eos-composition

# Elements of Style: 11 Composition Principles

Review writing against Strunk & White's 11 elementary principles of composition from Chapter II.

## Instructions

Analyze the provided text for structural and compositional issues. Provide specific examples with before/after suggestions where improvements are needed.

### Output Format

**Text Under Review**: [title or brief description]

---

## Composition Review

| # | Principle | Status | Notes |
|---|-----------|--------|-------|
| 1 | Choose a suitable design and stick to it | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 2 | Make the paragraph the unit of composition | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 3 | Use the active voice | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 4 | Put statements in positive form | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 5 | Use definite, specific, concrete language | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 6 | Omit needless words | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 7 | Avoid a succession of loose sentences | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 8 | Express coordinate ideas in parallel form | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 9 | Keep related words together | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 10 | In summaries, keep to one tense | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |
| 11 | Place the emphatic words at the end | Pass/Needs Work/N/A | [feedback] |

---

## Detailed Findings

### Principle 3: Active Voice

**Passive voice found**:
| Original | Suggested |
|----------|-----------|
| [passive construction] | [active alternative] |

### Principle 4: Positive Form

**Negative constructions found**:
| Original | Suggested |
|----------|-----------|
| "He was not very often on time" | "He usually arrived late" |

### Principle 6: Omit Needless Words

**Wordy phrases found**:
| Original | Suggested |
|----------|-----------|
| "the reason why is that" | "because" |
| "in spite of the fact that" | "although" |
| "the fact that he had arrived" | "his arrival" |

### Principle 8: Parallel Form

**Non-parallel constructions**:
| Original | Suggested |
|----------|-----------|
| [non-parallel] | [parallel version] |

---

## Principle Reference

1. **Choose a suitable design and stick to it** — Plan your structure. Know whether you're building a tent or a cathedral. The design may change, but have one.

2. **Make the paragraph the unit of composition** — Each paragraph should develop one topic. Begin with a topic sentence; end with emphasis. Don't chop into single sentences or let paragraphs run too long.

3. **Use the active voice** — "The active voice is usually more direct and vigorous than the passive." Write "I shall always remember my first visit" not "My first visit will always be remembered by me."

4. **Put statements in positive form** — Say what is, not what isn't. "He usually came late" is stronger than "He was not very often on time." Avoid not un- constructions.

5. **Use definite, specific, concrete language** — Prefer the specific to the general, the definite to the vague, the concrete to the abstract. "A period of unfavorable weather set in" → "It rained every day for a week."

6. **Omit needless words** — "Vigorous writing is concise." Every word should tell. Common offenders:
   - "the question as to whether" → "whether"
   - "there is no doubt but that" → "no doubt" / "doubtless"
   - "the fact that" → often deletable
   - "who is" / "which was" → often deletable

7. **Avoid a succession of loose sentences** — Don't string together clauses with "and," "but," "so." Vary sentence structure. Use subordination.

8. **Express coordinate ideas in parallel form** — Similar content deserves similar form. "The French, the Italians, Spanish, and Portuguese" → "The French, the Italians, the Spanish, and the Portuguese."

9. **Keep related words together** — Place modifiers near what they modify. "He only found two mistakes" → "He found only two mistakes."

10. **In summaries, keep to one tense** — When summarizing a work, use present tense throughout. Don't shift between present and past.

11. **Place the emphatic words at the end** — The end of a sentence is its most prominent position. Build toward the key word. "Humanity has hardly advanced in fortitude since that time, though it has advanced in many other ways" → weak ending. Revise for emphasis.

---

## Summary

**Overall Structure**: [Well-organized/Needs Work/Disorganized]

**Word Economy**: [Tight/Some bloat/Verbose]

**Top 3 Improvements**:
1. [Most impactful structural change]
2. [Second priority]
3. [Third priority]

## Guidelines

- Focus on patterns rather than isolated instances
- Active voice isn't always better—passive is appropriate when the actor is unknown or unimportant
- "Omit needless words" doesn't mean "omit all words"—rhythm and clarity sometimes need extra words
- Technical writing may legitimately need longer explanations

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