Though this book was written many decades ago (co-author E.B. White also wrote Charlot's Web,) the information contained within is timeless. It is small and easily read, yet provides a great foundation for ANYONE who needs to write (High School, College, Business, etc.) A true Must-Have, Must-Read book.

I was disappointed because I ordered this from one of the used book sellers and they did not include a receipt in the package. It was for my daughter who is in prison in Gatesville, TX and is taking college courses. Because there was no receipt they would not let her have it--prisoners are not allowed packages from individuals, but can receive them if they are from book sellers or publishers directly. So I paid for it and it was just what she needed, but she did not receive it since no receipt or shipping form. anything you can do to help me out?
Thanks, Sandee Montignani

I like the book. The book so small, it look like the pocket. U can bring to somewhere and read when u have free time. The book will help u so much for writing and fix some mistakes in the letter. I think u will enjoy the book.

A very clear, concise, and informative book. It isn't written to teach grammar, but to fine-tune writing. Strunk has a definite opinion on stylistic matters and he presents this throughout the work, using examples to illustrate his points. White mentions in the preface that he tries to loyally adhere to this style. Although there are things that one might disagree with, Strunk's advice is always worth remembering.

For someone who doesn't have an excellent grasp on writing, this has been a valuable guide. I expect that even the professional writer would benefit from incorporating Strunk's advice into his writing.

Very worthwhile.

This is an admirable book, if you want to write like the authors; it is a good book as far as it goes, but does it go far enough? Well, you will find salutary advice to resuscitate your prose, but if you want to be a fine craftsman--that is, if you don't want to beget base prose, you mustn't hang with Trunk and White for too long.

The Elements of Style provides incredible insight into English expression while using simple terms and instructions.

When I started college at the age of 50, this little book went with me--and stayed with me--until I graduated from Smith College 13 years later, as an Ada Comstock Scholar. Now, I plan to give this little book to each of my 4 grandkids, as part of a college survival package from their "mimi".

But after this article by Geoffrey K. Pullum, the head of linguistics and English language at the University of Edinburgh and co-author (with Rodney Huddleston) of The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (Cambridge University Press, 2002) I feel vindicated.

http://chronicle.com/free/v55/i32/32b01501.htm

Probably, you need english to be your native language to see the true value of this book. I recommend to read this book, but it is not a handbook. For writing scientific articles you still need other style guides.

Really great for reference. Only wish more example usages would be provided in some cases; although that would add a few pounds to its slim figure.

the condition of the book was good and the size is great because is so small that you can put it anywere. The examples are good for learning how to write sentences.

I find this is an excellent reference book on writing. Strunk builds on the principles which White first introduced and offers the reader a pseudo primer on the syntax of english language and structure. I purchased this book after my instructor stressed "I pick up a copy". You'll find the book easy to read and incorporate into everyday use. I strongly recommend it!

Of late, I have noticed an epidemic of misplaced apostrophes. I've seen them in emails, advertisements, just...everywhere. For example, I received an email from someone yesterday who wanted me to know of his availability on "Wednesday's." Wednesday doesn't own anything. The man's sentence made no sense! This kind of thing drives me crazy, especially when it comes from someone who clearly should know better.

Look, I'm anal about grammar. I should be - I make my living by the written word. I'm no grammatical saint either. I make my share of mistakes. That's why we (collectively, writers everywhere) have this book. I think it should be required reading in high school or college. There are so many educated people who have a hard time forming a proper sentence, and this need not be the case.

This book is a great resource, as many have noted. I think everyone should have a copy, especially those who need to work on their punctuation or some other aspect of their writing. I include myself in this category.

I have always had a problem with being too wordy. This book was very useful. If only I knew about this book during university!

This is the first time I used this genre. The local book store was out of this particular book and my class was starting in a week. This book arrived well before the start of class and in new condition. I would certainly recommend this seller to anyone.....very prompt, and professional.

This has been a long-standing guide for writing. This book was recommended during the current writing class.

English is my second language, but I have used it a lot in many different ways; school, university, informal e-mailing, chatting, journalism. I can't believe I haven't read this book before now.

A friend of mine at school showed it to me once but I forgot all about it. But when I was in New York during the Christmas holiday I met a guy with a guitar at Bar East on 90th and 1st who said, "If you write in English, there's one book you need to have: The Elements of Style." So I went home and bought it right away.

I read the book from front to back in a few days and loved it. Strunk's direct, yet caring and humouristic style made me smile and think at the same time. I felt a certain bond to this man, and he lived a hundred years ago!

I recommend this book to all people who write. Letters, articles, surveys, essays, term papers, books, comics, scripts, whatever.

This has been my favorite and most trusted reference for more years than I care to admit. My paperback copy was falling apart, held together by rubberbands. This book is timeless, the best, and I'm glad to have another sturdier copy which will last me the rest of my career.

This book will do more for your writing than any other book. It concentrates on clear, precise communication. It uses the techniques it promotes and is extremely easy to read. If you are a writer this book is essential to help you edit your own work.

10. You may never need to read another book on writing -- ever.

9. Elements of Style will help you bring an end to common writing errors.

8. Strunk and White will make your writing more resonant and more powerful.

7. Elements teaches not only the fundamentals but also advanced,
creative flourishes.

6. It's cheap.

5. The book is short; Eighty-Five pages makes it easy to read and re-read.

4. Strunk and White will teach you to write and think clearly and concisely.

3. Elements of Style will make you a better speaker.

2. It will also make you a better writer. Duh.

1. The Elements of Style can be applied to all writing, everywhere.

Put the principles laid out in this slim book to use, and you will write better than ninety-nine percent of college educated Americans. Anyone reading your writing will thank you for it.

If everyone read this book before afflicting us with their writing, the world would be a better place.

Definitive.

The book sold on this page is NOT the 4th Edition of Strunk and White's Elements of Style. Nor is the "Look Inside" link correct. This is a public domain version of what appears to be Strunk's orginal book. The typography is not as described in the text. Comparative references to text in the "right column" and "left column" refer in this book to text in upper and lower paragraphs. Don't buy this book. Instead by the fourth edition by Longman Publishers.

Strunk and White, Elements of Style has an excellent reputation as a classic in the field of basic grammar and composition. However, I found that the tone and composition of the book lends itself to an audience of insiders,' those who are already well-versed in the basic principles. It is not of much use in teaching those who are confused or need more clarity on the subject. Furthermore, the tone of the book is rather haughty and elitist, which was a turn-off for me. As someone with a strong English background, I can use the book and learn from it. But I would not recommend it to a student of the language.

I was pleased with the condition of the used book and the price. It's for a Creative Writing Workshop that I will be leading in January and I wanted to have a copy to show how cheap one could get resource materials from Amazon!! $1.92 plus shipping!! Thanks for the opportunity for good books at inexpensive prices. Veda

Great book, my copy got me through high school and I gave this one as a gift.

Strunk and Whites Elements of style deals with the slippery and vague elements of the English language; turns them around and upside down and then puts them in the right place, never to be forgotten again.
Your Strunk and White is a tool, one and a quarter inch thick, five and a quarter inch wide and eight and a quarter inch long or 1.5 x 13.5 x 21 cm. How do you write a date, the one on the calendar, when should you use a colon, the double dotted one, or a comma? Strunk and White will take away your doubts and set you on solid ground. It's even entertaining reading if you have nothing else to do. Highly recommended.

This book is a wonderful reference for clear and concise writing. It has helped me improved my writing tremendously. One of the reasons why it is so effective is that it gives good examples of bad writing and lets you compare it with the better kind so that you can see the difference between them. The book has been used by many writers in the past, so it gives you the sense that it has truly helped many.

Strunk's work is a solid baseline for grammar, punctuation, and composition. If your workplace tends to create its own standards for linguistics, it might be valuable to keep this readily available.

It is somewhat limited in terms of all the possible usages of punctuation, and admits as much in its first pages. While this is a valuable reference for most scenarios, it can't stand alone.

The book is great, I mean it's a classic but this version looks like it came right off the photo copier of the original print for 100 years ago. It's horribly fussy and the copy spacing is poor. I suggest finding a version by a different publisher.

As an author, I struggle with my style of writing to gain an oridance. this book was suggested to me by me Editor, and an instructor from a grammer free proof reading class I took. It has put great perspective on how I should write.

I received this book in very good condition and arrived on time as expected. I am very happy with how my purchase was handled. About the book, it is a very good reference for anyone who wants to be a good writer.

William Strunk's book "The Elements of Style" was recommended to me by an American friend, whose linguistic abilities I value very high. I ordered the book immediately and was surprised, when it arrived, by how thin it was. It turned out to be a compendium, which would best be memorized (I am not joking!). This American English writing style guide was written in 1918, but has not aged at all. The most important rules of American English, and the ones most commonly forgotten (like the use of Saxon Genitive of commas), are gathered here. I found the collection of frequently misspelled words very useful, too (although I though of some I could add, for example "receive", which I see misspelled more often than not). For me, the most helpful part was the discussion on brevity and omitting then unnecessary words - I still struggle with long sentences and too many adjectives and adverbs. This small volume is a must-have for anyone who wants to write correctly in English!

It was the wrong book that I purchased but the price was so inexpensive that I just kept the book.

THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE is a great little pocket reference for all writers (creative, essay, or nonfiction).

What is most amazing is how it consolidates a wealth of information into accessible, bite-size chapters that are easy to search on and then easy to comprehend.

The sections that I have found the most helpful are:
1) Verb Subject Agreement for the exceptions, "one of" and "each and every".
2) Why using the Active Voice is better through exhibition and not b/c it's the general rule.
3) Putting statements into positive form (something I had not considered).
4) And the entire section on "Approach to Style".

I think that for the price, you can not go wrong with this one. I have GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT by Stilman and SOLUTIONS FOR WRITERS by Stein, both of which I recommend, but if you had to choose the order in which to buy: ELEMENTS OF STYLE, SOLUTIONS FOR WRITERS (as it's not just about writing but the craft of story telling), and then GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT.

My Mom bought it for me to use in my freshman year and now I'm buying it for my son as he heads off to college. Still a wonderful tool.

I have used this text when tutoring individual students at the undergraduate and graduate level. I have also used it extensively in my management development classses featuring writing. It is superb,clearly written with almost brazen simplicity. It is the special gift that I give to students and trainees to keep for a lifetime.


Dr. Word Merchant, Ph.D.

Just what I ordered, speedy delivery. When I found I'd mis-ordered, the credit for my return was handled without demur. Excellent merchant.

This is a great handbook to have anywhere you need to write. For the price everyone should have one.

The Elements of Style is a short, timeless and foundational book on writing style and grammar. It is exceptionally well written and an essential writers desk reference. The authors stripped away all the fluff and kept the best of the best to help anyone write more clearly and concisely.

The Re-Discovery of Common Sense: A Guide to: The Lost Art of Critical Thinking

We traditionally give this as part of a high school graduation present and have received many notes of thanks over the years.

If one could have only a single book on english grammer, this is that book.

This book provides a great guidance for a writer, especially to a non-native English writer like me. It clarifies lots of misconceptions I used to have.

First of all, great book. Been writing professionally for 20 years, and I still use this book occasionally.

WARNING on REVIEWS: Amazon is using the same customer reviews for "The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition" by Strunk and White (1999) and "The Elements of Style - the Original Edition" by Strunk (without White) (1920), re-published September 2007.

Since the republication of Strunk's original work was released in September 2007, all reviews before that date pertain to "Strunk & White." Any review after that date, unless clearly indicated, could pertain to either book.

The books are markedly different, but Amazon is using the same customer reviews for both.

I bought my first copy of The Elements of Style in 1982. Now over 26 years later I have found my old college friend. The laws of good writing have not changed and one only gets better at it. A must have book for anyone who cares about what they write.

The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition

I have lived with the original edition for around 50 years. The fourth edition is an expanded but still concise guide containing practically everything that writers must know to write good English. There are other excellent and bigger books on the subject, but this beats them for sheer quality and brevity.

Very well written book, has helped me a lot in writing and helping my daughter with some of her courses.

I've wanted to have this book for reference as I continue to write books of my own. Glad to have it handy now. Good service, good condition. Thanks.

If you are reading these reviews, you are either a writer or a student. Both of these appointments require the use of this book and regularly. Do not let your library be without this reference.

As textbooks go, this is a shiny penny. It is easy on the eyes and easy on the cerebrum. Many times I find myself consulting it for the proper placement of commas and such. I'll pick it up from time to time and read a few pages just to keep myself sharp. How many times I have out to use something I read in passing.

Buy it. Read it. Live it.

I didn't find this book very useful at all. The rules and rules of what is correct writing just didn't help me. It is good to know rules, but the inflexible manner of this book was not very useful. For instance, some books have to be grammatically incorrect. Sentence fragments, run-on sentences, etc. all can build tension or a feeling in a book, but this isn't allowed according to Strunk and White. A decent book at giving the fundamentals of style, but not one to slavishly ape.