Elements of style 2

the elements of styleGrammar 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.

• It is nearly half past five; making it back to town will be challenging.

• Except proverbs, cliches, conversational sentences

“Man proposes,

God disposes.”


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


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


Who... or whoever? A guide to pronouns

• Tricky!

• Who is it?

• Whoever made this mess should clear up.

• Gerald is the new person who is in charge of finances.

• Gerald is the new person whom you should look for.

• Avoid ambiguity, but don’t go into excess

• Blake and myself stayed home.

• Blake and I stayed home.

• She loves you more than me.

• She loves you more than she 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 London and tell her all about George’s taking you out to dinner for just two dollars.

• For just two dollars, you can call your mother in London and tell her all about George’s taking you out to dinner.

• New York’s first commercial human-sperm bank opened on Friday with semen samples from eighteen men frozen in a stainless-steel tank.

• New York’s first commercial human-sperm bank opened on Friday with semen samples taken from 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

Documents

Transcript of Elements of style 2