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HOW TO WRITE CLEARLY.
RULES AND EXERCISES
ON
ENGLISH COMPOSITION.

BY THE
REV. EDWIN A. ABBOTT, M.A.,
HEAD MASTER OF THE CITY OF LONDON SCHOOL.
THE AUTHOR’S COPYRIGHT EDITION.


BOSTON:
ROBERTS BROTHERS.
1883.

UNIVERSITY PRESS: JOHN WILSON & SON.
CAMBRIDGE.


CONTENTS.

PAGE

INDEX OF RULES 11-13

RULES 14-40

SHORT EXERCISES 41-63

CONTINUOUS EXERCISES—CLARENDON 64-70

” ” BURNET 70-73

” ” BUTLER 74-75

” ” SIR ARCHIBALD ALISON 76-78




INDEX OF RULES.


I. CLEARNESS AND FORCE.


WORDS.

1. Use words in their proper sense.

2. Avoid exaggerations.

3. Avoid useless circumlocution and “fine writing.”

4. Be careful in the use of “not … and,” “any,” “but,” “only,” “not
… or,” “that.”

4 a_. Be careful in the use of ambiguous words, _e.g. “certain.”

5. Be careful in the use of “he,” “it,” “they,” “these,” &c.

6. Report a speech in the First Person, where necessary to avoid
ambiguity.

6 _a_. Use the Third Person where the exact words of the speaker are
not intended to be given.

etc.