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The Elements of Style
Author:William Strunk Jr
Published on 2020-02-04 by

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Book Description :

Clarity is not the prize in writing, nor is it always the principal mark of a good style. There are occasions when obscurity serves a literary yearning, if not a literary purpose, and there are writers whose mien is more overcast than clear. But since writing is communication, clarity can only be a virtue. And although there is no substitute for merit in writing, clarity comes closest to being one. Even to a writer who is being intentionally obscure or wild of tongue we can say, |Be obscure clearly! Be wild of tongue in a way we can understand!| Even to writers of market letters, telling us (but not telling us) which securities are promising, we can say, |Be cagey plainly! Be elliptical in a straightforward fashion!|Clarity, clarity, clarity. When you become hopelessly mired in a sentence, it is best to start fresh; do not try to fight your way through against the terrible odds of syntax. Usually what is wrong is that the construction has become too involved at some point; the sentence needs to be broken apart and replaced by two or more shorter sentences.