Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, 13th edition

Published by Pearson (July 14, 2021) © 2021

  • Joseph M. Williams University of Chicago
  • Joseph Bizup University of Chicago

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  • More memorable. Make concepts stick with highlights, search, notes, and flashcards.
  • More understandable. Translate text into 100+ languages with one tap.

In this eTextbook — More ways to learn

  • More flexible. Start learning right away, on any device.
  • More supportive. Get AI explanations and practice questions (select titles).
  • More interactive. Bring learning to life with audio, videos, and diagrams.
  • More memorable. Make concepts stick with highlights, search, notes, and flashcards.
  • More understandable. Translate text into 100+ languages with one tap.

In this eTextbook — More ways to learn

  • More flexible. Start learning right away, on any device.
  • More supportive. Get AI explanations and practice questions (select titles).
  • More interactive. Bring learning to life with audio, videos, and diagrams.
  • More memorable. Make concepts stick with highlights, search, notes, and flashcards.
  • More understandable. Translate text into 100+ languages with one tap.

Title overview

Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace asserts that good style is a matter of making informed choices in the service of one's readers. This text will teach you how to adjust your writing to communicate with your audience more effectively. While writers know best what they want to say, readers ultimately decide if they've said it well. This long-established and highly respected text builds on that premise, providing detailed, concise instruction.

The 13th Edition includes up-to-date advice on gender-neutral writing, as well as writing for global audiences. The intent of the text is to help you understand what readers expect so that, informed by those expectations, you can more clearly communicate your ideas. This book is all you'll need to understand the principles of effective writing.

Table of contents

PART I: STYLE AS CHOICE

  1. Correctness and Style

PART II: CLARITY

  1. Actions
  2. Characters
  3. Cohesion and Coherence
  4. Emphasis

PART III: CLARITY OF FORM

  1. Framing Documents
  2. Framing Sections

PART IV: GRACE

  1. Concision
  2. Shape
  3. Elegance

PART V: ETHICS

  1. The Ethics of Clarity
  2. Beyond Clarity

APPENDICES

  1. Punctuation
  2. Using Sources

Author bios

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