style, revised edition, by william strunk jr. Whiteand consider the advice he has to offer on writing and the writing process. He is best known for this book the elements of style, which was revised and enlarged by a former student of his, e.
The elements of style by gjebbia worldcat user published 200609 permalink this classic reference book gives writers concise and specific tips about rules and usage of english grammar, principles of composition, and advice about how to transform a composition from a piece of grammatically correct writing into a work that communicates. This public document was automatically mirrored from pdfy. This muchloved classic, now in its fourth edition, will forever be the goto guide when in need of a hint to make a turn of phrase clearer or a reminder. The 18 main topics are organized under the headings, elementary rules of usage, elementary principles of composition, a few matters of form, words and expressions commonly misused, and words often misspelled. The book is the element of style by william strunk, jr. Whites essay begins by getting straight to the heart of new york s character. By the way, the work does have a picture book edition, if that helps. Stuart little 1945, charlottes web 1952, and trumpet of the swan 1970. Elements of style by william strunk and e b white, first. Whites essay here is new york is almost 70 years old. The best of his casually eloquent essayswhich first appeared in harpers, the new yorker, and the atlantic in the 1930s, 40s, and 50shave been reprinted in essays of e.
Upon its release, charles poor, writing for the new york times, called it a splendid trophy for all who are interested in reading and writing. The elements of style was listed as one of the 100 best and most influential books written in english since 1923 by time in its 2011 list. Start reading the elements of style, fourth edition on your kindle in under a minute. The book covers only a small portion of the field of english style, but the.
White wrote this introduction for the 1979 edition. The first time i read it i was expecting general advice in different styles of writing. His classics include charlottes web, stuart little, and the trumpet of the swan. Asserting that one must first know the rules to break them, this classic reference book is a musthave for any student and conscientious writer. On any person who desires such queer prizes, new york will bestow the.
The elements of style illustrated by william strunk, e. White s own style certainly possessed all of these things, and as a result, his writing is incredibly readable, as. Get the best of the new yorker in your inbox every day. Andy, as he was known to friends and family, spent the last 50 years of his life in an old white farmhouse overlooking the sea in north brooklin, maine. Apr 22, 2009 white revised the book again in 1972 and 1979.
White, in full elwyn brooks white, born july 11, 1899, mount vernon, new york, u. White is crisp and concise, and, as far as essays go, here is new york is enjoyable. In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last. An antidote to the elements of style the new yorker. Pdf the elements of style fourth edition by william strunk jr. White s essay begins by getting straight to the heart of new york s character. White the classic writing style guide this book aims to give in brief space the principal requirements of plain english style. This is an excerpt from white s piece on new york first published in 1948. The elements of style is the definitive text and classic manual on the principles of english language read by millions of readers. The book was known on the campus in those days as the little book, with the stress on the word little. Edition book is not really ordinary book, you have it then the world is in your hands.
The essay reads as you would expect up until its last few pages. No 23 the elements of style by william strunk and eb white 1959 dorothy parker and stephen king have both urged aspiring writers towards this crisp guide to. In this video, we examine ten principles of good writing, including make the paragraph the unit of composition, and place the. White, american essayist, author, and literary stylist, whose eloquent, unaffected prose appealed to readers of all ages. Jun 11, 2014 in his introduction to the elements of style, e. Notice whites habit of putting keywords in the most emphatic spot in a sentence. This is the elements of style, the classic style manual, now in a fourth edition. Jul 31, 2001 this is the elements of style, the classic style manual, now in a fourth edition. The elements of style by william strunk free ebook. White was one of the most influential modern american essayists, largely through his work for the new yorker magazine. The book i downloaded had the cover for the strunk and e. This books unique tone, wit and charm have conveyed the principles of english style to millions of readers. The elements of style is widely considered americas most beloved grammar book.
In death of a pig, for instance, we can enjoy the adult. He also wrote two childrens classics and revised william s. This books unique tone, wit and charm have conveyed the. A fourth edition was published in 2000 with a foreword by whites stepson, roger angell. The revisions to the new edition are purposely kept minimal in order to retain the books unique tone, wit, and charm. Commissioned by macmillan to revise strunks book, white edited the 1959 and 1972 editions of the elements of style. White was a student in professor strunks class at cornell, and used the little book for himself.
The elements of style, fourth edition by william strunk jr. White was a contributor to the new yorker, coauthor of the elements of style and author of charlottes web. Every english writer knows strunk and whites the elements of style. Born in mount vernon, new york in 1899, white graduated from cornell university where he was editor of the student newspaper. The books mantra, make every word tell, is still on point. The only style manual to ever appear on a bestseller list now refreshed by one of our most beloved illustrators every english writer knows strunk and whites the elements of style. White biography life, family, children, parents, name. Mar 26, 2009 white s endorsement of the elements of style quickly led his publisher, macmillan, to ask white to update and expand strunks terse primer on grammar and usage. In the final chapter of the elements of style, white presented 21 suggestions and cautionary hints to help writers develop an effective style. Whiteyes, of charlottes web famewrote in 1948 for holiday, a longsince defunct travel magazine. This is the most trusted writers guide to english this is the book that generations of writers have relied upon for timeless advice on grammar, diction, syntax, sentence construction, and other writing essentials.
How to prepare an electronic version of your article. Young writers often suppose that style is a garnish for the meat of prose, a sauce by which a dull dish is made. The elements of style, by william strunka project gutenberg. The first writer i watched at work was my stepfather, e. This is an excerpt from whites piece on new york first published in 1948. Strunks the elements of style, widely used in college english courses.
Intended for use in which the practice of composition is combined with the study of literature, it gives in brief space the principal requirements of plain english style and concentrates attention on the rules. The elements of style the problem with dandyism is that one can easily end up looking like an overdressed easter egg. 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. Elwyns older brother stanley hart white, known as stan, a professor of landscape architecture and the inventor of the vertical garden, taught e. E b white presents a concise style manual that provides the basic elementary principles of english usage and composition, with tips on commonly misused words and expressions, style, and spelling.
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