Plain English according to Strunk & White

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Plain English according to Strunk & White ("The Elements of Style")

Also known as

Strunk & White, The Elements of Style, Plain Style Writing

Core Concepts:

Omit Needless Words

Every word in a sentence should serve a purpose; cut words that add bulk without adding meaning — "the fact that" → "that", "owing to the fact that" → "since"

Use Active Voice

Prefer active constructions over passive; active voice is more direct, vigorous, and concise — "The dog bit the man" not "The man was bitten by the dog"

Use Definite, Specific, Concrete Language

Prefer the particular and tangible over the vague and abstract; concrete details make writing vivid and persuasive

Write With Nouns and Verbs

Rely on strong nouns and verbs rather than adjectives and adverbs; the right noun or verb makes modifiers unnecessary

Place the Emphatic Words at the End

The most important idea in a sentence belongs at its end — the position of greatest emphasis

Use Parallel Form

Express coordinate ideas in similar grammatical form; parallelism aids comprehension and gives prose a pleasing rhythm

Avoid Qualifiers

Remove weakening qualifiers like "rather", "very", "little", "pretty" — they dilute the force of the statement

Revise and Rewrite

Good writing is rewriting; a first draft is a starting point, not a finished product

Key Proponents

William Strunk Jr. ("The Elements of Style", 1918); E.B. White (revised edition, 1959)

When to Use:

  • Writing technical documentation, reports, emails, and API documentation

  • Reviewing or editing any English prose for clarity and conciseness

  • Coaching writers to reduce verbose or bureaucratic language

  • Preparing communications for broad, non-specialist audiences

  • Any writing where clarity and brevity are paramount

Criticism:

  • Geoffrey K. Pullum, "50 Years of Stupid Grammar Advice" (The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2009) — several of the book’s grammar claims are factually wrong (some "passive" examples are not passive), and the authors routinely violate their own rules; linguists fault the book for presenting personal style preferences as rules of English

  • The blanket rules ("avoid passive voice", "omit needless words") are criticised as dogma when applied mechanically — the passive is the correct choice whenever the receiver of the action is the topic

  • Alternatives named in the discourse: Joseph M. Williams, "Style: Toward Clarity and Grace" (1990) and Steven Pinker, "The Sense of Style" (2014) — clarity guidance grounded in linguistics and reader psychology rather than prescription