Elements of style 2

the
elements
of style
Grammar rules

Presented by THE BLUE AND GOLD

William Strunk, E.B. White, and
Maria Kalman

Tuesday, 7 September 2010

Disclaimer
I’m no expert.

I may be wrong.

In language, who’s to say who’s
right?


Commas

,
Apostrophes


Apostrophes

• Charles’ or Charles’s?

• Exceptions:

• Moses/Jesus/Isis


Eats shoots and leaves The power of the comma


After every term...
Red, white, and blue


Interruptions

• The best way to see a country
is to travel on foot.

• The best way to see a country
unless you are pressed for
time is to travel on foot.

• The best way to see a country,
unless you are pressed for
time, is to travel on foot.


Interruptions

• Well Susan, this is a ﬁne mess
you’re in.

• Well, Susan, this is a ﬁne mess
you’re in.


Combining
sentences

• The audience was at ﬁrst
indifferent. Later they became
more interested.

• The audience, which had
initially been indifferent, later
became more interested.


Is it a key phrase or not?

• A key phrase should not have commas when inserted

• People sitting in the rear couldn’t hear.

• A person trained in the arts tends to be more creative.

• Uncle Bert, who is a friend of mine, came over for dinner.


Semicolons

• Used for sentences not
inclusive of conjunctions
“
• No “but”, “and”, etc. Man proposes,
• It is nearly half past ﬁve;
God disposes.
making it back to town will be
challenging. ”
• Except proverbs, cliches,
conversational sentences


More interruptions

• The interrupting clause does
not make the tense

• The journey of Gandhi - all of
the ups and downs - makes
great reading.


None = no one = not one


His ﬁrst thought when he got out
Introducing the dash of bed - if he had any thought at
all - was to get back in again.


Who... or whoever? A guide to pronouns

• Tricky! • Avoid ambiguity, but don’t go
into excess
• Who is it?
• Blake and myself stayed
home.
• Whoever made this mess
should clear up.
• Blake and I stayed home.
• Gerald is the new person who is
in charge of ﬁnances. • She loves you more than me.

• Gerald is the new person whom • She loves you more than she
you should look for. loves me.


Do you mind me asking a question?

Do you mind my asking a question?


Referring to the right term

• Wondering resolutely what to do next, the clock struck twelve.

• While I wondered resolutely what to do next, the clock struck twelve.

• Being in a dilapidated condition, I was able to buy the house very cheap.

• The house, being in a dilapidated condition, was sold rather cheaply.


Active voice

• More concise

• At dawn the crowing of a
rooster could be heard.

• The cock’s crow came at
dawn.

• There were a great number
of dead leaves lying on the
ground.

• Dead leaves lay on the
ground.


Positivity

• Also helps to be more concise

• He was not often on time.

• He was often late.

• Shakespeare portrays Brutus as a person whose character is not strong
enough to handle the temptation of being noble.

• Shakespeare portrays Brutus as weak, naive, and malleable.


Be speciﬁc

• Clarity is key

• A period of unfavorable weather forced the harvest to a later time.

• The farmer postponed the harvest due to rain.

• The satisfaction that he showed when he collected his hard-earned reward
was obvious.

• He grinned as he pocketed the coins.


Needless words

The question as to whether Whether

He is a man who He

In a nasty manner Nastily

Her story is a strange one Her story is strange

The reason why is that Because


Avoid loose
sentences

The teacher was almost thirty.
She just started at this job. She
used to be a ﬁnancial adviser.
The hours were long and the pay
often miserable. Thus, she
decided to switch.

She became a teacher, not
because of passion, but because
she used to be a ﬁnancial
adviser, working long hours with
miserable pay.


Parallel construction

• Be consistent

• In spring, summer, or in
winter

• In spring, summer or winter

• A time not for words but
action

• A time not for words but for
action


Related words - keep them together

• You can call your mother in • New York’s ﬁrst commercial human-
London and tell her all about sperm bank opened on Friday with
George’s taking you out to dinner semen samples from eighteen men
for just two dollars. frozen in a stainless-steel tank.

• For just two dollars, you can call • New York’s ﬁrst commercial human-
your mother in London and tell her sperm bank opened on Friday with
all about George’s taking you out to semen samples taken from
dinner. eighteen men. The samples were
then frozen in a stainless-steel
tank.


Extras


Common mistakes

• Alright vs. All right

• “Case” can often be omitted: It is often the case that... (You don’t need this)

• Comprise: means embrace

• Data: always plural

• However: better not used at the beginning

• Irregardless vs regardless

• Meaningful: often meaningless


Common mistakes

• Firstly, secondly, thirdly, fourthly?: Omit the -ly

• The truth is... the fact is...: You don’t need this.

• While: Don’t use as a connective

• Avoid overdoing similes and metaphors

• Fancy words: Avoid.


Tips

• Write with nouns and verbs

• Do not overwrite

• Prefer the standard to the offbeat

• Be clear


InDesign: The Basics 10 September 2010


Thank you


Elements of style 2

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