William Strunk Jr.’s The Elements of Style is the most influential brief guide to English prose ever written. First printed in 1918 for his Cornell students, it distills clear writing into a handful of memorable rules: use the active voice, omit needless words, put statements in positive form, and keep related words together. Its compact authority made it a touchstone for generations of writers and editors.
This is the original 1918 text, the lean classroom edition that later grew, through E. B. White’s revisions, into the famous “Strunk and White.” Its principles of usage, composition, and commonly misused words remain a working manual for anyone who wants to write with precision and force. Download the free EPUB and keep this enduring style guide on your shelf.