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2018-08-05
昨日阅读1小时，累计阅读356小时
1. 今天阅读到的有价值的全文内容链接:
Continue Reading “The Elements of Style” by William Strunk Jr.
2. 今天阅读到的有价值的内容段落摘录:
Personalize. A pretentious word, often carrying bad advice. Do not personalize your prose; simply make it good and keep it clean. “a highly personalized affair” → “a highly personal affair” “Personalize your stationery” → “Design a letterhead”
Personally. Often unnecessary. “Personally, I thought it was a good book.” → “I thought it was a good book.”
Possess. Often used because to the writer it sounds more impressive than have or own. Such usage is not incorrect but is to be guarded against.
Presently. Has two meanings: “in a short while” and “currently”. Because of this ambiguity it is best restricted to the first meaning: “She’ll be here presently” (“soon”, or “in a short time”).
Prestigious. Often an adjective of last resort. It’s in the dictionary, but that doesn’t mean you have to use it.
Refer. See allude.
Regretful. Sometimes carelessly used for regrettable.
Relate. Not to be used intransitively to suggest rapport. “I relate well to Janet.” → “Janet and I see things the same way.” or “Janet and I have a lot in common.”
Respective. Respectively. These words may usually be omitted with advantage.
Secondly, thirdly, etc. Unless you are prepared to begin with firstly and defend it (which will be difficult), do not prettify numbers with -ly. Modern usage prefers second, third, and so on.
Shall (for the first person). Will (for the second and third person).
So. Avoid, in writing, the use of so as an intensifier: : “so good”; “so warm”; “so delightful”.
Sort of. See kind of.
Split infinitive. There is precedent from the fourteenth century down for interposing an adverb between to and the infinitive it governs, but the construction should be avoided unless the writer wishes to place unusual stress on the adverb. “to diligently inquire” → “to inquire diligently”
State. Not to be used as a mere substitute for say, remark. Restrict it to the sense of “express fully or clearly”: “Here refused to state his objections”.
Student body. Nine times out of ten a needless and awkward expression, meaning no mare than the simple word students. “a member of the student body” → “a student” “popular with the student body” → “liked by the students”
Than. Any sentence with than (to express comparison) should be examined to make sure no essential words are missing.
“I’m probably closer to my mother than my father. (Ambiguous)” → “I’m probably closer to my mother than to my father.” or “I’m probably closer to my mother than my father is”
“It looked more like a cormorant than a heron.” → “It looked more like a cormorant than like a heron.”
Thanking you in advance. This sounds as if the writer meant, “It will not be worth my while to write to you again”. In making your request, write “Will you please”, or “I shall be obliged”. Then, later, if you feel moved to do so, or if the circumstances call for it, write a letter of acknowledgement.
That. Which. That is the defining, or restrictive, pronoun, which the nondefining, or nonrestrictive. The use of which for that is common in written and spoken language. Occasionally which seems preferable to that, as in the sentence from the Bible. But it would be a convenience to all if these two pronouns were used with precision. Careful writers, watchful for small conveniences, go which-hunting, remove the defining whiches, and by so doing improve their work.
The foreseeable future. A cliché, and a fuzzy one. How much of the future is foreseeable?
The truth is….The fact is….A bad beginning for a sentence.
3. 今天阅读的自我思考点评感想
As one of the best book available on writing good English, the misused words summary is useful. Note that the book's purism, atavism, and personal eccentricity is not completely underpinned by the modern English grammar. For young writers, I recommend them to read the book with a critical thinking to match their personalized needs.
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