PREFACE Asserting that one must first know the rules to break them,this classic reference is a must-have for any student and conscientious writer.Intended for use in which the practice of composition is combined with the study of literature,it gives in brief space the principal requirements of plain English style and concentrates attention on the rules of usage and principles of composition most commonly violated. iiPREFACE Asserting that one must first know the rules to break them, this classic reference is a must-have for any student and conscientious writer. Intended for use in which the practice of composition is combined with the study of literature, it gives in brief space the principal requirements of plain English style and concentrates attention on the rules of usage and principles of composition most commonly violated. iii