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A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.
William Strunk, Jr.
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Conciseness is essential in writing and design; every part should serve a purpose.

This quote emphasizes the importance of brevity and clarity in both writing and design. It suggests that just as a sentence should avoid unnecessary words, a paragraph should eliminate extraneous sentences, and similarly, a drawing should not have superfluous lines and a machine should not include unneeded parts, all adhering to the principle of efficiency and effective communication.

Themes

ConcisenessBrevityEfficiencyWritingDesign

In practice

Example use cases

In a writing workshop, this quote can be referenced to encourage students to edit their drafts for clarity.

More from William Strunk, Jr.

Remember, it is no sign of weakness or defeat that your manuscript ends up in need of major surgery. This is a common occurrence in all writing, and among the best writers.
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The surest way to arouse and hold the attention of the reader is by being specific, definitive, and concrete. The greatest writers - Homer, Dante, Shakespeare - are effective largely because they deal in particulars and report the details that matter. Their words call up pictures.
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Instead of announcing what you are about to tell is interesting, make it so.
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The approach to style is by way of plainness, simplicity, orderliness, sincerity.
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Make definite assertions. Avoid tame, colorless, hesitating, non-committal language.
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