The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr & E. B. White

Description

A masterpiece in the art of clear and concise writing, and an exemplar of the principles it explains.

'The Elements of Style' (1918), by William Strunk, Jr., is an American English writing style guide. It is the best-known, most influential prescriptive treatment of English grammar and usage, and often is required reading and usage in U.S. high school and university composition classes. This edition of 'The Elements of Style' details eight elementary rules of usage, ten elementary principles of composition, "a few matters of form", and a list of commonly misused words and expressions.

Excerpt

1. Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's.

Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write, Charles's friend, Burns's poems, the witch's malice. This is the usage of the United States Government Printing Office and of the Oxford University Press.

Exceptions are the possessive of ancient proper names in -es and -is, the possessive Jesus', and such forms as for conscience' sake, for righteousness' sake. But such forms as Achilles' heel, Moses' laws, Isis' temple are commonly replaced by the heel of Achilles, the laws of Moses, the temple of Isis. The pronominal possessives hers, its, theirs, yours, and oneself have no apostrophe.