Elements of Style: Original Edition

William Strunk first wrote "The Elements of Style" in 1918 for private use at Cornell University, where he was a professor of English. It was later republished by Harcourt in 1920 for the public. This concise handbook is considered one of the most important and influential English writing style guides ever published.

The original edition of the guide is divided into eight elementary rules of usage, such as using the active voice instead of the passive voice, and ten elementary rules of composition, including the rule of omitting needless words. It also covers several matters of form, 49 commonly misused words and expressions, and 57 words that are frequently misspelled. The goal of this guide is to help writers produce clear and understandable writing in which every word carries significance.

In 1957, E. B. White, a writer at "The New Yorker" who had studied under Strunk, described the guide as "a forty-three-page summation of the case for cleanliness, accuracy, and brevity in the use of English." "The Elements of Style" continues to be a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their writing by focusing on organization, simplicity, and honesty.

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