Style Lesson2 Summary

Once Williams’ audience understands the importance of writing clearly, he tackles a typically painful lesson: correctness. By outlining the different kinds of grammar rules, detailing the two kinds of invented rules, and providing examples where authors use “incorrect” grammar correctly, Williams teaches his audience that writing correctly does not mean following every grammatical rule ever established. Correct writing should not interfere with clarity, and when a writer must choose between correctness and clarity, clarity should always win.
Before getting into the dirty details of proper grammar, Williams claims correctness as both a historical accident and as unpredictable. Grammar holds as much power as writers give it, but in order to make grammatical choices one must learn about different types of rules. Williams talks about three kinds of rules- real rules define what makes English (articles precede nouns), the rules of Standard English distinguish standard dialect from nonstandard dialect, and invented rules include Folklore and Elegant Options. Because real rules are so simple and only difficult for a stranger to the English language, Williams details the two kinds of Invented Rules, beginning with Folklore. Very few readers notice if Folklore rules are violated, and because many writers ignore them, they are not really rules at all (Ex: beginning sentences with and, but, or because). Next, Williams discusses Elegant Options. Very few readers notice these rules as well, and authors choose to follow them as a stylistic move rather than a correctness move (Ex: don’t end a sentence with a preposition).
After reviewing the three kinds of rules, and looking at examples where violation of Folklore rules and Elegant Options are ok, Williams reader understands that if readers and writers ignore a rule, then the grammarians should change their rules rather then the writers. Although Williams believes in correctness, he understands that writers enjoy perusing choices that arise when writing clearly and gracefully, not grammatically correct.