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William Strunk Jr.

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The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition 4th Edition

by William Strunk Jr. (Author), E. B. White (Author), Test Editor (Editor),

7,065 ratings

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You know the authors' names. You recognize the title. You've probably used this book yourself. This is The Elements of Style, the classic style manual, now in a fourth edition. A new Foreword by Roger Angell reminds readers that the advice of Strunk & White is as valuable today as when it was first offered. This book's unique tone, wit and charm have conveyed the principles of English style to millions of readers. Use the fourth edition of "the little book" to make a big impact with writing.

Editorial Reviews

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"...a marvellous and timeless little book... Here, succinctly, elegantly and without fuss are the essentials of writing clear, correct English."

John Clare, The Telegraph

From the Back Cover

Some acclaim for previous editions:

"Buy it, study it, enjoy it. It's as timeless as a book can be in our age of volubility."
― The New York Times

"No book in shorter space, with fewer words, will help any writer more than this persistent little volume."
― The Boston Globe

"White is one of the best stylists and most lucid minds in this country. What he says and his way of saying it are equally rewarding."
― The Wall Street Journal

"The book remains a nonpareil: direct, correct, and delightful."
― The New Yorker

". . . Should be the daily companion of anyone who writes for a living, and for that matter, anyone who writes at all."
― Greensboro (N.C.) Daily News

"This excellent book, which should go off to college with every freshman, is recognized as the best book of its kind we have."
― St. Paul Dispatch – Pioneer Press

"It's hard to imagine an engineer or a manager who doesn't need to express himself in English prose as part of his job. It's also hard to imagine a writer who will not be improved by a liberal application of The Elements of Style."
― Telephone Engineer & Management

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 020530902X
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pearson
Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 23, 1999
Edition ‏ : ‎ 4th
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 105 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780205309023
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0205309023
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.76 ounces
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14 years and up
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 4.5 x 0.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2 in Grammar Reference (Books)
- #2 in Writing Skill Reference (Books)
- #3 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books)

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7,065 ratings

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William Strunk Jr.

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William Strunk Jr. (1 July 1869 – 26 September 1946), was a professor of English at Cornell University and author of the The Elements of Style (1918). After revision and enlargement by his former student E. B. White, it became a highly influential guide to English usage during the late 20th century, commonly called Strunk & White.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

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Customers say

Customers find this style guide concise and easy to understand, making grammatical research simple and providing helpful examples. They appreciate its layout, humor through hilarious examples, and consider it well worth the price. The book remains relevant over time, with one customer noting its timeless application, and customers value its portability, with one mentioning it's always within arm's reach of their laptop.

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Readability Reference value Style Humor Value for money Erasure Ease of finding Carryability

529 customers mention "Readability"491 positive38 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, appreciating its great information on writing well and making grammatical research easy. The guide is concise and considered a must for any writer.

"...is divided into five parts: Elementary Rules of Usage, Elementary Rules of Composition, A Few Matters of Form, Words and Expressions Commonly Misused..." Read more

"...Business writing, marketing and PR writing, overall composition for Literature students...." Read more

"...It is wonderful. Now after selling it, I realized how practical it is for writing, which I now have time to do. Bought it again." Read more

"...Good writing never leaves the reader bewildered. Instead, good writing arouses and holds the reader’s attention; it calls up mental pictures whose..." Read more

295 customers mention "Reference value"289 positive6 negative

Customers find this book to be a valuable reference with helpful examples, and one customer notes that it concentrates on fundamentals of usage and composition.

"...The authors offer practical advice but acknowledge that writing well is a mysterious process...." Read more

"...It's worth every dime and provides an interesting approach to professional communications...." Read more

"...equips the writer with greater technical skill and is overflowing with best practices...." Read more

"...after a century of additions and revisions, it remains skeletal and presumptive like a polished crib sheet...." Read more

69 customers mention "Style"69 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the style of the book, describing it as one of the best guides around with a nice layout. One customer notes that it provides incredible insight into English expression, while another mentions it helps project a more professional image.

"...Matters of Form, Words and Expressions Commonly Misused, and An Approach to Style (with a list of reminders)...." Read more

"...Matters of Form, Words and Expressions Commonly Misused, and An Approach to Style. This last helped me the most...." Read more

"I just received the book, and on reviewing it liked the layout, the conciseness, and the usefulness of its content. It suits my purposes...." Read more

"...It is the first manual I've seen that is in itself a work of art. I've learned even more by example than I have by the explanations...." Read more

49 customers mention "Humor"40 positive9 negative

Customers find the book humorous, appreciating its amusing examples and light-hearted tone, with one customer noting how it makes writing fun.

"...As a bonus, the author has a style of writing that is sharp and witty. This creates a read that is both informative and entertaining...." Read more

"...Strunk and White deliver their wisdom with a touch of wit, ensuring that learning writing feels more like a friendly chat than a lecture...." Read more

"...you will find yourself ruthlessly attacking your own writing, striking needless words, phrases, and paragraphs, and significantly improving your..." Read more

"...Some of the rules are quite funny. Some will find the authors to be snobs, elitists resistant to our changing language...." Read more

38 customers mention "Value for money"38 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well worth its price.

"...Given how inexpensive this book is, there's no reason for anyone NOT to own it, if you work with words with any frequency...." Read more

"...Well worth the price and the time to improve your writing. I would not consider "the little book' a page turner but a solid reference...." Read more

"...Love this for daily use and quick reference. Outstanding value for the $" Read more

"...to arrive, I needed this book for one of my classes and it was not as expensive as at my university book store! a" Read more

21 customers mention "Erasure"18 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate that the book remains relevant over time, with one customer noting its timeless application.

"...This work is timeless." Read more

"...and pleased to see that it is still in use and has survived the test of time so well...." Read more

"...The authors do an excellent job of conveying the main point of this text: a writer can not have a "style" if they can not formulate a proper..." Read more

"...The authors of this book got it right, they moved into the timeless mode that actually moves forward with the changes of our time." Read more

17 customers mention "Ease of finding"17 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate how easy it is to find information in the book, with one customer noting it's particularly useful for quick look-ups at 2 a.m.

"...The book focuses on form and composition. It quickly and succinctly shows the reader what is appropriate writing style within the parameters of the..." Read more

"...This book is a terse pocket-guide full of best practices for forming sentences...." Read more

"...have ever used, plus it's also compact and straightforward, and very easy to find what you want to know...." Read more

"...It just jumps in and gives you what you need, right away. No extras and no verbosity." Read more

14 customers mention "Carryability"14 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's portability, noting they can carry it wherever they like, with one customer mentioning it's always within arm's reach of their laptop.

"A small grammar book that can be carried anywhere due to its compact size. The paperback is good quality and does not tear easily...." Read more

"...carry it wherever you'd like, read it wherever you want, and fit it wherever you need. Just get it if you're thinking about improving your writing." Read more

"...It always helps. It comforts me to know this is book is always in arm's reach of my laptop." Read more

"...quality book that is worth your money and overall a great essential to your book collection" Read more

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Kevin Salazar
Fundamental, easy-going, academically recommended. (Broad)
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2025
Verified Purchase

If you're an ex-English major like myself, then this helps you SOOO much. It's worth every dime and provides an interesting approach to professional communications. Business writing, marketing and PR writing, overall composition for Literature students. If you're someone who's studying English Lit, or creative/Professional writing for Pre-Law then this book highlights the fundamentals.

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T. P. Casey
A Classic of English Usage
Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2024
Verified Purchase
Attention high school students about to graduate, job applicants, aspiring attorneys and diplomats, or anyone who has written a love letter: the struggle for accurate expression can be a bittersweet challenge, but it must be taken up. All of society depends on it. Written expression is the oil in social machinery. Failure to make a coherent point can be devastating to purpose. To sum it up succinctly: language matters.

The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White, is the standard volume for linguistic clarification. Short, comprehensive, and indispensable, it is the definitive source for its subject. The greater your understanding and use of language, the greater your power to define terms and control events. Language mimics a living organism. Language has character and identity. Though its rules can be vague and full of contradictions, language should be effectively understood to be knowledgeably used. Somewhat magically, The Elements of Style directly answers most questions of usage.

Improper usage is painful to see written, and lands with a dull thud when heard in the ear of the knowledgeable. For example, a common mistake in usage, is to say “Between he and I.” The word “between” is a preposition, and therefore takes a third person pronoun. Properly stated, the phrase is “Between him and me.” The proper use of that and which, and further and farther is swiftly explained, as well as the accurate use of punctuation when using parentheses.

This small compendium is divided into five parts: Elementary Rules of Usage, Elementary Rules of Composition, A Few Matters of Form, Words and Expressions Commonly Misused, and An Approach to Style (with a list of reminders). The authors offer practical advice but acknowledge that writing well is a mysterious process.

First rate writers are rarely satisfied with their work. Norman Mailer wrote, “Good writing is not an act to inspire confidence because it is good, but anguish because it is not better.” This may be because variables are infinite and good style eludes definition.

Writers express genius and craft in varying degrees. Craft can be taught; genius is innate and cannot be taught. The authors offer modest avowal: “There is no infallible guide to good writing, no assurance that a person who thinks clearly will be able to write clearly…writers will often find themselves steering by stars that are disturbingly in motion.” For the majority of the ungifted, which is to say most of us, The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White, is an indispensable volume, and should be, like a dictionary, within arm’s reach.

—Tom Casey

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DJ
Great reference book.
Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2025
Verified Purchase
I home schooled my 5 kids and used this book. It is wonderful. Now after selling it, I realized how practical it is for writing, which I now have time to do. Bought it again.

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Dr. C.H.E. Sadaphal
(4.75) Get rescued out of writing trouble. And, learn how to write with vigor and clarity.
Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
This classic style manuscript is only a few dollars but is worth its weight in gold. Why is that? Because it teaches you how to use words to form proper sentences. The result is writing that communicates a clear, robust and precise message. Good writing never leaves the reader bewildered. Instead, good writing arouses and holds the reader’s attention; it calls up mental pictures whose size exceeds the writing itself. Accordingly, Elements of Style equips the writer with greater technical skill and is overflowing with best practices. It also benefits your reader, who will no longer flounder in the sea of ambiguity. After reading this book, I now realize how bankrupt modern writing is; this includes my own writing.

Elements has five parts: (I) Elementary Rules of Usage (II) Elementary Principles of Compositions (III) A Few Matters of Form (IV) Misused Words and Expressions (V) An Approach to Style. Parts I-IV deal with the science of writing. Part V deals with the art of writing. It is in parts I and II that you will find the famous “22 Rules.” These commandments provide timeless lessons such as (#16) “Use definite, specific, concrete language” and (#17) “Omit needless words.” Under each heading, the author gives a few examples of sentences that can be improved by application of the rule along with a one-page summary.

As a bonus, the author has a style of writing that is sharp and witty. This creates a read that is both informative and entertaining. Overall, this small book can be finished quickly, but you will likely return to mine nuggets of literary wisdom many times. For any writer, this book is the type that you buy and keep in a permanent spot in your library.

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Client Kindle
Apprendre a mieux écrire en anglais
Reviewed in France on February 4, 2025
Verified Purchase

Je l'ai bien recu. C'est un guide court mais vraiment excellent. En anglais et très bien écrit. A lire avec celui de S King sur on writing. C'est motivant et il ne reste plus qu'à écrire... tous les jours une ou deux pages, ou plus. C'est en écrivant qu'on devient écrivain. Surtout ne vous découragez pas, vous le faites pour vous!

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Amazon Kunde
Gut und kurz
Reviewed in Germany on September 8, 2024
Verified Purchase
Sehr zu empfehlen. Kurz, knapp und wertvoll.

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Fulvio
Un classico
Reviewed in Italy on May 3, 2017
Verified Purchase
Un libretto di poche decine di pagine pieno di ottimi consigli per scrivere bene, cioè con efficacia, stile e correttezza.
Da tenere come testo di consultazione assieme agli altri bei libri sulla scrittura efficace: "On Writing" di S. King, "Writing Tools" di R.P.Clark, "Scrivere bene" di W. Zinsser.
E' disponibile anche la traduzione italiana, ma l'originale rimane insuperabile.

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David Watkins
A Surprisingly Interesting Book...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 29, 2013
Verified Purchase
I bought this to brush up on some essential grammer after having it recommended by Stephen King in his book "On Writing".

Naturally, it is a work of non-fiction (and about grammar no less!) So you won't find yourself on the edge of your seat or anything as you read it. But you will find it softly engaging and interesting and find yourself pulled into the mindset of those people who take grammar a good deal more seriously than most of us.

Particularly helpful is the fact that each recommendation comes with examples, so that you can see in practice what he is actually talking about, and that each part is not overly long, so you don't feel the need to reach for the metaphorical gun to put yourself out of your misery!

If you set aside the contents, introduction and appendix then this book is only 85 pages long, which I actually saw as a good thing. No doubt there are books on grammar that can quite happily be used as tables in their own right, but I wonder how many normal people actually read them?

It's a bit like Stephen Hawking's "Brief History of Time" in that owning a copy of such tomes doesn't automatically mean you have read them!

This one I have read. I honestly don't know if it improved my grammar much (oh ok I do...It didn't! I think you would need to make more than a casual study of this to really improve much). But the door is at least slightly ajar to seeing the light and perhaps, some day, also marveling at the difference between a conjunctive pronoun and a restrictive adverb (something which I have personally never heard of, but which I feel happy to allow some Grammar God to now lay claim too).

Overall, a book that is well worth your time.

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Simranjeet Singh
Most Effective Writing Manual
Reviewed in India on November 9, 2018
Verified Purchase
It is a beautiful manual that imparts the nuances of writing fluently and effectively. I believe this book is a must read for people from all walks of life. The presentation is so simple that the reader can't resist to get engrossed. The lively and intelligible examples make the task easier and help one grasp the content in one go.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Fundamental, easy-going, academically recommended. (Broad)

5.0 out of 5 stars A Classic of English Usage

5.0 out of 5 stars Great reference book.

5.0 out of 5 stars (4.75) Get rescued out of writing trouble. And, learn how to write with vigor and clarity.

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Apprendre a mieux écrire en anglais

5.0 out of 5 stars Gut und kurz

5.0 out of 5 stars Un classico

5.0 out of 5 stars A Surprisingly Interesting Book...

5.0 out of 5 stars Most Effective Writing Manual

Fundamental, easy-going, academically recommended. (Broad)

A Classic of English Usage

Great reference book.

(4.75) Get rescued out of writing trouble. And, learn how to write with vigor and clarity.

Apprendre a mieux écrire en anglais

Gut und kurz

Un classico

A Surprisingly Interesting Book...

Most Effective Writing Manual