The Elements of Style (your favorite points)?

[-Carlos-]

In Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style, which two points, under the Elemantary Princicples of Composition section, do you value the most?

My two key favorites: (1) Omit needless words, (2) place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end.

Which are your two favorite points?

The Elements of Style

 

[sparkchaser]

I have to say that I have never curled up with the The Elements of Style. For someone that selected omitting needless words as a favorite, you sure enjoy piling on the adjectives.

 

[Hugh]

I would guess that omitting needless words would be one of my favorites too, but I've never read the book you are referring to so I don't know what all the points are. Telling an interesting story without all the flowery description is what's important in my opinion. When I hear amateur writers on the internetz criticising JK Rowling or Dan Brown they often cite simplicity as their faults. Well, these are two of the highest earning authors of all time so maybe their simplicity is a virtue, not a fault. (I've never read either of them, so I can only speculate here).

The other major bugbear of mine is the parenthesized digressions you see with op-ed writers when they are trying to be sarcastic or cynical.

 

[sparkchaser]

The other major bugbear of mine is the parenthesized digressions you see with op-ed writers when they are trying to be sarcastic or cynical.

You words cut me, Hugh. (Not really.)

 

[saliotthomas]

(I've never read either of them, so I can only speculate here).

The other major bugbear of mine is the parenthesized digressions you see with op-ed writers when they are trying to be sarcastic or cynical.

Actualy, you use parenthesis is when you come to the escential, wich is you haven't a clue about what you are talking about.
Simplicity is not the fault of Dan Brown, simplicity is beautifull, over simplification, vulgarity, cheap charaterisation, cliché, you-name-it...
but not worst than many best seller writers.
I don't know about Rowling though.

 

[sparkchaser]

Actualy, you use parenthesis is when you come to the escential, wich is you haven't a clue about what you are talking about.

I don't follow.

 

[saliotthomas]

Our friend Hugh criticize the use of parenthesis for cyncal purpose.
He write a short paragraphe in defence of Dan Brown style then uses parenthesis to state that he has not read him.
SO he uses parenthesis to point a the escential which is he does know what he is talking about.
No cynical but pointless
See.

 

[sparkchaser]

Ah.

 

[Libra]

In Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style, which two points, under the Elemantary Princicples of Composition section, do you value the most?

My two key favorites: (1) Omit needless words, (2) place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end.

Which are your two favorite points?

The Elements of Style

beefy....