ELEMENTS OF STYLE (UPDATED 2011 EDITION) The All-Time Bestselling Bohe Elements of Style by & Press, The Elements of Style & Hong, Chris [15]
II. ELEMENTARY RULES OF USAGE
1. Form the possessive singular of nouns with 's.
2. In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last.
3. Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas.
4. Place a comma before and or but introducing an independent clause.
5. Do not join independent clauses by a comma.
6. Do not break sentences in two.
7. A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject.
8. Divide words at line-ends, in accordance with their formation and pronunciation.
III. ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION
9. Make the paragraph the unit of composition: one paragraph to each topic.
10. As a rule, begin each paragraph with a topic sentence; end it in conformity with the beginning.
11. Use the active voice.
12. Put statements in positive form.
13. Omit needless words.
14. Avoid a succession of loose sentences.
15. Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form.
16. Keep related words together.
17. In summaries, keep to one tense.
18. Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end.
IV. A FEW MATTERS OF FORM
V. WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS COMMONLY MISUSED
VI. WORDS OFTEN MISSPELLED