On Sat, 29 Aug 1998, Taper Wickel wrote:

One has often read and been told that Strunk and White is essential
for one reason alone: to break the rules set up in it, but to know
that you're doing so.

Exactly.  The rules of grammar -- or most anything, really -- were set up
for a reason.  Usually it's because they're convenient guidelines away
from the traps of poor writing or pitfalls of that kind.  If you want to
break a rule, at least know you're breaking it, and know what pitfalls
you're setting yourself up for.  That way you'll be able to chart a path
on your own, and try to avoid them in your own unique way.  If you do so,
you'll stand a chance of creating something truly great.  If you break the
rules just because you hate rules, you're probably going to blunder into
every cliche of bad writing out there.

-- 
Scott Johnson |
zagyg@io.com  |           This space intentionally left blank.