All William Strunk, Jr. Quotes
- Remember, it is no sign of weakness or defeat that your manuscript ends up in need of major surgery. This is a common occurrence in… All
- The situation is perilous, but there is still one chance of escape. Chance
- If you don't know how to pronounce a word, say it loud! Funny
- It is worse to be irresolute than to be wrong. Funny
- Make definite assertions. Avoid tame, colorless, hesitating, non-committal language. Assertions
- The surest way to arouse and hold the attention of the reader is by being specific, definitive, and concrete. The greatest writers - Homer, Dante,… Arouse
- A drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. Drawing
- The adjective hasn't been built that can pull a weak or inaccurate noun out of a tight place, Adjective
- The approach to style is by way of plainness, simplicity, orderliness, sincerity. Approach
- A dash is a mark of separation stronger than a comma, less formal than a colon, and more relaxed than parentheses. Colon
- In exposition and in argument, the writer must likewise never lose his hold upon the concrete; and even when he is dealing with general principles,… Application
- In his Philosophy of Style, Herbert Spencer gives two sentences to illustrate how the vague and general can be turned into the vivid and particular:… Amusement
- This book is intended for use in English courses in which the practice of composition is combined with the study of literature. It aims to… Aim
- Vigorous writing is concise. Concise
- Rewrite and revise. Do not be afraid to seize what you have and cut it to ribbons ... Good writing means good revising. Afraid
- Opinions scattered indiscriminately about leave the mark of egotism. Egotism
- 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… Contain
- If you use a colloquialism or a slang word or phrase, simply use it; do not draw attention to it by enclosing it in quotation… Air
- Do not, therefore, say "I feel nauseous," unless you are sure you have that effect on others. Effect
- ...when a sentence is made stronger, it usually becomes shorter. Thus, brevity is a by-product of vigor. Becomes