How to Write Clearly | Page 3

only so far as is necessary to point out
the slovenly fault of trusting too much to punctuation, and too little to
arrangement.
[2] Before meeting with Professor Bain's rule, I had shown that the
difference between the Relatives is generally observed by Shakespeare.
See "Shakespearian Grammar," paragraph 259.
[3] Sir Archibald Alison stands on a very different footing. The extracts
from this author are intended to exhibit the dangers of verbosity and
exaggeration.
[4] "English Composition and Rhetoric," p. vii.

CONTENTS.
PAGE

INDEX OF RULES 11-13
RULES 14-40
SHORT EXERCISES 41-63
CONTINUOUS EXERCISES--CLARENDON 64-70
" " BURNET 70-73
" " BUTLER 74-75
" " SIR ARCHIBALD ALISON 76-78

INDEX OF RULES.
I. CLEARNESS AND FORCE.
WORDS.
1. Use words in their proper sense.
2. Avoid exaggerations.
3. Avoid useless circumlocution and "fine writing."
4. Be careful in the use of "not ... and," "any," "but," "only," "not ... or,"
"that."
4 a. Be careful in the use of ambiguous words, e.g. "certain."
5. Be careful in the use of "he," "it," "they," "these," &c.
6. Report a speech in the First Person, where necessary to avoid
ambiguity.
6 a. Use the Third Person where the exact words of the speaker are not
intended to be given.

6 b. Omission of "that" in a speech in the Third Person.
7. When you use a Participle implying "when," "while," "though," or
"that," show clearly by the context what is implied.
8. When using the Relative Pronoun, use "who" or "which," if the
meaning is "and he" or "and it," "for he" or "for it." In other cases use
"that," if euphony allows. Exceptions.
9. Do not use "and which" for "which."
10. Equivalents for the Relative: (a) Participle or Adjective; (b)
Infinitive; (c) "Whereby," "whereto," &c.; (d) "If a man;" (e) "And he,"
"and this," &c.; (f) "what;" (g) omission of Relative.
10 a'. Repeat the Antecedent before the Relative, where the
non-repetition causes any ambiguity. See 38.
11. Use particular for general terms. Avoid abstract Nouns.
11 a. Avoid Verbal Nouns where Verbs can be used.
12. Use particular persons instead of a class.
13. Use metaphor instead of literal statement.
14. Do not confuse metaphor.
14 a. Do not mix metaphor with literal statement.
14 b. Do not use poetic metaphor to illustrate a prosaic subject.
ORDER OF WORDS IN A SENTENCE.
15. Emphatic words must stand in emphatic positions; i.e., for the most
part, at the beginning or the end of the sentence.
15 a. Unemphatic words must, as a rule, be kept from the end.
Exceptions.

15 b. An interrogation sometimes gives emphasis.
16. The Subject, if unusually emphatic, should often be transferred
from the beginning of the sentence.
17. The Object is sometimes placed before the Verb for emphasis.
18. Where several words are emphatic, make it clear which is the most
emphatic. Emphasis can sometimes be given by adding an epithet, or
an intensifying word.
19. Words should be as near as possible to the words with which they
are grammatically connected.
20. Adverbs should be placed next to the words they are intended to
qualify.
21. "Only"; the strict rule is that "only" should be placed before the
word it affects.
22. When "not only" precedes "but also," see that each is followed by
the same part of speech.
23. "At least," "always," and other adverbial adjuncts, sometimes
produce ambiguity.
24. Nouns should be placed near the Nouns that they define.
25. Pronouns should follow the Nouns to which they refer, without the
intervention of any other Noun.
26. Clauses that are grammatically connected should be kept as close
together as possible. Avoid parentheses. But see 55.
27. In conditional sentences, the antecedent or "if-clauses" must be kept
distinct from the consequent clauses.
28. Dependent clauses preceded by "that" should be kept distinct from
those that are independent.

29. Where there are several infinitives, those that are dependent on the
same word must be kept distinct from those that are not.
30. The principle of Suspense.
30 a. It is a violation of the principle of suspense to introduce
unexpectedly at the end of a long sentence, some short and unemphatic
clause beginning with (a) "not," (b) "which."
31. Suspense must not be excessive.
32. In a sentence with "if," "when," "though," &c., put the "if-clause,"
antecedent, or protasis, first.
33. Suspense is gained by placing a Participle or Adjective, that
qualifies the Subject, before the Subject.
34. Suspensive Conjunctions, e.g. "either," "not only," "on the one
hand," &c., add clearness.
35. Repeat the Subject, where its omission would cause obscurity or
ambiguity.
36. Repeat a Preposition after an intervening Conjunction, especially if
a Verb and an Object also intervene.
37. Repeat Conjunctions, Auxiliary Verbs, and Pronominal Adjectives.
37 a. Repeat Verbs after the Conjunctions "than,"