II. Elementary Principles of Composition

12. Choose a suitable design and hold to it.

모든 글쓰기는 설계가 중요하다. -> 형태를 잡아라.

13. Make the paragraph the unit of composition.

한 단락은 주제 하나를 갖고, 그 주제를 제안하는 문장이나, 주제 전환에 도움이 되는 문장으로 시작해라.

14. Use the active voice.

누가 화자이냐 -> 어떤 입장에서 문장을 써 내려갈 것이냐. 주어를 뭘로 하느냐에 따라 문장 느낌이 달라짐.

15. Put statements in positive form.

• not을 부정/반대의 수단으로 사용. 회피(x) ex)

1. He was not very often on time. -> He usually came late.
2. She did not think that studying Latin was a sensible way to use one's time. -> She thought the study of Latin a waste of time.

독자는 무엇이 아닌 상태에 만족하지 않고 정확히 어떤 상태임을 확인하고 싶어한다.

• 부정과 긍정을 같이 사용함으로써 강조 표현 가능.

  ex) Not charity, but simple justice., Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.

• not 대신 다른 단어 사용하기.

• ~할 것이다., ~인 듯하다. 같이 불확실한 말 쓰지 말기

  ex) would, should, could, may, might, can 같은 것.

16. Use definite, specific, concrete language.

ex) A period of unfavorable weather set in -> It rained every day for a week.

• 중요한 detail 이 주어지면 독자는 상상 속에서 자신을 투영할 수 있게 된다.
• vigor 가 없으면 너무 딱딱하고 가독성이 떨어진다.

17. Omit needless words.

vigorous 하다가 자칫하면 비유나 부사가 덕지덕지 붙었다고 착각할 수 있는데(내가) 오히려 vigorous 한 문장은 간결하다. 불필요한 단어, 문장, 파트가 없어야 한다.

-> 모든 문장이 짧아야한다 (X) 세부 사항 다 빼고 개요로만 다뤄 (X) -> 모든 단어가 의미를 가져야 한다.

ex)

• the question as to whether -> whether (the question whether)
• there is no doubt but that -> no doubt (doubtless)
• used for fuel purposes -> used for fuel
• he is a man who -> he
• in a hasty manner -> hastily
• this is a subject that -> this subject
• Her story is a strange one. -> Her story is strange.
• the reason why is that -> because

• 특히 The fact that은 무조건 고치자.

ex)

• owing to the fact that -> since(because)
• in spite of the fact that -> though(although)
• call your attention to the fact that -> remind you (notify you)
• I was unaware of the fact that -> I was unaware that (did not know)
• the fact that he had not succeeded -> his failure
• the fact that I had arrived -> my arrival

등..

• who is, which was 도 불필요하다.

ex)

• His cousin, who is a member of the same firm -> His cousin, a member of the same firm
• Trafalgar, which was Nelson's last battle -> Trafalgar, Nelson's last battle

• 수동적 표현보다는 능동적 표현, 부정 표현보다는 긍정 표현 (14, 15에서 했었던 것처럼!)

• 장황한 문장을 줄이는 방법은, 차례차례 하나씩 합쳐보는 것이다.

Macbeth was very ambitious. This led him to wish to become king of Scotland. The witches told him that this wish of his would come true. The king of Scotland at this time was Duncan. Encouraged by his wife, Macbeth murdered Duncan. He was thus enabled to succeed Duncan as king. (51 words)

->

Encouraged by his wife, Macbeth achieved his ambition and realized the prediction of the witches by murdering Duncan and becoming king of Scotland in his place. (26 words)

18. Avoid a succession of loose sentences.

loose sentences -> monotony 제거해야 함 -> 재구성

• 단순한 문장
• 세미콜론으로 결합된 두 절 문장
• 마침표 로 대체해야한다.

19. Express coordinate ideas in similar form.

• 병렬 구성 : 내용과 기능이 유사한 표현이 외형적으로도 유사

형태의 유사성은 독자가 내용과 기능의 유사성을 더 쉽게 인식할 수 있도록 도와준다.

ex) Formerly, science was taught by the textbook method, while now the laboratory method is employed.

->

Formerly, science was taught by the textbook method; now it is taught by the laboratory method.

• 병렬 구조에서 전체적으로 적용되는 조항이나 전치사는

1. 첫 번째에만 사용
2. 다 사용 해야한다.

ex)

• the French, the Italians, Spanish, and Portuguese.->the French, the Italians, the Spanish, and the Portuguese.
• in spring, summer, or in winter -> in spring, summer, or winter 혹은 in spring, in summer, or in winter

• 전치사가 필요한 관용어의 경우, 모두 같은 전치사를 사용하는 것이 아닌 이상 각자의 전치사들을 다 붙여줘야 한다.

ex) His speech was marked by disagreement and scorn for his opponent’s position -> His speech was marked by disagreement with and scorn for his opponent’s position.

• Correlative expressions (both, and; not, but; not only, but also; either, or; first, second, third; and the like) 는 같은 문법 구조로 묶여야 한다.

만약 하다가, 병렬 구조로 엮어야 할 것들이 너무 많다면?

1. 아마 그 많은 것들을 분류할 수 있는 단어/개념이 있을 것
2. 표같은 statement 를 사용하는 것도 방법

20. Keep related words together.

단어의 위치는 단어간의 관계를 보여준다.

비슷한 의미를 가진 단어들은 같이 묶어주고, 관계 없는 단어들은 따로 떨어뜨려 놓는 것이 좋다.

ex)

1. He noticed a large stain in the rug that was right in the center. -> He noticed a large stain right in the center of the rug.

수정 전 : stain 이 rug의 중앙인지, room 의 중앙인지 알 수 없음

1. You can call your mother in London and tell her all about George's taking you out to dinner for just two dollars. -> For just two dollars you can call your mother in London and tell her all about George's taking you out to dinner.

수정 전 : 2달러가 어디 쓰이는 지 알 수 없음.

• 문장의 주어는 구절이나 절에 의해 분리되어서는 안 된다. -> 문장의 흐름이 끊김.

ex) A dog, if you failed to discipline him, becomes a household pest. -> Unless disciplined, a dog becomes a household pest.

물론 의도적으로 사용한다면 가능하다. (Relative clause 혹은 동치 표현을 사용할 때 한 번 끊어갈 수 있음)

ex)

• 관계절

There was a stir in the audience that suggested disapproval.

->

A stir that suggested disapproval swept the audience.

• 동치 표현 :

He wrote three articles about his adventures in Spain, which were published in Harper's Magazine.

->

He published three articles in Harper's Magazine about his adventures in Spain.

• 관계절은 문장 앞에 와야한다.

  ex) A proposal to amend the Sherman Act, which has been variously judged 는 주어가 proposal 인지 Sherman Act 인지 헷갈리기 때문에 A proposal, which has been variously judged, to amend the Sherman Act... 로 고치는 것이 맞다.

• 동치 명사는 선행 명사와 상대 명사 사이에 올 수 있다.

  ex) The grandson of William Henry Harrison, who -> William Henry Harrison's grandson, Benjamin Harrison, who

• 수식어는 가능한 경우 수식하는 단어 바로 옆에 와야 한다.

  ex)

  • All the members were not present. -> Not all the members were present.
  • She only found two mistakes. -> she found only two mistakes.

21. In summaries, keep to one tense.

• 요약문에서는 시제 하나로 통일.
• 다른 사람의 진술이나 생각을 제시할 때, 처음에만 분명히 말해두고 반복하지 말 것.

22. Place the emphatic words of a sentence at the end.

• 강조할 말은 끝에 두기.

ex) Humanity has hardly advanced in fortitude since that time, though it has advanced in many other ways. -> Since that time, humanity has advanced in many ways, but it has hardly advanced in fortitude.

• 아니면 시작할 때 두기

  ex)

• Deceit or treachery she could never forgive.
• Vast and rude, fretted by the action of nearly three thousand years, the fragments of this architecture may often seem, at first sight, like works of nature.
• Home is the sailor.

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💡 해당 포스팅은 The Elements of style 교재를 통해 학습한 내용을 정리한 글입니다.