◎一本「英文母語人士」奉為寫作聖經的殿堂級教本！
2016年美國Open Syllabus Project統計，全美大學有超過3,000堂課程將《The Elements of Style》列為指定參考書，在美國幾乎人手一冊，許多教授都要求學生必須熟讀史壯克的「７個英文語法規則」＆「１１大文章寫作原則」，唯有反覆練習這１８個原理，才能寫出道地、簡潔、言之有物的文章。本書也是文壇巨匠史蒂芬．金讚嘆不已的教學典範，強烈推薦所有人閱讀！
◎Check！寫出道地英語文章的五大重點，你都會嗎？
就連暢銷作家都承認，自己每次寫作時都會複習這五大重點。熟習這五個規則後，你再閱讀其他文法書、單字書、寫作書才能事半功倍：
〔重點一〕刪除贅字！刪除贅字！刪除贅字！很重要所以說三次。
→ 文章要簡潔才有力。句子裡不該有贅字，段落裡不該有冗句。比如「the fact that」是最常見的贅詞：「owing to the fact that」（作「因為」解）用「since」一個字代替就好！
〔重點三〕There is、There are、It is、These are太氾濫，請用更精準的動詞取代！
示範用一個動詞「repent」，瞬間將16個字的句子，縮短成5個字：
(X) It was not long before he was very sorry that he had said what he had.
(O) He soon repented his words. 他隨即對自己的話感到懊悔
〔重點五〕不要只會用and、but、so，或that、who、which、when來連接句子。
→ 這會讓文章讀起來很無聊，你應該更精確、簡潔的句構，讀者才會手不釋卷。比如：
(X) There is a general agreement among those who have enjoyed the experience that surf-riding is productive of great exhilaration.享受過衝浪的人一致認同，衝浪能製造許多興奮情緒
(O) All who have tried surf-riding agree that it is most exhilarating. 衝過浪的人都覺得很刺激
【全球寫作名家強力推薦】
威廉．金瑟（William Zinsser），《非虛構寫作指南》作者
史蒂芬．金（Stephen Edwin King），恐怖小說大師
E. B. 懷特（E. B. White），經典兒童小說《夏綠蒂的網》作者
杜伯納（Stephen J. Dubner），《蘋果橘子經濟學》作者
【英語學習達人盛情推薦】
李欣穎╱台灣大學外文系教授
鄭錫懋╱《英語自學王：史上最強英語自學指南》作者
Catherine╱英文學習推廣家 YouTuber
JR Lee╱正能量英文 YouTuber
【媒體、名人好評如潮】
．只用200多頁的寫作案例，就清楚總結該如何準確、簡潔地使用英語……這本書不應該只限於學校課堂，它也適用於所有工作場合。──E. B. 懷特
II.Elementary Rules of Usage
Rule 1. Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's
Rule 2. In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last
Rule 3. Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas
Rule 4. Place a comma before a conjunction introducing a co-ordinate clause
Rule 5. Do not join independent clauses by a comma
Rule 6. Do not break sentences in two
Rule 7. A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject
III.Elementary Principles of Composition
Rule 8. Make the paragraph the unit of composition: one paragraph to each topic
Rule 9. As a rule, begin each paragraph with a topic sentence; end it in conformity with the beginning
Rule 10. Use the active voice
Rule 11. Put statements in positive form
Rule 12. Use definite, specific, concrete language
Rule 13. Omit needless words
Rule 14. Avoid a succession of loose sentences
Rule 15. Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form
Rule 16. Keep related words together
Rule 17. In summaries, keep to one tense
Rule 18. Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end
左邊的常見用語都違反了這個原則，建議修改為右邊：
the question as to whether →→ whether (the question whether) 是否
there is no doubt but that →→ no doubt (doubtless) 無疑
used for fuel purposes →→ used for fuel 當作燃料
he is a man who →→ he 他
in a hasty manner →→ Hastily 迅速地
this is a subject which →→ this subject 這個主題
His story is a strange one →→ His story is strange 他的故事很不尋常
特別注意，the fact that 不管出現在何處都是冗詞，必須改寫：
owing to the fact that →→ since (because) 因為
in spite of the fact that →→ though (although) 儘管
call your attention to the fact that →→ remind you (notify you) 提醒你
I was unaware of the fact that →→ I was unaware that (did not know) 我不知道
the fact that he had not succeeded →→ his failure 他的失敗
the fact that I had arrived →→ my arrival 我的到來
Who is、which was 之輩通常也是冗詞。
(X) His brother, who is a member of the same firm.
(O) His brother, a member of the same firm. 和他在同一家公司上班的哥哥
(X) Trafalgar, which was Nelson’s last battle.
(O) Trafalgar, Nelson’s last battle. 尼爾森打的最後一場仗——特拉法加海戰
（錯誤的寫法）Macbeth was very ambitious. This led him to wish to become king of Scotland. The witches told him that this wish of his would come true. The king of Scotland at this time was Duncan. Encouraged by his wife, Macbeth murdered Duncan. He was thus enabled to succeed Duncan as king. (51 words.)
馬克白野心勃勃。這讓他想成為蘇格蘭的國王。女巫們告訴他願望會成真。當時的蘇格蘭國王是鄧肯。馬克白在妻子的慫恿下謀殺了鄧肯。他因此能夠繼承王位。(用了51個字)
（建議的寫法）Encouraged by his wife, Macbeth achieved his ambition and realized the prediction of the witches by murdering Duncan and becoming king of Scotland in his place. (26 words.)
在妻子的慫恿之下，馬克白謀殺了鄧肯，繼承了蘇格蘭的王位。他成就了自己的野心，也應驗了女巫們的預言。(只用了26個字)
（Ｘ）Wordsworth, in the fifth book of The Excursion, gives a minute description of this church.
（Ｏ）In the fifth book of The Excursion, Wordsworth gives a minute description of this church.
渥茲華斯在他長詩《漫遊》的第五部中把這棟教堂描繪得鉅細靡遺。
（Ｘ）Cast iron, when treated in a Bessemer converter, is changed into steel.
（Ｏ）By treatment in a Bessemer converter, cast iron is changed into steel.
鑄鐵經由貝塞麥轉爐法處理後，便煉成了鋼。
（Ｘ）There was a look in his eye that boded mischief.
（Ｏ）In his eye was a look that boded mischief. 他露出使壞的眼神。
（Ｘ）He wrote three articles about his adventures in Spain, which were published in Harper's Magazine.
（Ｏ）He published in Harper's Magazine three articles about his adventures in Spain.
他在《哈潑雜誌》發表了三篇文章，分享他在西班牙的冒險經歷。
（Ｘ）This is a portrait of Benjamin Harrison, grandson of William Henry Harrison, who became President in 1889.
（Ｏ）This is a portrait of Benjamin Harrison, grandson of William Henry Harrison. He became President in 1889.
這是威廉．亨利．哈里遜的孫子——班傑明．哈里遜的肖像，他在 1889 年成為了總統。
若先行詞由好幾個詞組成，關係代名詞應緊接在這些詞之後，若語意不清則須設法釐清。例如：
The Superintendent of the Chicago Division, who
芝加哥分局局長，即……
（Ｘ）The grandson of William Henry Harrison, who
（Ｏ）William Henry Harrison's grandson, who 威廉．亨利．哈里遜的孫子，他……
（Ｘ）A proposal to amend the Sherman Act, which has been variously judged.
（Ｏ）A proposal, which has been variously judged, to amend the Sherman Act.
（Ｏ）A proposal to amend the much-debated Sherman Act. 一項修訂謝爾曼法案的提案，目前毀譽參半。
名詞的同位語可置於先行詞和關係代名詞之間，因這種寫法不會導致語意不清。
The Duke of York, his brother, who was regarded with hostility by the Whigs
他的弟弟，即約克公爵，受到輝格黨的仇視。
修飾語應盡量靠近被修飾語，若數個修飾語同時修飾一個詞，也應遵照此原則安排語序，以釐清修飾關係。
（Ｘ）All the members were not present.
（Ｏ）Not all the members were present. 並非全員出席。
（Ｘ）He only found two mistakes.
（Ｏ）He found only two mistakes. 他只找到兩處錯誤。
（Ｘ）Major R. E. Joyce will give a lecture on Tuesday evening in Bailey Hall, to which the public is invited, on "My Experiences in Mesopotamia" at eight P. M.
（Ｏ）On Tuesday evening at eight P. M., Major R. E. Joyce will give in Bailey Hall a lecture on "My Experiences in Mesopotamia." The public is invited.
喬伊斯少校將於週二晚上八點於貝禮廳演講「美索不達米亞經驗談」，歡迎大眾踴躍參加。
威廉．史壯克（William Strunk Jr.）
★全美英語寫作教學權威
威廉．史壯克（William Strunk Jr.）
康乃爾大學英語系教授，風靡全美的英文寫作聖經《The Elements of Style》作者。1918年，史壯克教授以私人形式出版本書，供康乃爾大學的老師和學生使用，他最知名的學生──經典兒童小說《夏綠蒂的網》作者E. B. White──大讚這是一本「只用200餘頁寫作案例，就清楚總結該如何準確、簡潔地使用英語」的寫作聖典，至今在美國高中、大學幾乎人手一本。
史壯克在古典文學領域的造詣極深，著有多部研究莎士比亞戲劇作品的文集，曾受邀擔任1936年米高梅電影《羅密歐與茱莉葉》的文學顧問。他在1946年逝世，至今《The Elements of Style》影響力不墜，暢銷橫跨兩世紀、銷量超過千萬本，稱「美國最廣泛流傳的寫作聖經」當之不愧。
