Good Style is a Reflection of a Writer Making Good Choices :: Writing Style Styles Essays

Good fl be is a Reflection of a Writer Making Good ChoicesWhen displace pen to paper or typing on a keyboard in order to write something, a author makes decisions. These decisions departing result in what will be the writers finished work and will unintentionally reflect what the writer knows about writing elbow room. In fairish trying to convey his or her ideas, a writer will come rules of grammar and spelling as well as various advice accumulated through and through formal and informal education. If the writer has a good understanding of what theyve look ated, it will come out in their writing. After reading William Strunk Jr. and E.B. washrags The Elements of Style and Joseph M. Williams Style Toward Clarity and Grace, Ive learned that style is the culmination of many factors. Beginning in elementary school, people learn the basic, concrete rules of grammar. These arent so much elements of style as they are the foundation of writing. While necessary, a pers on stick out have undefiled grammar but poor style. Many of the rules mentioned in the first chapter of Strunk and White, such as, The function of the subject determines the number of the verb, (9) are those that remain fairly rigid. If a writer didnt follow this rule, and the number of subject and verb didnt match for instance, the misapprehension would be glaringly obvious to the reader. Williams also discusses this toward the end of his book in a section titled Real Rules. Here, he includes rules such as not using double negatives and not substituting adjectives for adverbs (180). These rules are the construction blocks of writing and that is why a writer would be looked down upon if he or she were to break them. Therefore, when writers break rules like this, it is usually to make a point by doing so. After these concrete rules, one begins to learn rules that are a little fuzzier in their application. These are rules that should be followed but can be broken giv en the right circumstances or if it is through systematically. For instance, Rule 14 in Strunk and White states, Use the active voice. What this convey is using active verbs as opposed to inactive ones to prevent muted the reader.