General Writing Rules (Strunk & White)

Foundational style guide for clear, concise prose based on Strunk & White's Elements of Style.

Core Principles

The Iron Law of Good Writing

Omit needless words.

Every word must earn its place. Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences.

Critical Rules

Red Flags - Stop If You Think

Rationalization Table - STOP If You Think:

Delete & Restart Triggers

If you catch yourself writing ANY of these, DELETE THE SENTENCE and START FRESH:

After deleting, restart the sentence with THE POINT first, then evidence.

Skipping the deletion pass is NOT HELPFUL — the user publishes bloated prose that buries their argument. Identify violations and purge them.

Drive-Aligned Framing

Skipping the sentence-level check is NOT HELPFUL — the user publishes weak prose that undermines their credibility. Reading your own output and thinking "looks good" is not editing.

• You skip the style check because the content is correct. The prose reads as AI slop — your content expertise is hidden behind bad writing.

Editing Checklist

Sentence Level

• Remove unnecessary words ("in order to" → "to")
• Replace weak verbs ("is able to" → "can")
• Convert passive to active voice
• Eliminate redundancies ("past history" → "history")

Paragraph Level

• Ensure each paragraph has one main idea
• Check topic sentences lead clearly
• Verify logical flow between paragraphs

Word Level

• Replace abstract nouns with concrete ones
• Use specific verbs over vague ones + adverbs
• Cut filler words ("very", "really", "quite", "rather")

Quick Reference: Common Fixes

Progressive Disclosure

For comprehensive guidance, consult:

• references/elements-of-style.md - Complete Strunk & White guide covering:
  • Elementary Rules of Usage (commas, colons, participles)
  • Elementary Principles of Composition (paragraph unity, active voice)
  • Words and Expressions Commonly Misused
  • Style guidance and literary reminders

Examples

Weak original:

It is important to note that there are a variety of different factors that contribute to the overall success of the project in question.

Strong revision:

Several factors determine project success.

Weak original:

The report was written by the team and was subsequently reviewed by management prior to being distributed to stakeholders.

Strong revision:

The team wrote the report, management reviewed it, and stakeholders received it.

Integration

After completing any writing task, invoke /ai-anti-patterns to check for AI writing indicators.