A Quote by William Strunk, Jr.

Vigorous writing is concise. 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.

Quote Topics

Concise Contain Drawing Lines Machine Paragraph Parts Reason Same Sentence Sentences Should Should Have Unnecessary Vigorous Words Writing

Quote Author

William Strunk, Jr.
American - Writer
July 1, 1869 - September 26, 1946

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.

A drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.

William Strunk, Jr.

A man should remove not only unnecessary acts, but also unnecessary thoughts, for then superfluous activity will not follow.

Marcus Aurelius

Most of what we say and do is unnecessary: remove the superfluity, and you will have more time and less bother. So in every case one should prompt oneself: 'Is this, or is it not, something necessary?' And the removal of the unnecessary should apply not only to actions but to thoughts also: then no redundant actions either will follow.

Marcus Aurelius

Politics sometimes is not only unnecessary but also unnecessary complicated.

Jonas Jonasson

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Don't store unnecessary data, keep an eye on what's happening, and don't take unnecessary risks.

Chris Bell

Sports allow men to build up situations of emergency. What he then demands of himself is unnecessary achievement - and unnecessary sacrifice. He artificially creates the tension that he has been spared by affluent society.

Viktor E. Frankl

I find it unnecessary, useless and frankly a bit unnecessary to get into all sorts of debates over President Obama's religion or the authenticity of his birth. I know for some people that it is an obsession. It is not with me.

Mike Huckabee

Unnecessary possessions are unnecessary burdens.

Peace Pilgrim

Unnecessary possessions are unnecessary burdens. If you have them, you have to take care of them! There is great freedom in simplicity of living. It is those who have enough but not too much who are the happiest.

Peace Pilgrim

Niagara Falls is simply a vast unnecessary amount of water going over the wrong way and then falling over unnecessary cliffs...The wonder would be if the water did not fall.

Oscar Wilde

I would suggest that excellence occurs in direct proportion to necessary suffering, but in inverse proportion to unnecessary suffering or toxic stress. Connection is the best antidote to unnecessary suffering.

Edward Hallowell

I have spent my entire career advocating for free-market economic policies, trying to convince the leaders of this country that unnecessary government interference in the market-place - and let's face it, most government is totally unnecessary - destroys liberty and inhibits prosperity.