...when a sentence is made stronger, it usually becomes shorter. Thus, brevity is a by-product of vigor.

...when a sentence is made stronger, it usually becomes shorter. Thus, brevity is a by-product of vigor.

If you use a colloquialism or a slang word or phrase, simply use it; do not draw attention to it by enclosing it in quotation marks. To do so is to put on airs, as though you were inviting the reader to join you in a select society of those who know better.

Rich, ornate prose is hard to digest, generally unwholesome, and sometimes nauseating.

A dash is a mark of separation stronger than a comma, less formal than a colon, and more relaxed than parentheses.

This book is intended for use in English courses in which the practice of composition is combined with the study of literature. It aims to give in a brief space the principal requirements of plain English style. It aims to lighten the task of instructor and student by concentrating attention (in Chapters II and III) on a few essentials, the rules of usage and principles of composition most commonly violated. The numbers of the sections may be used as references in correcting manuscript.

To acquire style, begin by affecting none.