Elements of Style

The Elements of Style are

• the linguistic attributes of texts
  • For example, is the person’s language succinct? simple? comprehensible? grammatically correct?the visual attributes of texts
  • For example, does the writer use visual language? (e.g., charts, figures, graphs, tables; icons, ideograms, pictographs; illustrations; photographs).

Key Concepts: Persona; Register; Styles of Writing; Tone; Voice

The Elements of Style is a topic rooted in history, social and cultural practices, and the human mind. The study of style has deep roots in multiple disciplines. Stylists (see especially Joseph Williams or William Zinsser) and linguists study language practices in situ and the effects of those practices on readability and comprehension. And, of course, writers often reflect on style and their craft.

Perhaps the most important elements of style are brevity, clarity, and simplicity. These linguistic attributes are the foundation of successful writing. Adherence to conventions, especially grammar and mechanics, also are also critical to successful communication. elements of style.

Styles are constantly changing as a result of new communication technologies and practices. Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, for instance, have impacted the length of sentences and use of visuals in professional discourse. Style plays a major role in the commercialization of any product or service.

Linguists, stylists, developers–and other symbol analyts . . . analyze

• the linguistic attributes of written and spoken discourse, such as sentence length, sentence patterns, diction
• the use of visual language and design principles, including
  • Color
  • Copy
  • Line
  • Shape
  • Size
  • Texture
  • Typography
• the design principles of art and visual discourse
  • Alignment
  • Balance: Symmetrical, Asymmetrical, & Radial
  • Closure
  • Continuity
  • Contrast
  • Emphasis
  • Figure-Ground
  • Focal Point
  • Gestalt, Gestalt Theory
  • Harmony
  • Movement
  • Pattern
  • Proportion
  • Proximity
  • Repetition
  • Rhythm
  • Scale
  • Similarity
  • Unity
  • Variety

Style may be analyzed at the micro or macro level:

• Examples of valued language practices at the global/rhetorical level are whether a rhetor stays focused on a unified topic, maintains a consistent rhetorical stance, and provides substantive content, especially evidence for claims.
• Examples of language practices at the local/syntactical level are the rhetor’s diction, sentence structure, paragraph structure.

Resources

If you wish to purchase a traditional book on style, Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace, 5th Edition by Joseph M. Williams & Joseph Bizup, is strongly recommended.