I don’t know a better book on writing than the Elements of Style. It’s clear, it’s timeless, and best of all: it’s only 84 pages long. Nevertheless, I sometimes wish I could be reminded of the Elements as I write – flipping through the pages every time I write a blog post, report, or paper just isn’t practical. Hence my quest for a cheatsheet. For the uninitiated: a cheatsheet is a one or two-page set of notes for quick reference; they are typically used for technical topics such as programming.

I found a cheatsheet on the web but I felt that it could be improved. So I created my own: a two-page PDF [click to download] of the Elements of Style, clearly laid out in compact tables with examples. I plan to print a double-sided copy and laminate it for everyday use.

Disclaimer: having to compress the whole book into a two-page sheet meant I had to sacrifice some of the rules and finer points. I hope I have succeeded in leaving out only those parts that are either (too) obvious or no longer necessary in a world of auto-correcting text editors and pop-up dictionaries. I also moved some of the examples from the Words and Expressions Commonly Misused section to an earlier section. I take full responsibility for any remaining errors and poor judgement.

N.B.: if you like the cheatsheet, buy the book. You won’t regret it.