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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.

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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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