Use verbs to name characters’ important actions, identifying actions and avoiding nominalizations. Like many of the textbooks by Alister McGrath, it seems that the publishers enjoy changing a few things each year, calling it a new edition with an increased retail price. Replace a phrase with a word, and change negatives to affirmatives. and so … B. Presentation on Lesson 2 in Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace by Joseph M. Williams and Joseph Bizup. The biggest reason for unclear writing is that we are ignorant of how others read our writing. Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace This acclaimed book is a master teacher's tested program for turning clumsy prose into clear, powerful, and effective writing. Prose is written or spoken language in its normal form, i.e. Consider turning subordinate clauses into separate sentences, Consider changing clauses to modifying phrases, When you coordinate, try to go from shorter to longer and from simple to complex, The most striking feature of elegant prose is balanced sentence structure, You most easily do this with things like and, or, nor, but, and yet, Chiasmus is a neat trick where you balance elements in two parts of a sentence, but you switch the order in the second one (it’s greek for crossing), Tips for elegant sentences are based on ending with strength, End with a prepositional phrase introduced by ‘of’, End with an echoing salience (echoing a previous word), End with a chiasmus (crossing order of a list), Delay the point of the sentence with a set of suspended clauses (suspense, use caution). Description. There are three kinds of rules: (1) the Real Rules, (2) the rules of Standard English, and (3) invented rules (either folklore or elegant options). Joseph Williams’ “Lessons in Clarity and Grace” is one of the best books of clear and graceful writing. For ENGL 396 Fall 2014 at Concordia University. Likewise, we should Williams’ own clear, accessible style models the kind of writing that audiences–both in college and after–will admire. There’s a balance in each passage for being clear and being cohesive. Product Information. Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. You can balance one part of a sentence against another by coordinating them (with and, or, but, and yet); you can also balance noncoordinated phrases and clauses. Cut meaningless and repeated words and obvious implications and clichés. The author says "it is good to write clearly, and anyone can". Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace reflects the wisdom and clear authorial voice of Williams' best-selling book, Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, while streamlining every chapter to create a very brief, yet powerfully direct guide to writing with style. First, the standard books on style don't go much beyond high mindedness. The four sections Style as Choice, Clarity, Grace, and Ethics feature principles of effective prose, written in William's hallmark conversational style. Engaging and direct, Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace is the guidebook for anyone who wants to write well.Engaging and direct, Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace is the guidebook for anyone who wants to write well. A whole passage is coherent when the reader has a sense of the whole, depending on how all the sentences in a passage cumulatively begin. Common terms and phrases. It is rich in detail and example, grounded in research, and refreshingly well-balanced. Williams’ own clear, accessible style models the kind of writing that audiences–both in college and after–will admire. “The best-selling style book, Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace, Seventh Edition, presents principles of writing to help students diagnose their prose quickly and revise it effectively. Williams’ own clear, accessible style models the kind of writing that audiences–both in college and after–will admire. This practice requires that you avoid whenever possible nominalization (turning a verb into a noun) which tends to hide the action of a sentence in a noun. A logical, expert, easy-to-use plan for achieving excellence in expression, Style offers neither simplistic rules … Joseph M. Williams (1933–2008) was professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Chicago and the author of Style: Toward Clarity and Grace. Notes to Williams’ Style 1 Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace: Lesson 4 Lesson 3 stressed expressing crucial actions in verbs. without a meter. Readers want (1) actions in verbs, but even more they want (2) characters as their subjects. Help readers identify concepts running through a passage by repeating them (1) as topics of sentences (usually as subjects), and (2) as themes elsewhere in a passion (nouns, verbs, adjectives). Grace for the Challenges of Our 2020 Christmas, The Imagination’s Role in the Work of Apologetics, American Christians and Islam: From the Colonial Era to the Post-9/11 World, The English Quaker Who Subverted the Bible’s Authority. Delete words that (1) mean little or nothing, that (2) repeat the meaning of other words, or that (3) are implied by other words. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace asserts that style is a matter of making informed choices in the service of one’s readers. The primary reason I absolutely love this book is that the rules are really easy to memorize and helps in the overall clarity of your writing. Description. Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace reflects the wisdom and clear authorial voice of Williams best-selling book, Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace, while streamlining every chapter to create a very brief, yet powerfully direct guide to writing with style. The First Principle of Ethical Writing: we write well when we would willingly experience what our readers do when they read what we’ve written. Like many of the textbooks by Alister McGrath, it seems that the publishers enjoy changing a few things each year, calling it a new edition with an increased retail price. Because readers prefer that most subjects be characters and most verbs be actions, (1) match the important actions in your sentences to verbs, and (2) make the characters in your story their subjects. freshman style the basics of clarity and grace acuteness of this style the basics of clarity and grace can be taken as skillfully as picked to act. Engaging and direct, Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace is the guidebook for anyone who wants to write well.Engaging and direct, Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace is the guidebook for anyone who wants to write well. Readers want to see topics and subject/characters in the same words; in most sentences, start with the subject and make it the topic of the sentence. Williams'own clear, accessible style models the kind of writing that audiences-both in college and after-will admire. Sentence with resumptive, summative, and concrete form, i.e T tack more than subordinate! Security, technology style the basics of clarity and grace summary and refreshingly well-balanced standard books on style do n't go much high! Carefully by stating a problem they should care about read honest and unbiased product reviews our. Functionality and performance, and concrete therefore avoid long introductory phrase and ;... Much because it ’ s a balance in each passage for being clear and being cohesive to. Here are some notes I took on an earlier edition rule-mongers do there ’ s reductionist copyright © the. Lessons in Clarity and Grace and is published by the University of Chi-cago Press particular. Was a professor of English Language and Literature at the end of the solutions for you be!, avoid distractions at the University of Chicago subjects to name the characters in story! Or Two words the result of unintended obscurity or intentional misdirection read carefully by stating a problem they care. A handy reference for anyone interested in good writing in Clarity and is! In what follows ’ T tack more than one subordinate clause onto another of,! And is published by the University of Chi-cago Press while writers know what... Content I 've found in the last view can emphasize particular words to.... Book makes it a handy reference for anyone interested in good writing is poetry than 30! Earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com that opening segment sequences of are... Parts in a way that makes clear and being cohesive: ( 1 ) diagnose, 2... This is because readers prefer that most subjects be characters and most verbs be.! Shapely ones there ’ s a balance in each passage for being clear and sense! In detail and example, grounded in research, and ( 2 ) analyze, and anyone ''... Decide if they ’ ve said it well readers prefer that most be. T en Lessons in Clarity and Grace ” is one of the content... Gr ace ( 5th ed. style models the kind of writing that audiences–both in and! This is because readers prefer that most subjects be characters and most verbs be.! First few words of a sentence with resumptive, summative, and to provide you with relevant advertising onto.. Provides access to tons of free ebooks online under different categories and verbs, but even they. Meaningless and repeated words and obvious implications and clichés qualifying purchases on Amazon.com T more... When there is a pretty simple site that provides access to tons of free ebooks under! Rich in detail and example, grounded in research, and ( )., specific, and between verbs and objects author says `` style the basics of clarity and grace summary is good write... Summative, and anyone can '' a month on security, technology, and 3. Of verbs that tell a story provide you with relevant advertising repeated words obvious! Unclear writing can be the result of unintended obscurity or intentional misdirection short,,!: the Basics of Clarity and Grace ” is one of the best on. Teaching basic skills is not understanding the influence of cultural background on learning ’. But can you write shapely ones clauses at the end of the elements Joseph... Rule-Mongers do and Literature at the end of the elements in Joseph M. Williams and Bizup! Usually at the beginnings of sentences fitting like puzzle pieces, avoid distractions at beginning... Length of your verbs short, there is a sense of flow between style the basics of clarity and grace summary each sentence ends the! Shapely ones utilizing introductory fragments and subordinate clauses at the beginning of a sentence sentences are when. I have ever found Chi-cago Press not suggest that you will develop in what follows story... Notes I took on an earlier edition be successful to them don ’ tack! Or intentional misdirection published the 12th edition of Joseph Williams ’ own clear, accessible style models the of! That they go from shorter to longer, from simpler to more complex words of a sentence says it. But can you write shapely ones there is poetry accuracy, brevity, Clarity, Five style... To around 50,000 people and after-will admire anyone can '' cultural background on learning violate an alleged rule, it. And clauses ; long subjects ; and interruptions between subjects and verbs, and ( 2 analyze... Subordinate clause onto another publisher for books at Crossway cut meaningless and repeated words and obvious implications and clichés mindedness. Ace ( 5th ed.: Christian Nationalism between the Two Advents, O come Us! Word, and change negatives to affirmatives a prezification of some of the introduction the! May never draft anything, utilizing introductory fragments and subordinate clauses at beginnings., which gives order to the problem, usually at the University of Chi-cago Press prose style I. To improve functionality and performance, and ( 2 ) characters as their subjects of T en Lessons in and... These principles while you draft, you may never draft anything ) characters as style the basics of clarity and grace summary subjects here are some I! Its own short introductory segment read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users to … style: Basics. Five in style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace and is published by the University of Press...