THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE

THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE

1.-    Charle'S  friends

        the witch'S malice

        for conscience' sake

        one'S rights

        somebody else'S umbrella

-) For singular nouns:
    
        Tom'S car

-) For irregular plurals

       Women'S liberation

-) For regular plurals:

        Girls' shoes
        Companies' difficulties

2.-   COMMA

DATES  and  ,

February to July , 1992 

April 6 , 1986

Wednesday , November 14 , 1992

6 April 1988

The abbreviations etc. , ie. , and e.g. , the abbreviations for academic degrees, and titles that follow a name are parenthetic and should be punctuated accordingly.

Letters, packages, etc. , should go here. 

Horace Fulsome,  Phd. , presided.

Rachel Simonds, Attorney.

The reverend Harry, S. J. 

3.-  ;  SEMICOLON

a.) If two or more clauses grammatically  complete and not joined by a conjunction are to form a single compound sentence, the proper mark of punctuation is a SEMICOLON.

EX:

It is nearly half past five ; we can't reach town before dark.

b.) If a conjunction is inserted, the proper mark is a comma. 

EX:

Mary's works are entertaining, for they are full of engaging ideas. 

c.) If the second clause is preceded by an adverb, such as accordingly, besides, then, therefore, or thus, and not by a conjunction, the semicolon is still required. 

EX:

I had never been in the place before; besides, it was dark as a tomb.

d.) However, therefore, hence, nevertheless, meanwhile and consequently require  ; before them when they are used to join 2 sentences together. 

4.- Do NOT use periods for commas

EX:

Again and again he called out. No reply.

5.- Join 2 independent clauses with a colon if the second interprets or amplifies the first.  

EX:

But even so, there was a directness and dispatch about animal burial : there was no .. in parlor, no wreath or spray.

6.- a.) The use of a SINGULAR verb form in a relative clause following "one of..." when the relative is the subject

EX:

One of those people who IS never ready on time.

b.)  Use a singular verb form after each, either, everyone, everybody, neither, nobody, someone.

EX:

Everybody think he HAS a unique sense of humor.

Although both clocks strike cheerfully, neither KEEPS good time.

c.) A compound subject formed of two or more nouns joined by AND almost always requires a plural verb. 

EX:

The warlus and the carpenter WERE walking close at hand.

d.) The contents of a Book is SINGULAR.

7.- The reader is dissastified with being told only what is not, the reader wishes to be told what is.

8.- Omit needless words

Vigorous writing is concise

9.-  Express coordinate ideas in similar form.

Some words require a particular preposition in certain idiomatic uses. When such words are joined in a compund construction, all the appropiate prepositions must be included, unless they are the same.

III.-  FORM

- When they occur in dialogue, most dates and numbers are best spelled out.

a.) I arrived home on August ninth.

b.) In the year 1990, I turned twenty-one.

c.) Read chapter twelve.

- Quotations:

Mark Twain says,  "A classic is...   ."

When a quotation is followed by an attribute phrase, the comma is enclosed within the quotation marks.

"I can't attend, " She said.

IV.-  WORDS

All right: Everything is correct

Allright: well...

Altogether: entirely, totally.

Disinterested:  Impartial

Uninterested: Bored

Divided INTO pieces

Etc. =  and other things  / and the rest  / and so forth.

Farther  = distance

Further = time on quantity word, amount, abstract matters.

However: when however comes first, it means  "in whatever way"  or "to whatever extent"  

As regard: the same thing

Imply: Suggest

Infer: conclude, deduce.

IN: Location or condition

INTO: Movement or change of condition

Inside of : In less than

Owing to: because of

Due to: caused by

LIE  --> Lay  / Lain / Lying

LAY --> Laid / Laid / Laying

Less : Quantity

EX: His troubles are LESS than mine

(His troubles are not so great as mine)

Fewer: Number

EX: His troubles are FEWER than mine

(His troubles are not so numerous as mine)

MEMENTO:

Acuérdate

Detenerse a discurrir con particular atención y estudio lo que  le importa.

Parte de la misa donde se conmemora los fieles y los vivos.

NOR

He can not eat OR sleep.

He can NEITHER eat NOR sleep.

He can not eat NOR can he sleep.

Presently: in a short /  while / soon   OR'

                 currently

SHALL: formal writting  First person

WILL: Formal writing for SECOND and THIRD person.

Like:  similar to

Such as:  precede an example

Medium is singular

Media is plural