It’s often claimed in copywriting circles that grammar and spelling doesn’t have to be perfect.
And I have no doubt that that is true.
However, I have to wonder if there are any spelling or grammar errors in the Wall Street Journal letter; I suspect not.
So there are a couple of points that are worthwhile considering, especially those who are new to copywriting.
First, I have heard a copywriter of no little talent, John Carlton, heartily recommend Strunk & White, the “liitle book” titled “Elements of Style”.
Because the original version was published in 1918, that edition falls outside of any copyright protection, and the book can be found on the Web for free –
Here — if you wish to refer to it while writing online; or, failing that website, you can also find it at the stalwart Bartleby’s site, here.
And a version for download, here.
Strunk Wrote Alone
Interestingly enough, even though E. B. White was a student of Professor Strunk at Cornell University in 1919, he only became involved with the 43-page book after Strunk’s death in 1946.
Posthumously, Strunk Gained White As A Co-Author
The fog of time obscures what inspired publisher Macmillan & Company ro request White to revise and update the book. However, it may have been due to his authoring a laudatory article New York Times on the book. Under White the “little book” grew to over 80 pages. The classic “Strunk & White” came to be a staple of English classes throughout the U.S. after it’s initial publication in 1959 — a fame that the book never achieved during Strunk’s lifetime.
White Eschews Political Correctness — But Plea Removed in 4th Edition
White revised the “little book” 2 more times, the third edition containing an essay vigorously supporting the use of the word “he” to refer to people of any gender, instead of “they”. The fourth edition, revised in 1999 after his death, removed White’s impassioned plea — and political correctness reigns. You can purchase that most recent revision at Amazon, here: StrunkAndWhilte-4thEd