A Writing Style

"You'll know a man by the book he reads" said my Mom, as she led me to the shelves that contained the many books my departed father had read. I was ten years old then, when my Mom tried to explain to me what kind of a man my father was. I knew not much about him, as he passed away when I was only five years old.

My father was a lawyer, a businessman, and a very spiritual person, according to my Mom. Still, I wanted to know more about him. I wondered how intelligent, and informed he was, until I saw the many books that he had read. They were of various subjects: law, finance, religion, history, novels, fiction, non-fiction, and a lot more. I could not figure out what his favorite interest was, though from there, I learned that he was a cultured, well read and highly educated man.

I did not read any of those books, as I was more interested in other things - play basketball with my peers, listen to the radio, or watch the television. I never read a book other than that required of the school. To me, books outside of classroom are for the scholars, if not for the adults. I had other concerns.

Repeatedly, my Mom would tell us siblings that Dad read a lot, and that he wrote well. At times, she would show us letters given to her by my Dad during their courtship years, to the time they were married. She would read them with much feeling, knowing when to pause, and when to stress a word. In the end, she would ask that we emulate him.

One summer, I asked my Mom what she thought was my Dad's favorite book, as I intended to read only that particular one. She said that while the Bible seemed to be his favorite, as he read that almost every day, the book entitled "The Elements of Style," however, was his constant companion. Mom said that the latter book never rested on the shelf, but on my Dad's working table at home, as it was read by him every now and then.

Seeing a small and thin book, I told myself that perhaps I could easily finish reading it. I was wondering though, why such a compact writing would be my father's favorite. I was expecting to see a thick book with hard bound covers. This one had all of the opposites. I tried reading it, anyway.

While browsing over the pages, I thought that everything it presented was but a reiteration of the grammar rules I could find in the prescribed readings in my English class. Besides, I thought, I knew the language well, having spoken it at home, as my father had strictly enforced on us. Unconvinced, I returned it to the shelf, thinking that it is best preserved, in memory of my father.

The book is a style guide, written by the Cornell University English professor, William Strunk Jr., in 1918 and was privately published a year after.

Concise as it was, the first edition contained four chapters, namely, "Elementary Rules of Usage," "Elementary Principles of Composition," "A Few Matters of Form," and "Words and Expressions Commonly Misused." Though brief, the subjects discussed were thoroughly explained in precise words and appropriate terms.

In 1959, Mc Millan and Company commissioned E.B. White to revise the book. White was Strunk's student, who had earlier written about his professor's book in a newspaper. In revising the book, White added another chapter entitled, "An Approach to Style," making five the total numbers of chapters. Since that revision, to the present 4th edition, the book has been known as "The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr., and E.B. White."

When I reached high school, I noticed that despite my facility of expression, I found it hard composing an essay, or any writing required of us. My works, after having been corrected by our teacher bore a lot of corrections. Then, I knew that the skills required in writing are different from that of speaking. That led me to consult the book, hoping that it could help me. For the second time I read it, albeit, more intently.

The chapter "Elementary Principles of Composition" taught me the rudiments of writing. Though I knew the major grammar rules, like the subject-verb agreement, the use of correct tenses, and the need to maintain the voice, they were not enough to equip me to write a decent prose. The basic elements of composition I learned there made me write about anything with ease. My otherwise tentative stoke of pen suddenly became fluid. Yes, I was writing.

The other part of the book, entitled, "An Approach to Style" taught me how to write clearly. There, I knew that even if a piece of writing had no grammar flaws, clarity of thought cannot be had without the use of proper syntax. I have learned to convey my thoughts more effectively.

The other chapters, nonetheless, have been useful to me. As I followed the elementary rules of usage that it teaches, the more I was freed from committing the usual mistakes in writing. Knowing about the words and expressions commonly misused saved me from using phrases that are inappropriate. Learning about forms enabled me to present my ideas in ways suited to the kind of text I was writing.

I am thankful to this book that has been my coach, my trainer, and my mentor. Like how it was to my late father, it has become my constant companion. It has guided me through all my writings, and presently is my critic, as I scribble this essay. Above all, it has given birth to a writing style I humbly call my own.