Strunk & White

[Spectre-7]

If you've ever been serious about writing anything, whether a novel, a short story, an article or even just an essay, some kind soul has no doubt pointed you toward The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White.

In all manner of English composition, this little silver book is simply unavoidable. Its devotees are everywhere, from the halls of academia to the offices of major publishers, each one ever ready to offer some precious morsel of wisdom plucked from within its pages. Perhaps most famous among them is Stephen King, who sings the praises of The Elements of Style throughout his own On Writing. Although he states that "most books about writing are filled with bullshit", he boldly claims of The Elements that "There is little or no detectable bullshit in that book."

But is that really true?

The Elements of Style is celebrating its 50th anniversary on the 16th of this month, and in honor of the occasion, Geoffrey K. Pullum, Professor of General Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh, has written a little article about the book and its impact on English grammar education.

Take a look at what he has to say. (http://chronicle.com/free/v55/i32/32b01501.htm) Some of it may very well surprise you, or at least offer a little food for thought.

[Lekon]

I could not find it, though I know it is still out there. There's a little parody video called "R. Kelly Teaches Strunk and White" Its hilarious.

Edit: Also, I hated S&W overall, despite having to pretty much memorize the book, first year of grad school.

[lucklesswonder]

I own a copy of the book. I didn't read it cover-to-cover, but I flipped through several entries. I found it somewhat refreshing. Critics may say that they give silly advice, but I disagree. I've proofread my share of papers, and I worked as a professional English tutor. Believe me, not enough people are given that silly advice.

[alienmastermind]

Notice what I am objecting to is not the style advice in Elements, which might best be described the way The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy describes Earth: mostly harmless. Some of the recommendations are vapid, like "Be clear" (how could one disagree?). Some are tautologous, like "Do not explain too much." (Explaining too much means explaining more than you should, so of course you shouldn't.) Many are useless, like "Omit needless words." (The students who know which words are needless don't need the instruction.) Even so, it doesn't hurt to lay such well-meant maxims before novice writers.

The writer of this article is a bit vapid. I don't know what his degree is in, but during his multitudinous classes on 'Critical Writing', he should have come across sections at the very least on how to identify what the author means. In both the cases above, Strunk and White are using an example to follow what they're talking about.

This guy is certainly pedantic, and has a way of getting people to click on his article, by having a title that is at the least inflammatory and at the most, insulting.


"With none, use the singular verb when the word means 'no one' or 'not one.'" Is this a rule to be trusted? Let's investigate.

Try searching the script of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) for "none of us." There is one example of it as a subject: "None of us are perfect" (spoken by the learned Dr. Chasuble). It has plural agreement.

Download and search Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897). It contains no cases of "none of us" with singular-inflected verbs, but one that takes the plural ("I think that none of us were surprised when we were asked to see Mrs. Harker a little before the time of sunset").

Examine the text of Lucy Maud Montgomery's popular novel Anne of Avonlea (1909). There are no singular examples, but one with the plural ("None of us ever do").

"With none, use the singular verb when the word means 'no one' or 'not one.'" Is this a rule to be trusted? Let's investigate.

Try searching the script of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) for "none of us." There is one example of it as a subject: "None of us are perfect" (spoken by the learned Dr. Chasuble). It has plural agreement.

Download and search Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897). It contains no cases of "none of us" with singular-inflected verbs, but one that takes the plural ("I think that none of us were surprised when we were asked to see Mrs. Harker a little before the time of sunset").

Examine the text of Lucy Maud Montgomery's popular novel Anne of Avonlea (1909). There are no singular examples, but one with the plural ("None of us ever do").

With the exception of Avonlea, the other two are a collection of first-person narratives and a play. Later in the 'Elements' book, they talk about dialogue attribution, forgiving some of the rules that they talked about earlier. Or did Professor Douche not know that Dracula is a collection of diary and journal entries written in the style of the teller? Or, that all three were written before Strunk and White?

Or take into consideration, the fact that this guy's not American. Which sounds jingoistic at first glance, but English grammar and American grammar and style are different at the core, due to the vagaries of common usage.

Forgive me if I don't count Professor MacDipshit of Clan MacDipshit's essay among the most important writings of the century, or his views on American Style and Grammar particularly helpful.

[Kelegacy]

I have an older version of Elements of Style and I think *some* of the rules have become outdated unfortunately, or rather, ignored. I still think it's the ultimate for anyone serious about writing. It's easy to read and follow, it's short, and it's perfect.

As for an example of something outdated, in my copy "enormous" is a word to be avoided to describe size because it's used incorrectly. It's not used to as a size comparison, but that's exactly how it's used today.

[rein]

I have an older version of Elements of Style and I think *some* of the rules have become outdated unfortunately, or rather, ignored. I still think it's the ultimate for anyone serious about writing. It's easy to read and follow, it's short, and it's perfect.

As for an example of something outdated, in my copy "enormous" is a word to be avoided to describe size because it's used incorrectly. It's not used to as a size comparison, but that's exactly how it's used today.

You use that one a lot, do you? :D


I do not have a copy. I tried to track one down about a year ago. I will hit up Amazon and try to find one.

Sometimes I feel like I need it just to post on these boards. It does not help that my remedial typing skills sometimes interrupts my stream of thought. Then again, I could take that extra few seconds to proof read before hitting the submit reply button.

[lucklesswonder]

I have an older version of Elements of Style and I think *some* of the rules have become outdated unfortunately, or rather, ignored.

Well, that's the thing about language. It's constantly in flux. Words and meanings are not permanently linked, they slide with each new generation. Sometimes multiple times in each generation. We get pissy when we feel that people are using incorrect grammar, or the improper word: "aggravate" when they mean "irritate", or "nauseous" when they mean "nauseated". (Like Strunk and White said, never say "I feel nauseous" unless you think you have that effect on people.) But in reality, when a grammar style or word choice becomes the norm, it is time for the grammarians to concede the point, lest they become irrelevant.

I personally feel that this world has no place for words such as "ginormous" or "guesstimate". I am part of a rapidly fading group.

[Spectre-7]

It's not a matter that the advice they give is silly; it's that their advice is unsupported by any sort of evidence... not even in their own writing. Take the book's condemnations of the passive voice as an example. Surveys show that most writers tend to use the passive voice around 10% of the time. A few cursory surveys of E.B. White's professionally published writings show that he tended toward 20-30% passive voice constructions.

No one has ever accused E.B. White of being a poor writer. In fact, his work is highly regarded, and a writer would do well to emulate him. The unfortunate fact is that following his advice as presented in The Elements of Style would cause someone to write unlike him.

Regarding resources for serious writers, I personally recommend Merriam-Webster's Concise Dictionary of English Usage. (http://www.amazon.com/Merriam-Websters-Concise-Dictionary-English-Usage/dp/0877796335/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239596176&sr=8-2) It covers every topic you will ever worry about in a clear and succinct manner, and arrives at all of its answers through the study of widely known and respected authors. An older version can be browsed online free of charge thanks to the folks at Google. (http://books.google.com/books?id=2yJusP0vrdgC&printsec=frontcover)

I've also seen Joseph William's Style: Toward Clarity and Grace (http://www.amazon.com/Style-Clarity-Chicago-Writing-Publishing/dp/0226899152/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239596877&sr=8-3) recommended numerous times, but I'm going to reserve judgment until I can hunt down a copy.

Finally, if anyone is honestly interested in Professor Pullum's credentials, here's a quick and dirty run-down: He has a PhD in Linguistics from UCL, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_College_London) and is a US citizen who lived and taught here from 1980-2007. He is the co-author of The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, a highly regarded, exhaustive and authoritative descriptive grammar of English standard formal dialects, and is also a frequent poster at Language Log. (http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/)

Cheers and Happy Easter!

PS - The last dictionary I checked shows citations for ginormous dating back to 1948. That absolutely blew me away a few weeks ago.

[Typical Michael]

I remember my 11th grade AP english teacher swore by this book...I got a 5 without even reading it. I bought it, but didnt look through it. I bet if I had read it, they would have had to implement a 6, and given it solely to my learned ass.

[lucklesswonder]

The last dictionary I checked shows citations for ginormous dating back to 1948. That absolutely blew me away a few weeks ago.

Aw, dammit!

[GAThrawn]

I thought the elements were fine. Of course, you can't take anything it says as absolute gospel, but I think the author of that article just had it our for Misters Strunk and Wagnall and in all of his bitching came across as pompous and I wouldn't give his opinion any merit.

[TheKeck]

I honestly agreed with most of what this guy said. Stupid Elements of Style. :(

[Karak]

Anyone attempting to point out a single source as the best source would be wrong. Especially in the present writing enviroment. I own it and enjoy using it and find that it is a good reference. Just like many of the others I have.

[Generation ABXY]

I've had this book recommended to me a number of times, but, as it turns out...I'm just a cheap bastard.

I went up to Borders today (they've changed it - looks like a K-Mart now - so sad), and I took a look at it. In the end, I decided I'd wait and think on spending $15 on such a tiny little book, especially when I can spend that same amount and probably get two decent novels. Is it worth it?

...

I also saw the 2009 Market Guide, but, as the trip was somewhat spur of the moment, I didn't have enough cash on hand. :(

[Spectre-7]

I'm obviously a bit biased on the subject, but regardless... If you're looking to improve your writing, I'd recommend spending the money on two novels by authors you enjoy. No style book, no matter how good, could help more than simply reading good writing. Pay close attention to how the author tells his story, and it'll be worth more than a thousand pieces of well-intentioned advice.

IMO and all that jazz.

[Generation ABXY]

I'm obviously a bit biased on the subject, but regardless... If you're looking to improve your writing, I'd recommend spending the money on two novels by authors you enjoy. No style book, no matter how good, could help more than simply reading good writing. Pay close attention to how the author tells his story, and it'll be worth more than a thousand pieces of well-intentioned advice.

IMO and all that jazz.

Oh, yeah, I certainly do a lot of reading for that reason. That was one of the biggest pieces of advice I got, going into this. As a result, my bookshelves look a bit silly, really - we're talking hundreds of children's books, with only a few "adult" novels tucked in there. Certainly gives some people some pause when they visit. :D

I'd say I'm about halfway through my WIP now; when I finish and it comes time to edit that first draft, I suppose I'll take another at the book, but I guess I will pass for now.