Elements of Style: 11 Composition Principles
Review writing against Strunk & White's 11 elementary principles of composition from Chapter II.
Instructions
Analyze the provided text for structural and compositional issues. Provide specific examples with before/after suggestions where improvements are needed.
Output Format
Text Under Review: [title or brief description]
Composition Review
| # | Principle | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Choose a suitable design and stick to it | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 2 | Make the paragraph the unit of composition | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 3 | Use the active voice | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 4 | Put statements in positive form | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 5 | Use definite, specific, concrete language | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 6 | Omit needless words | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 7 | Avoid a succession of loose sentences | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 8 | Express coordinate ideas in parallel form | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 9 | Keep related words together | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 10 | In summaries, keep to one tense | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 11 | Place the emphatic words at the end | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
Detailed Findings
Principle 3: Active Voice
Passive voice found:
| Original | Suggested |
|---|---|
| [passive construction] | [active alternative] |
Principle 4: Positive Form
Negative constructions found:
| Original | Suggested |
|---|---|
| "He was not very often on time" | "He usually arrived late" |
Principle 6: Omit Needless Words
Wordy phrases found:
| Original | Suggested |
|---|---|
| "the reason why is that" | "because" |
| "in spite of the fact that" | "although" |
| "the fact that he had arrived" | "his arrival" |
Principle 8: Parallel Form
Non-parallel constructions:
| Original | Suggested |
|---|---|
| [non-parallel] | [parallel version] |
Principle Reference
- Choose a suitable design and stick to it — Plan your structure. Know whether you're building a tent or a cathedral. The design may change, but have one.
- Make the paragraph the unit of composition — Each paragraph should develop one topic. Begin with a topic sentence; end with emphasis. Don't chop into single sentences or let paragraphs run too long.
- Use the active voice — "The active voice is usually more direct and vigorous than the passive." Write "I shall always remember my first visit" not "My first visit will always be remembered by me."
- Put statements in positive form — Say what is, not what isn't. "He usually came late" is stronger than "He was not very often on time." Avoid not un- constructions.
- Use definite, specific, concrete language — Prefer the specific to the general, the definite to the vague, the concrete to the abstract. "A period of unfavorable weather set in" → "It rained every day for a week."
- Omit needless words — "Vigorous writing is concise." Every word should tell. Common offenders:
- "the question as to whether" → "whether" - "there is no doubt but that" → "no doubt" / "doubtless" - "the fact that" → often deletable - "who is" / "which was" → often deletable
- Avoid a succession of loose sentences — Don't string together clauses with "and," "but," "so." Vary sentence structure. Use subordination.
- Express coordinate ideas in parallel form — Similar content deserves similar form. "The French, the Italians, Spanish, and Portuguese" → "The French, the Italians, the Spanish, and the Portuguese."
- Keep related words together — Place modifiers near what they modify. "He only found two mistakes" → "He found only two mistakes."
- In summaries, keep to one tense — When summarizing a work, use present tense throughout. Don't shift between present and past.
- Place the emphatic words at the end — The end of a sentence is its most prominent position. Build toward the key word. "Humanity has hardly advanced in fortitude since that time, though it has advanced in many other ways" → weak ending. Revise for emphasis.
Summary
Overall Structure: [Well-organized/Needs Work/Disorganized]
Word Economy: [Tight/Some bloat/Verbose]
Top 3 Improvements:
- [Most impactful structural change]
- [Second priority]
- [Third priority]
Guidelines
- Focus on patterns rather than isolated instances
- Active voice isn't always better—passive is appropriate when the actor is unknown or unimportant
- "Omit needless words" doesn't mean "omit all words"—rhythm and clarity sometimes need extra words
- Technical writing may legitimately need longer explanations
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