Elements of Style has become somewhat out of style. There are plenty of people who stand by it as a trusted source for all things grammar, but I imagine even diehard supporters will grudgingly admit that the standards it established have led to some truly convoluted sentences.
Even so, I still recommend it as a handy pocketbook for anybody who's interested in the craft of writing. When I originally read it a number of years ago, I was a little strict in following the rules it outlined. It had a negative impact on my writing. But as I outgrew some of the habits it taught me, I began to think of it more as a leap off point for amateur wordsmiths, a sturdy foundation for beginners to build their own style on.
Yes, there are probably more up to date guides on grammar and writing, but I haven't read those, so my rating for this book exists in a vacuum of sorts: It's a good manual if you take it as the beginning of wisdom, not the end. Most importantly, the material is simple and engaging. The examples and logic are straightforward. And at the very least it will get you playing with the English language.
"Partly by hard fighting, partly by diplomatic skill, they enlarged their dominions to the east, and rose to royal rank with the possession of Sicily, exchanged afterwards for Sardinia. "
Why is there a comma before "and"?
I looked at other (older?) editions of the book and it's written:
"Partly by hard fighting, partly by diplomatic skill, they enlarged their dominions to the east and rose to royal rank with the possession of Sicily. "
This one makes more sense to me since it's not splitting the compound predicate. Is it the addition of "exchanged afterwards for Sardinia" that somehow changes things?
https://twitter.com/longlivezan9/status/1479170195801444352?s=21
Yeah 2021 was cool..👏🏾 but 2022 the 1! Unfinished Business We Reloaded💚🤍
MSU defense should shore up with experience, further talent, and more development of Mel Tucker’s defensive schemes.
[Bobby Marks] Extensions so far:
3: L. Doncic: 5/$207.1 million
5: T. Young: 5/$172.5 million
7: W.Carter Jr.: 4/$50 million
10: Mk.Bridges: 4/$90 million
11: S. Gilgeous-Alexander: 5/$172.5 million
14: M. Porter Jr.: 5/$172.5 million
27: R.Williams: 4/$48 million
Total of $913M
Source
I was not aware of this until recently but I would like to point out that MLKs mother, Alberta, was assassinated six years after her son, by a man who believed “black ministers were a menace to black people.”
She was an accomplished woman. President of the Ebenezer Women's Committee from 1950 to 1962. Organist for the Women’s Auxiliary of the National Baptist Convention from 1950 to 1962.[4] She was also active in the YWCA, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.[4]
