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Elements of Style
Elements of Style | William Strunk, E B White
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.
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K.Wielechowski
The Elements of Style | Strunk Jr. William
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Pickpick

This is a great little quick guid to some of the most common style/grammar errors writers make. The formatting irritated me a bit but overall it‘s a good reference guide.

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JacqMac
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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I am trying to organize my hubby‘s new home office. I can‘t tell you how many years I have been trying to find my Strunk and White. But here it is. I guess he used it a lot. The last time I saw it, it still had a cover. Sigh. I guess it might be time for an upgrade. But it won‘t be the same.

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Nathan_Opland-Dobs
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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Panpan

🤨

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GatheringBooks
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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#DecemberSong Day 26: #TheManyAndTheFew is somewhat of a stretch here - with many nuts and few drinks hehehehe- plus Strunk and White have always advocated for parsimony of language: less is more. 💕 - posting a day early to give myself a bit of a break tomorrow, especially as we head out into the city (Abu Dhabi). 📚❄️🏔🐫

kspenmoll Great connection. 3y
Eggs Perfect 👌🏼❣️ 3y
47 likes2 comments
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SpiderCrafts
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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#WondrousWednesday @Eggs

1) Talent is in the writing that really hooks your interest, I'd say. The Elements of Style can help, building on storytelling talents.

2) That a tough one, on a view of any writing that keeps you reading. 🤔 Stephen King sure has incredible talent; so many masterful novel ideas, and great chapters to crave!

Thanks @Trashcanman for the tag. -- I tag anyone who has time. 😋 Bed soon for me .. but can stay up for reading!

Trashcanman 😘 4y
Eggs Thanks for joining in 👏🏻👏🏻 4y
33 likes2 comments
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Beccas
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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I am always getting told not to do it this way because it's incorrect and I keep writing it this way because it looks better to me.
Vindication!!

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AnotherAngstyTeen
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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I was recently sent these books from a family member. I‘ve only just started them, but I‘m already learning new things! I can‘t wait to put all of this new found knowledge to good use.

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TK-421
Elements of Style | William Strunk, E B White
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November was rough so getting any reading done at all was an accomplishment! Nanowrimo consumed nearly all my spare time & dealing with all kinds of stressful life, health, & work issues used up the rest of my energy. I wasn‘t able to participate much in any of the November challenges but I hope December will be better! My #FavoriteNovemberRead was the tagged book, much to my surprise. #GratefulReads #NamasteNovember #NovStats

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I hope you are feeling better ❤️❤️❤️ 4y
OriginalCyn620 Hope things are getting better! 4y
Eggs I hope December and a New Year will be better for you 🤗 4y
TK-421 @Eggs Thanks! 🤗 4y
54 likes5 comments
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ravenlee
Elements of Style | William Jr Strunk
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Another peeve of mine. I particularly like the last bit in this explanation of the difference.

StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego I definitely never use these words correctly. Thanks for sharing! 4y
ravenlee @StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego most people definitely misuse “nauseous,” and until you know the difference it‘s not even noticeable. But once you do know and start noticing it‘s both humorous and annoying! 4y
27 likes2 comments
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ravenlee
Elements of Style | William Jr Strunk
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Thank you, Messers Strunk and White! One of my greatest peeves is the misuse of “I could care less” when one means “I could NOT care less.”

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ravenlee
Elements of Style | William Jr Strunk
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Pickpick

I was inspired by @TK-421 to pick this up and read it. The glossary helps with the grammatical terms, the rules and reminders are clear and useful, the the examples are interesting (if sometimes dated).

A friend asked me to read her novel (I read her first draft two years ago), and I‘ll keep these tips in mind as I compile my feedback.

#NFNovember

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TK-421
Elements of Style | William Strunk, E B White
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Pickpick

I expected “the little book” to be tedious but I had trouble putting it down! I think I‘ll be keeping it handy for reference; I‘m now aware I‘ve forgotten a lot since my school days. I‘d like to read the 4th edition or the 2005 illustrated edition because some of the book is dated, but overall it‘s full of practical advice about clear & concise writing. As one who struggles with brevity, “omit needless words” (rule 17) is good advice! ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

MrBook Great review!! 😻😻😻😻😻 4y
rachelsbrittain Makes me want to brush up on my grammar / writing rules too. And that kitty 😍 4y
TK-421 @MrBook Thanks! 😊 4y
74 likes1 stack add3 comments
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NeamhainHughes
Elements of Style | William Strunk, E B White
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Pickpick

It was short and fun to read. A lot of the advice had me nodding my head or saying “oh that makes sense.” But chunks of it are outdated and it‘s very white-centric with what “correct” or “proper” English is to them. Overall I‘d call it a useful read if you take it with some big grains of salt. And maybe get a newer edition than the one I read.

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BarbaraTheBibliophage
Elements of Style | William Strunk, E B White
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In case you need a good laugh this morning!

#grammariansoflitsy #humpdayhaha #youreadorable #notyouradorable

olivia.ferz 😂😂 5y
LibrarianJen 🤣 5y
JacqMac 😂 5y
See All 8 Comments
UwannaPublishme 🤣🤣🤣 5y
Leftcoastzen 😂👏 5y
Purrfectpages Love it! 5y
DivineDiana Good one! 5y
125 likes8 comments
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LauraBeth
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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I had the Penguin Illustrated Edition of Strunk & White and kept it in my office at work — and one of my colleagues stole it. It‘s been ten years and I‘m still upset about it.

I‘m excited to get my hands on a copy of Dreyer‘s English.

And that sums up my feelings about grammar. 😀

hermyknee Ahhh I can‘t believe someone stole it! I had that copy, too! I finally passed it on to someone else recently, but I would be so mad if it had been stolen!!!!! 5y
Cweeeevs That's awful! Sorry to hear that. I'd still be mad too! 5y
LauraBeth @hermyknee Exactly! If someone had asked for it, I would have given it to them. 5y
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LauraBeth @Cweeeevs There was a part of my nerd heart that was okay with someone wanting it badly enough to steal it! 😂 5y
Cweeeevs @LauraBeth that's very sweet of you! Let's hope it went to a good home 😄 5y
alisiakae I would be mad too! I used to refer to this book all the time. 5y
DGRachel I‘m mad for you! 🤬🤬 5y
Clare-Dragonfly That‘s terrible! 5y
BookNAround Not okay on your colleague‘s part! I have the regular Strunk and White but bought myself the illustrated version too when I saw it. You can never have too many good grammar books. 5y
LauraBeth @4thhouseontheleft it was the only thing I‘ve ever had stolen from my office. 😂 5y
LauraBeth @DGRachel I‘m hoping it at least went to a good home 😀 5y
LauraBeth @Clare-Dragonfly I need to just replace it already! 5y
LauraBeth @BookNAround You‘re right about that - you can never have too many good grammar books! 5y
120 likes13 comments
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JeezBee
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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Such a good read to sharpen your writing skills and brush up on what you already know😊📖

julesG I fear I need to pick this one up again soonish. My commas are all over the place. 😵 5y
Eggbeater Welcome to Litsy! 🐙 5y
greenhairdontcare Welcome to Litsy! 💚 5y
See All 6 Comments
Slajaunie Welcome to Litsy! 📖📚💚 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Welcome to Litsy!! 5y
StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Welcome to Litsy 📖💙 5y
20 likes1 stack add6 comments
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GingerAntics
Elements of Style (Revised) | E B White, William Jr Strunk

@jmofo This is the book I had for my writing short fictions class. It‘s almost like a little writing encyclopaedia. It has a bunch of topics and about a paragraph, at most, for each topic.

jmofo This is a classic and super easy to find in used book shops! 😬 6y
GingerAntics @jmofo None of us seemed able to find it at the time. Everyone was either sold out or just didn‘t carry it. It wasn‘t an ebook yet at the point, as I recall. You can get a copy of it for free on Apple Books/iBooks now, I see. lol (edited) 6y
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Amiable
Elements of Style | William Strunk, E B White
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I've been working as an editor for almost 30 years now. This is basically my life. 🙄

Lindy 😆 6y
22 likes1 stack add1 comment
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RowReads1
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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It was time for a new copy. The pin is by Janemount for those curious.

wellreadredhead Love that pin! 6y
readordierachel What a fabulous edition of that book! 6y
RowReads1 @ReadOrDieRachel I was pretty happy to find it. 6y
52 likes3 comments
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JacintaMCarter
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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I am personally on the "always use the serial comma" train. Anyone else?

CoffeeNBooks Yes! I'm a huge fan of the serial/oxford comma! I even wrote that on my profile! 😂 6y
readordierachel ALWAYS. It's just good grammar. 6y
wanderinglynn I‘m pro-Oxford comma. There was recently a court case where lack of an Oxford comma cost an employer $5million. The moral - ALWAYS use the Oxford comma. 😉 https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/02/09/us/dairy-drivers-oxford-... 6y
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GatheringBooks awesome! 6y
Hildy Ohhh. I love limericks! Commas too, but not so much. 6y
Shannon_McKinney Ha, I love the limerick! I too am on the pro-Oxford/serial comma usage. Growing up I was ALWAYS taught that the Oxford comma was 100% necessary. I use it no matter what, and people make fun of me for it now. Haha. 6y
75 likes6 comments
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Lola
Elements of Style | William Strunk, E B White
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A buck ninety-five and read by Frank McCourt. I couldn‘t resist. https://mobile.audible.com/pd/Self-Development/The-Elements-of-Style-Recorded-Bo...

43 likes1 stack add
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Bookmarkie
Elements of Style | William Jr Strunk
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Anyone have a book rec for a "book with a unique writing style?"

tracey38 I don't but I love the pic! 6y
GarthRanzz is told in the style of a series of interviews. It‘s a good book if you‘re into sci-fi. 6y
RachLovesTV I feel like this one would qualify. It's written in a very strange but interesting manner. 6y
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Bookmarkie Thanks for the input! 6y
Tadams4 Love the porcupine photo! So cute! 6y
39 likes6 comments
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HeatherBookNerd
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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#riotgrams challenge today: punctuation

The Elements of Style by Strunk & White

#day11 #punctuation
@bookriot

Maria514626 This book! All the ❤️s. 6y
37 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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kspenmoll
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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#riotgrams #punctuation #commas
“Enclose paranthetic expressions between commas.”

rubyslippersreads I just bought this because I couldn't resist the illustrations. 😊 6y
kspenmoll @rubyslippersreads Thats why I bought this edition too! 6y
69 likes2 comments
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GatheringBooks
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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#QuotsyFeb18 Day 11: This book will never go out of #Style.

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RaimeyGallant
Elements of Style (Revised) | E B White, William Jr Strunk
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Pickpick

You have to go into this knowing that some of the rules of usage need updating (the latest edition was published in 2000), and some may never have been correct to begin with, according to Grammar Girl at least. My advice? Google every rule you're unsure of, because a second opinion (or third, or fourth) is often warranted. The chapters about composition and style get top marks, of course.

Lindy I love this guide, flaws and all, especially the edition illustrated by Maira Kalman. ❤️ 6y
115 likes1 comment
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RaimeyGallant
Elements of Style (Revised) | E B White, William Jr Strunk
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"...and the practice and habit of writing not only drain the mind but supply it, too."

knitgirly This is a gem. Might be time for a reread. 6y
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RaimeyGallant
Elements of Style | William Strunk, E B White
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"'It's an old observation,' [Strunk] wrote, 'that the best writers sometimes disregard the rules of rhetoric. When they do so, however, the reader will usually find in the sentence some compensating merit, attained at the cost of the violation. Unless she is certain of doing so well, she will probably do best to follow the rules.'"

I made the pronouns feminine, and you have my word, no more photos of old white dudes today.

ReadingManda I have so many copies of this book. My dad swore by it. He gave my friends copies of it. We may have buried one with him I‘m not positive. Anyway I always get a warm fuzzy when I see it. 6y
RaimeyGallant @ReadingManda Now I have warm fuzzies. :) 6y
Bookgrrl55 I‘ve got my well used copy! 6y
RaimeyGallant His eyes just moved, I swear. 6y
119 likes5 stack adds4 comments
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RaimeyGallant
Elements of Style | William Strunk, E B White
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Introduction by E.B. White: "[Strunk] devotes a special paragraph to the vile expression 'the fact that,' a phrase that causes him to quiver with revulsion... I suppose I have written 'the fact that' a thousand times in the heat of composition, revised it out maybe five hundred times in the cool aftermath. To be batting only .500 this late in the season... saddens me, for it seems a betrayal of the man who showed me how to swing at it..."

rashiknahiyen I heard about this book first on Stephen King's "On Writing: A Memoir." Have you read that? 6y
Cats-and-Tea I love this book. I was assigned to read it first early on in high school, but teachers and professors over the years have assigned it too, and I always get excited to reread it when it‘s on the syllabus. My copy is beat up, but I always take away something new when I pick it up 6y
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RaimeyGallant @Cats-and-Tea :) 6y
rashiknahiyen @Cats-and-Tea Same here! Sometimes I feel low can't read any books. I pick it up & start reading. Everything gets back to normal xD 6y
amvs1111 Strunk and White was required reading by my doctoral program mentor. He made my manuscripts whimper with edits. 😩 6y
RaimeyGallant @amvs1111 I can still hear the echoes. ;) 6y
109 likes1 stack add8 comments
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chowmeyow
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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HeatherBookNerd
Elements of Style | William Strunk Jr.
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Just noticed this on the front page of my local paper. Seems a shame to ban folks after such a tragedy...

Riveted_Reader_Melissa 🤦‍♀️ 7y
DivineDiana Oh my! 😬 7y
13 likes3 comments
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TheCalmScribe
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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Yet another copy of the writer's best friend. My third copy and the first book in my, must read for writers series.

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kspenmoll
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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#JubilantJuly #Style #Day11 #cheerful #Day12
Love this edition illustrated by Maira Kalman. Have experienced such enjoyment out of the many children's books she illustrated. Her art makes me feel quite #cheerful. 😁

Lacythebookworm I love Maira Kalman's illustrations! 😍😍😍 7y
Laura317 I just received her book, and love it. 7y
50 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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BarbaraJean
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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What I think of when I think of #style...
#jubilantjuly

Smangela Love Woe Is I! 7y
34 likes1 comment
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MatchlessMarie
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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This is a popular choice for today's prompt, so I thought I would go with this quote I came across a while back. 😂🔫
#jubilantjuly #style

19 likes1 stack add
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Bklover
Elements of Style | William Strunk, E B White
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I don't know if this is still the case but when I was in college "The Elements of Style" was a must-have reference. #style
#jubilantjuly

PenguinInFlight I used it in college, and now for my own writing. It wasn't a requirement (and my major was English Writing Arts: Fiction Concentrate) but in On Writing, Stephen King said it was a must have, so I bought it the summer before I went to college. My copy is pretty well-loved. ☺️❤️ 7y
Bklover @PenguinInFlight I loved On Writing too! 7y
Chelsibno I also picked up a copy of The Elements of Style after reading On Writing as a teen! 7y
See All 6 Comments
Clare-Dragonfly This is just what I was thinking for the prompt! 7y
Bklover @Clare-Dragonfly Great minds think alike! 7y
Bklover @Chelsibno I loved On Writing too! 7y
90 likes1 stack add6 comments
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SusanInTiburon
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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Greetings, Fellow Style Mavens! I know you're out there ... the most recent edition of slightly Foxed Quarterly has a fine article about The Elements of Style. ❤️

Lynnsoprano Lived by that in grad school 😄 7y
LeahBergen I love Slightly Foxed. This month is a great one, isn't it? 7y
See All 7 Comments
rubyslippersreads @SusanInTiburon @LeahBergen You're going to talk me into subscribing, aren't you? 😂 7y
SusanInTiburon Yeah, it's been really good lately! 7y
SusanInTiburon @rubyslippersreads You won't regret it! 7y
69 likes2 stack adds7 comments
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BookishBelle
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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My Mom and Aunt Linda came over yesterday to help me rearrange my house so my writing desk could come downstairs. This is the only book I brought down from my office upstairs (so far). I think it's fitting for a writing space.

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Yossarian
Elements of Style | William Strunk, E B White
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https://qz.com/932004/the-oxford-comma-a-maine-court-settled-the-grammar-debate-...

In a double victory for BOTH truck drivers seeking overtime benefits AND proper use of the Oxford comma, I now have a new favorite legal precedent!

KVanRead Long live the Oxford comma! 7y
Sue Brilliant! 7y
DGRachel This makes me so happy! 7y
See All 6 Comments
drokka Huzzah for the Oxford comma! 7y
kspenmoll Love this! 7y
MyNamesParadise Always the Oxford comma!! 7y
76 likes1 stack add6 comments
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8leagueboot
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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Getting back to business and starting edits on my NaNoWriMo 2016 project over the next couple of days. I think my new pin will provide a reminder (and a much needed kick in the pants). Feel free to provide assistance with the kick in the pants, beloved Littens!

CrowCAH Yay for NaNoWriMo projects! You've got the thing written, now get to editing it! 😉 (You may give me a kick back, for actually trying to start editing my first novel!) 7y
24 likes1 comment
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Abby-J
Elements of Style | William Strunk, E B White
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Grammar Nerd Pet Peeve: When people describe a simile as a "great metaphor."

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Yossarian
Elements of Style | William Strunk, E B White
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While I await what will surely be covered in the next edition, what is the rule on whether an emoji can serve double grammatical duty in a sentence (as an end parenthesis ;-)?

lilredhen I usually include a separate end after a space-several apps now automatically turn the emoji from a text emoji to a picture emoji. (Like so ;) ) 7y
Yossarian @lilredhen See, that looks to me like you gave her a double chin. 7y
Alfoster 😂😂😂😂! 7y
See All 7 Comments
LeahBergen I've pondered upon this myself. 7y
saresmoore @LeahBergen So have I! 7y
Tanner Me too! It kinda seems wrong to put a another closing parenthesis there. 7y
lilredhen @Yossarian I can't stand a parenthesis hanging open-on Facebook, without that second parenthesis, I see this: (Like so 😉 (edited) 7y
87 likes8 stack adds7 comments
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GoneFishing
Elements of Style | William Strunk Jr.

To achieve style, begin by affecting none.

33 likes2 stack adds
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Abby-J
Elements of Style (Revised) | E B White, William Jr Strunk
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Last night, I was on Facebook complaining about people who don't use commas. In my frustration, I may have said something about beating them about the head with my copy of Strunk and White (I definitely said exactly that). In response, my dear friend, Jeremy, photoshopped the above picture.

britt_brooke This is fantastic. 👏🏻 7y
Kimzey Yay, Strunk and White! ⚡️ Pow! ⚡️ This made me smile. 😊 Tell Jeremy he nailed it! ❤️ 7y
35 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Abby-J
Elements of Style (Revised) | E B White, William Jr Strunk
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I use, appreciate, and adore the Oxford Comma. #TeamOxford

annkuch13 Yes! My boss doesn't use the Oxford comma and it hurts everytime I edit his work lol. 7y
26 likes2 comments
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KatG
The Elements of Style | E. B. White, William Strunk
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Enjoyed visiting Books & Books in Miami Beach where we picked up an illustrated edition of The Elements of Style.

BooksForYears Basset! 🐶😍 7y
Tanzy13 🐶 7y
18 likes1 stack add2 comments
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readordierachel
Elements of Style (Revised) | E B White, William Jr Strunk
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Work work work work work work work (and check Litsy...) #hotdrinkandabook #seasonsreadings2016

@RealLifeReading

Suet624 I know that routine. 😁😁😁 7y
56 likes1 comment
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GoneFishing
Elements of Style | William Strunk, E B White

Colloquialisms. 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 marks. To do so is to put on airs, as though you were inviting the reader to join you in a select society of those who know better.

ValerieAndBooks Aha! Avoid "air quotes" ? 7y
Tsubame So this author is all for plagiarism?? 7y
Libby1 I've missed your quotes, @jdtchicago ! 7y
GoneFishing @Libby1 Thanks for the kind words. 7y
65 likes8 stack adds4 comments