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"The Elements of Style" is a classic reference book on writing style and grammar, written by William Strunk Jr. and later revised by E.B. White. Originally published in 1918 by Strunk, a Cornell University professor, it was intended as a concise guide for his students on effective writing. This link will take you to see a (wonderful) sample of the illustrated version, by Maira Kalman. [And yes, I named the padlet after the book! 🤓]

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Every English writer knows Strunk and White's The Elements of Style . The book's mantra, make every word tell, is still on point. This much-loved classic, now in its fourth edition, will forever be the go-to guide when in need of a hint to make a turn of phrase clearer or a reminder on how to enliven prose with the active voice. The only style manual to ever appear on bestseller lists has explained to millions of readers the basic principals of plain English, and Maira Kalman's fifty-seven exquisite illustrations give the revered work a jolt of new energy, making the learning experience more colorful and clear.

Click here to view photos, video and music from The Elements of Style (2005) song cycle composed by Nico Muhly, performed in the main reading room of the New York Public Library.

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Every English writer knows Strunk and White's The Elements of Style . The book's mantra, make every word tell, is still on point. This much-loved classic, now in its fourth edition, will forever be the go-to guide when in need of a hint to make a turn of phrase clearer or a reminder on how to enliven prose with the active voice.

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"Call me Ishmael." is the opening sentence of Moby Dick and such a powerful, yet simple way to begin a story. Picture the excitement of grabbing your readers' attention right from the start, pulling them into your own narrative. See more examples here!

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Can you tell a fantastic story from its first sentence? Here are some of the best in literature.

"First sentences are doors to worlds," wrote Ursula Le Guin in her essay The Fisherwoman's Daughter. Which is to say: in the hands of our greatest writers, opening lines cast an immediate spell, grab your attention like a starter's gun, set the tone and even foreshadow what is to come.

Here, we've picked 18 of our favourite opening lines in fiction. It's not exhaustive - there are far too many exquisite openers in literature to make space for them all - but these are some we find hard to forget.

Let us know your favourites on Twitter or at editor@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk.

'The King is dead. Long live the Queen.' The announcer's voice crackles from the wireless and winds around the rapt patrons of Berlin's Milk Bar as sinuously as the fog curls around the mournful street lamps, their wan glow barely illuminating the cobblestones.

Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. This story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air-raids.

Call me Ishmael.

I am an invisible man.

The story so far: in the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams (1980)

Read a newspaper lately? Hard not to agree, at times, with this line from Douglas Adams' second instalment of his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy. And if you disagree (the universe at least gave us love, right?), it should still make you laugh.

Mother died today. Or maybe, yesterday; I can't be sure.

It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn't know what I was doing in New York.

So. Many. Questions. And you've only read the first line. Turns out, death-obsessed Esther Greenwood is a far-from-happy college girl on the brink of a breakdown. But you got that already, right?
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (1937)
Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board.

It's not often opening line works as both a brilliant way into a story and a handy aphorism, but that's precisely what you get on page one of one of the crowning novels of the Harlem Renaissance.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson (1971)
We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold.

OK, pretty clear what this book is going to be about. And he hasn't just thrown back a couple of Nurofen after a few too many hours in the sun. No, this is a "a savage journey into the heart of the American dream" and a demented love letter to paranoia, insanity and superhuman levels of substance abuse.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1982)
You better not never tell nobody but God. It'd kill your mammy.

Words spoken by an abusive father to his daughter, this first line is one of the most sinister and haunting in all of fiction. Like the rest of Walker's masterpiece it is gripping and impossible to forget.

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

The snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation.

The sweat wis lashing oafay Sick Boy; he wis trembling.

124 was spiteful. Full of Baby's venom.

As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.

When Mary Lennox was sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle everybody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen.
What's your favourite opening line? Let us know by emailing editor@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk.
I write this sitting in the kitchen sink.

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Can you tell a fantastic story from its first sentence? Here are some of the best in literature. "First sentences are doors to worlds," wrote Ursula Le Guin in her essay The Fisherwoman's Daughter.

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This is a fantastic resource to get acquainted with personal statements. In addition to the essays, you can also read admissions officers' comments on each text, which provides insights into what worked.

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Essays That Worked Archives | Johns Hopkins University Admissions

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525 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing

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525 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing

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These 525 (!) prompts will hopefully inspire you to start collecting some ideas.

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525 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing - The New York Times

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🍳☕️📰Explore how simple rituals and habits shape happiness, resilience, and connection to the world around us. Perhaps it will get you thinking about your own rituals. What is non-negotiable for you?

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This website generates personal prompts to get you rolling the ideas in! You can choose to open it before writing or even organize a group activity.

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Through evocative imagery and powerful language, "Hair" celebrates individuality, resilience, and the transformative power of embracing one's heritage.

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Here's the full link in case you want to click on the stories linked there as well: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/14/learning/what-communities-are-you-a-part-of-what-communities-would-you-like-to-explore.html

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Sonya Huber, Beth Kephart, Leath Tonino, Jill Christman & more.

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College Essay Guy has this interesting activity regarding objects that we own and cherish, and how they can be at the center of a personal essay - if there is depth and something special that connects them.

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Starting with a compelling scene or event can make the reader curious and intrigued about what led up to that point and what will happen next, encouraging them to keep reading. This technique is also known as 'in medias res', in case you want to look it up!

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What is important to you? Start with this form by The College Essay Guy. Then, look at some of the items you've ticked and draw lived experiences that match them. For example, let's say you value humor: where is that present in your life? Can you think back to a specific moment when you understood its importance in your life?

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EducationUSA, in partnership with the Regional English Language Office created an essay writing resource center, which is an online platform that gathers resources to learn to write in English in academic format. The material is offered free of charge and can be accessed at any time.

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Essay Writing Resource Center - Brazil Website

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O EducationUSA, em conjunto com o Regional English Language Office, criou um centro de recursos para redações em inglês. O material é oferecido gratuitamente e você pode acessá-lo quando quiser.

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A popular online grammar checker that provides real-time suggestions for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and style errors. It offers both free and premium versions.

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Generative AI assistance for any writing challenge Try It for Free ⟶

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Millions trust Grammarly's AI writing assistance to communicate with confidence and make writing faster and more delightful. Getting started is simple - download the app today.

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A comprehensive online resource provided by Purdue University that offers extensive grammar guides, exercises, and citation style guides for various writing formats

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This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.

Mission

The Purdue On-Campus Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab assist clients in their development as writers-no matter what their skill level-with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue Writing Lab serves the Purdue, West Lafayette, campus and coordinates with local literacy initiatives. The Purdue OWL offers global support through online reference materials and services.

A Message From the Assistant Director of Content Development

The Purdue OWL® is committed to supporting students, instructors, and writers by offering a wide range of resources that are developed and revised with them in mind. To do this, the OWL team is always exploring possibilties for a better design, allowing accessibility and user experience to guide our process. As the OWL undergoes some changes, we welcome your feedback and suggestions by email at any time.

Please don't hesitate to contact us via our contact page if you have any questions or comments.

All the best,

Garrett

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Welcome to the Purdue Online Writing Lab

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This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice. Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.

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Think about a story you have enjoyed, whether it comes from a favorite childhood book or whether it’s a tale your friend told you yesterday or one your relatives love to repeat at family reunions. What makes that story memorable? Use the mentor texts and activities in this PDF to practice this technique.

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From admissions officers: "Some of the more mundane moments in life make great essays".

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Writing about a community/a group you belong to is most likely an essay you will have to tackle when applying to colleges and universities in the U.S. It can be a dance group, basketball team or even your family. Take a look at these cool prompts that connect food, traditions and family. 🥘🌿

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"I just wanted to not look at a screen. I didn’t have a book with me, so I took out my notebook and jotted down everything I saw, heard or smelled." Ready to give it a try?

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If you are stopping by this padlet, I'd love to hear from you - as simple as a hello. I wish padlets could be more community-oriented, so we could interact. Still, it'd be great to get an idea of who is interested in what we are discussing here! You can add your name, where you are from, role (student? advisor?), etc...