An English writing style is a way of using the English language.

The style of a piece of writing is the way in which features of the language are used to convey meaning, typically but not always within the constraints of more widely accepted conventions of grammar and spelling.

An individual's writing style may be a very personal thing. Organizations that employ writers or commission written work from individuals may require that writers conform to a standardized style defined by the organization. This allows a consistent readability of composite works produced by many authors, and promotes usability of, for example, references to other cited works.

In many kinds of professional writing aiming for effective transfer of information, adherence to a standardised style of writing helps readers make sense of what the writer is presenting. Many standardised styles are documented in style guides. Some styles are more widely used, others restricted to a particular journal. Adherence to no particular style is also a style in its own right - some may think it undesirable, others not. Style guides generally give guidance on language use. ...

Personal styles

All writing has some style, even if the author is not thinking about the style. It is important to understand that style reflects meaning. For instance,if a writer wants to express a torrent of euphoria, he might write in a style overflowing with expressive modifiers. Some writers use styles that are very specific, for example in pursuit of an artistic effect. Sylistic rule-breaking is exemplified by the poet E. E. Cummings, whose writing uses mainly only lower case letters. E. E. Cummings Edward Estlin Cummings (October 14, 1894 – September 3, 1962), abbreviated E. E. Cummings, was an American poet, painter, essayist, and playwright. ...

Academic styles

See also

• The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White, a well-known guide to American usage
• Fowler's Modern English Usage, a well-known guide to British English usage
• List of frequently misused English words
• Apa style, American Psychological Association (APA) style - widely accepted for research papers
• MLA style manual, Modern Language Association's (MLA) style - most often used in English studies, and literary criticism

The Elements of Style, 2000 edition. ... William Strunk Jr. ... Elwyn Brooks White (July 11, 1899 – October 1, 1985) was a leading American essayist, author, and literary stylist. ... A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, often referred to simply as Fowlers Modern English Usage, or Fowler, is a style guide to British English usage. ... Dialect areas of England British English (BrE) is a term used to differentiate between the form of the English language used in the British Isles and those used elsewhere. ... The meanings of words in the English language often change over time. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Sixth Edition The MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (2d ed) The Modern Language Associations (MLA) style manual is an academic style guide. ...

External links

• California State University Library Style List.

Further reading

• The Columbia Guide to Online Style (Janice R. Walker and Todd Taylor, Columbia University Press, 1998) paperback ISBN 0-231-10789-7 and hardback ISBN 0-231-10788-9