Includes index.

Elementary Rules of Usage -- Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's -- In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last -- Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas -- Place a comma before a conjunction introducing an independent clause -- Do not join independent clauses with a comma -- Do not break sentences in two -- Use a colon after an independent clause to introduce a list of particulars, an appositive, an amplification, or an illustrative quotation -- Use a dash to set off an abrupt break or interruption and to announce a long appositive or summary -- The number of the subject determines the number of the verb -- Use the proper case of pronoun -- A participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence must refer to the grammatical subject -- Elementary Principles of Composition -- Choose a suitable design and hold to it -- Make the paragraph the unit of composition -- Use the active voice -- Put statements in positive form -- Use definite, specific, concrete language -- Omit needless words -- Avoid a succession of loose sentences -- Express coordinate ideas in similar form -- Keep related words together -- In summaries, keep to one tense -- Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end -- A Few Matters of Form -- Words and Expressions Commonly Misused -- An Approach to Style (With a List of Reminders) -- Place yourself in the background -- Write in a way that comes naturally -- Work from a suitable design -- Write with nouns and verbs -- Revise and rewrite -- Do not overwrite -- Do not overstate -- Avoid the use of qualifiers -- Do not affect a breezy manner -- Use orthodox spelling -- Do not explain too much -- Do not construct awkward adverbs -- Make sure the reader knows who is speaking -- Avoid fancy words -- Do not use dialect unless your ear is good -- Be clear -- Do not inject opinion -- Use figures of speech sparingly -- Do not take shortcuts at the cost of clarity -- Avoid foreign languages -- Prefer the standard to the offbeat.

The classic manual for writing is now in its fourth edition. Revisions have purposely been kept to a minimum in order to retain the book's unique tone, wit, and charm. A new Glossary of the grammatical terms used in the book provides a convenient reference for readers.