This eBook has been formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. The Elements of Style William Strunk concentrated on specific questions of usage—and the cultivation of good writing—with the recommendation "Make every word tell"; hence the 17th principle of composition is the simple instruction: "Omit needless words." The book was also listed as one of the 100 best and most influential books written in English since 1923 by Time in its 2011 list.