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Kate Wynalek's Essay
How to Use My Style Rule
After reading The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White and Style Toward Clarity and Grace by Joseph Williams, my task was to come up with my own style rule. There are many important grammar rules in the English language, and some are difficult to master. I believe that the most important aspect of writing is clarity, so the rule I decided on is as follows: Write with clarity and concision so that the reader is not confused and can easily comprehend the topic being discussed. This can be a problem for me when I am writing, and as a result, my writing is not as clear to the reader as it is to me, as the writer. Questions to ask yourself when beginning a piece of writing are: 1.) What group of people will be reading my writing? 2.) Do they have prior knowledge of my topic? 3.) What questions might they have that I can answer for them in my piece of writing? 4.) Are there any pre-conceived notions or biases that need to be addressed? After considering these questions, Williams and Strunk and White can help the writer to stay on topic and keep her topic clear in the reader’s mind.
“Readers are likely to feel that they are reading prose that is clear and direct when (1) the subjects of the sentences name the cast of characters, and (2) the verbs that go with those subjects name the crucial actions those characters are part of.” (21) This advice is given to us from Joseph Williams. He gives an example of an unclear sentence and then offers a revision. “Our lack of knowledge about local conditions precluded determination of committee action effectiveness in fund allocation to those areas in greatest need of assistance.” (21) This sentence is made clearer by following the first two principles, and sounds much better when it reads, “Because we knew nothing about local conditions, we could not determine how effectively the committee had allocated funds to areas that most needed assistance.” (22) By re-wording thoughts, the writer can make her message clearer for her reader.
Strunk and White also have advice about keeping messages clear for the reader. “Write with nouns and verbs. Write with nouns and verbs, not with adjectives and adverbs. The adjective hasn’t been built that can pull a weak or inaccurate noun out of a tight place. This is not to disparage adjectives and adverbs; they are indispensable parts of speech. Occasionally they surprise us with their power, as in Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen…” (71) They are telling us that nouns and verbs are the “meat and potatoes” of writing. It is okay to use modifiers in conjunction with nouns and verbs, but keep them to a minimum in order to keep the message clear in the reader’s mind. Strunk and White also advise the writer not to overwrite. “Rich, ornate prose is hard to digest, generally unwholesome, and sometimes nauseating. If the sickly-sweet word, the overblown phrase are a writer’s natural form of expression, as is sometimes the case, he will have to compensate for it by a show of vigor, and by writing something as meritorious as the Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.” (72) By keeping writing simple, the purpose for the writing remains clear in the reader’s mind.
Another thing to remember about writing for a general audience is to manage the flow of information. In order to do this effectively, Williams tells us “Put at the end of your sentence the newest, the most surprising, the most significant information: information that you want to stress—perhaps the information that you will expand on in your next sentence. As you begin a sentence, you have to prepare your readers for new and therefore important information.” (48) In writing, connect something the reader already knows to the new information that is being introduced. Use transitions to lead the reader to pieces of new information in each sentence. This helps the reader comprehend what is being read. Strunk and White tell us to “Use definite, specific, concrete language. Prefer the specific to the general, the definite to the vague, the concrete to the abstract.” (21) Instead of saying: She showed satisfaction as she savored in the sweet flavor of her labor, you can simply state: All of the hard work was worth it, as she took a bite of the chocolate chip cookie made from scratch. This tells the reader exactly what happened, instead of making her assume what is going on in the writer’s head. Williams also gives advice about using concrete language. “A reader may feel a passage is unfocused if a theme is only implicit or if the writer uses no single word to pull together concepts that may seem to a reader wholly unrelated.” (86) The topic and theme of a paragraph should be consistent.
Writing clearly stems from being concise. According to Williams, concision occurs when a writer uses a simpler “near-synonym” for a big word or group of big words. “There is a common word for almost every fancy borrowed one. When we pick the ordinary word we rarely lose anything important.” (118) By using the simpler synonym, we can avoid complex wordiness in our writing. According to Strunk and White, we can also avoid using complex wordiness by “Avoid[ing] a succession of loose sentences. This rule refers especially to loose sentences of a particular type: those consisting of two clauses, the second introduced by a conjunction or relative.” (25) The writer can use conjunctions or transitions when connecting two ideas, but using a string of them in a paragraph can confuse the reader.
If a writer avoids writing in the negative, she can help hold the reader’s attention by avoiding confusion. Williams explains “To understand many negatives, we have to translate them into affirmatives, because the negative may only imply what we should so by telling us what we shouldn’t do. The affirmative states directly.” (130) Strunk and White agree with using the affirmative by saying “Put statements in a positive form. Make definite assertions. Avoid tame, colorless, hesitating, noncommittal language. Use the word not as a means of denial or in antithesis, never as a means of evasion.” (19) This advice seems simple, but will only become second nature with practice. This is also something I work on with students. Instead of telling them not to do something, I try to tell them what they should be doing. When a person avoids using the negative in everyday speech, it is easier to transfer over into their writing.
In conclusion, there are five things to remember in order to keep writing clear, concise, and easy for the reader to comprehend. Writing with nouns and verbs keeps a piece of writing to the point. Adjectives and adverbs can certainly be used, but use them sparingly. Managing the flow of information is very important for clarity. Choppy writing is very difficult for the reader to comprehend. Using appropriate transitions and conjunctions to connect ideas helps to maintain the flow of a piece of writing. Using specific language and avoiding abstract information is critical to keep the information clear in the reader’s mind. Another way to keep the information clear in the reader’s mind is to avoid using big words or flowery language when simpler synonyms can be substituted. The last thing to remember when trying to keep a piece of writing as clear as possible for the reader is to avoid writing in the negative. Negative language is confusing to the reader because she must translate into the affirmative to gain meaning and understanding. By using these five style rules, a writer can definitely make her writing clear, concise, and easy for the reader to comprehend.
Works Cited
Strunk Jr., William, and E.B. White. The Elements of Style. 3rd ed. New York: MacMillan Co, 1979.
Williams, Joseph M. Style Toward Clarity and Grace (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing). New York: University Of Chicago P, 1995.
After reading The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White and Style Toward Clarity and Grace by Joseph Williams, my task was to come up with my own style rule. There are many important grammar rules in the English language, and some are difficult to master. I believe that the most important aspect of writing is clarity, so the rule I decided on is as follows: Write with clarity and concision so that the reader is not confused and can easily comprehend the topic being discussed. This can be a problem for me when I am writing, and as a result, my writing is not as clear to the reader as it is to me, as the writer. Questions to ask yourself when beginning a piece of writing are: 1.) What group of people will be reading my writing? 2.) Do they have prior knowledge of my topic? 3.) What questions might they have that I can answer for them in my piece of writing? 4.) Are there any pre-conceived notions or biases that need to be addressed? After considering these questions, Williams and Strunk and White can help the writer to stay on topic and keep her topic clear in the reader’s mind.
“Readers are likely to feel that they are reading prose that is clear and direct when (1) the subjects of the sentences name the cast of characters, and (2) the verbs that go with those subjects name the crucial actions those characters are part of.” (21) This advice is given to us from Joseph Williams. He gives an example of an unclear sentence and then offers a revision. “Our lack of knowledge about local conditions precluded determination of committee action effectiveness in fund allocation to those areas in greatest need of assistance.” (21) This sentence is made clearer by following the first two principles, and sounds much better when it reads, “Because we knew nothing about local conditions, we could not determine how effectively the committee had allocated funds to areas that most needed assistance.” (22) By re-wording thoughts, the writer can make her message clearer for her reader.
Strunk and White also have advice about keeping messages clear for the reader. “Write with nouns and verbs. Write with nouns and verbs, not with adjectives and adverbs. The adjective hasn’t been built that can pull a weak or inaccurate noun out of a tight place. This is not to disparage adjectives and adverbs; they are indispensable parts of speech. Occasionally they surprise us with their power, as in Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen…” (71) They are telling us that nouns and verbs are the “meat and potatoes” of writing. It is okay to use modifiers in conjunction with nouns and verbs, but keep them to a minimum in order to keep the message clear in the reader’s mind. Strunk and White also advise the writer not to overwrite. “Rich, ornate prose is hard to digest, generally unwholesome, and sometimes nauseating. If the sickly-sweet word, the overblown phrase are a writer’s natural form of expression, as is sometimes the case, he will have to compensate for it by a show of vigor, and by writing something as meritorious as the Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.” (72) By keeping writing simple, the purpose for the writing remains clear in the reader’s mind.
Another thing to remember about writing for a general audience is to manage the flow of information. In order to do this effectively, Williams tells us “Put at the end of your sentence the newest, the most surprising, the most significant information: information that you want to stress—perhaps the information that you will expand on in your next sentence. As you begin a sentence, you have to prepare your readers for new and therefore important information.” (48) In writing, connect something the reader already knows to the new information that is being introduced. Use transitions to lead the reader to pieces of new information in each sentence. This helps the reader comprehend what is being read. Strunk and White tell us to “Use definite, specific, concrete language. Prefer the specific to the general, the definite to the vague, the concrete to the abstract.” (21) Instead of saying: She showed satisfaction as she savored in the sweet flavor of her labor, you can simply state: All of the hard work was worth it, as she took a bite of the chocolate chip cookie made from scratch. This tells the reader exactly what happened, instead of making her assume what is going on in the writer’s head. Williams also gives advice about using concrete language. “A reader may feel a passage is unfocused if a theme is only implicit or if the writer uses no single word to pull together concepts that may seem to a reader wholly unrelated.” (86) The topic and theme of a paragraph should be consistent.
Writing clearly stems from being concise. According to Williams, concision occurs when a writer uses a simpler “near-synonym” for a big word or group of big words. “There is a common word for almost every fancy borrowed one. When we pick the ordinary word we rarely lose anything important.” (118) By using the simpler synonym, we can avoid complex wordiness in our writing. According to Strunk and White, we can also avoid using complex wordiness by “Avoid[ing] a succession of loose sentences. This rule refers especially to loose sentences of a particular type: those consisting of two clauses, the second introduced by a conjunction or relative.” (25) The writer can use conjunctions or transitions when connecting two ideas, but using a string of them in a paragraph can confuse the reader.
If a writer avoids writing in the negative, she can help hold the reader’s attention by avoiding confusion. Williams explains “To understand many negatives, we have to translate them into affirmatives, because the negative may only imply what we should so by telling us what we shouldn’t do. The affirmative states directly.” (130) Strunk and White agree with using the affirmative by saying “Put statements in a positive form. Make definite assertions. Avoid tame, colorless, hesitating, noncommittal language. Use the word not as a means of denial or in antithesis, never as a means of evasion.” (19) This advice seems simple, but will only become second nature with practice. This is also something I work on with students. Instead of telling them not to do something, I try to tell them what they should be doing. When a person avoids using the negative in everyday speech, it is easier to transfer over into their writing.
In conclusion, there are five things to remember in order to keep writing clear, concise, and easy for the reader to comprehend. Writing with nouns and verbs keeps a piece of writing to the point. Adjectives and adverbs can certainly be used, but use them sparingly. Managing the flow of information is very important for clarity. Choppy writing is very difficult for the reader to comprehend. Using appropriate transitions and conjunctions to connect ideas helps to maintain the flow of a piece of writing. Using specific language and avoiding abstract information is critical to keep the information clear in the reader’s mind. Another way to keep the information clear in the reader’s mind is to avoid using big words or flowery language when simpler synonyms can be substituted. The last thing to remember when trying to keep a piece of writing as clear as possible for the reader is to avoid writing in the negative. Negative language is confusing to the reader because she must translate into the affirmative to gain meaning and understanding. By using these five style rules, a writer can definitely make her writing clear, concise, and easy for the reader to comprehend.
Works Cited
Strunk Jr., William, and E.B. White. The Elements of Style. 3rd ed. New York: MacMillan Co, 1979.
Williams, Joseph M. Style Toward Clarity and Grace (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing). New York: University Of Chicago P, 1995.
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