Wednesday, February 12, 2014

"Great Rules of Writing" by William Safire


Do not put statements in the negative form.

And don't start sentences with a conjunction.

If you reread your work, you will find on rereading that a great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.

Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.

Unqualified superlatives are the worst of all.

De-accession euphemisms.

If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.

Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.

Last, but not least, avoid clichés like the plague.

William Safire was an author, journalist, and presidential speechwriter, best known as a syndicated columnist for the New York Times and the author of "On Language" in the New York Times Magazine, a column on popular etymology, and other language-related topics.


1 comment:

Patricia Stoltey said...

Writing advice and writing rules can be a lot of fun in the right hands. This one made me laugh....and it's going on my bulletin board.