4 ms·
"Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should ha
by shill 14y ago
"Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell."
--William Strunk Jr., Elements of Style
- Avshalom 14y agoWhich has always struck me as hilarious advice considering that second and third sentences in the paragraph are unnecessary.
- breadbox 14y agoActually, that's your clue that the entire book should be ignored.
- kscaldef 14y agoThe second sentence explains and justifies the first. The third refines and clarifies. If you hold that it suffices to merely authoritatively assert a claim, then they are unnecessary, but the point of the third sentence is that, in fact, it doesn't.
- jholman 14y agohttp://chronicle.com/article/50-Years-of-Stupid-Grammar/25497 http://chronicle.com/article/50-Years-of-Stupid-Grammar/2549... (Concision prevents me from saying more)