# Adilkalam Orca Elements Of Style > Elements of Style -- Core Rules - Skill: `tomevault-io/adilkalam-orca-elements-of-style` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/adilkalam-orca-elements-of-style` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/adilkalam-orca-elements-of-style/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/adilkalam-orca-elements-of-style --- # Elements of Style -- Core Rules These rules have the highest impact on writing quality. Apply them to all prose output. ## Rule 1: Use the active voice The active voice is more direct and vigorous than the passive. | Weak (passive) | Strong (active) | |---|---| | My first visit to Boston will always be remembered by me. | I shall always remember my first visit to Boston. | | There were a great number of dead leaves lying on the ground. | Dead leaves covered the ground. | | The reason that he left college was that his health became impaired. | Failing health compelled him to leave college. | | It was not long before he was very sorry that he had said what he had. | He soon repented his words. | Avoid making one passive depend directly upon another. The passive voice is acceptable when the receiver of the action is the topic of the paragraph. ## Rule 2: Put statements in positive form Make definite assertions. Avoid tame, colorless, hesitating, non-committal language. Use *not* as a means of denial or antithesis, never as evasion. | Weak (negative evasion) | Strong (positive) | |---|---| | He was not very often on time. | He usually came late. | | not honest | dishonest | | did not remember | forgot | | did not pay any attention to | ignored | | did not have much confidence in | distrusted | ## Rule 3: Use definite, specific, concrete language Prefer the specific to the general, the definite to the vague, the concrete to the abstract. | Vague | Concrete | |---|---| | A period of unfavorable weather set in. | It rained every day for a week. | | He showed satisfaction as he took possession of his well-earned reward. | He grinned as he pocketed the coin. | ## Rule 4: Omit needless words Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, but that he make every word tell. | Wordy | Concise | |---|---| | the question as to whether | whether | | there is no doubt but that | no doubt | | used for fuel purposes | used for fuel | | he is a man who | he | | in a hasty manner | hastily | | owing to the fact that | since | | the fact that he had not succeeded | his failure | ## Rule 5: Avoid a succession of loose sentences Do not construct too many sentences of two co-ordinate clauses joined by *and*, *but*, *so*, *who*, *which*, *when*. Vary sentence structure: use simple sentences, semicolon-joined clauses, periodic sentences, and sentences of three clauses. ## Words to Watch These words often signal weak writing. When you spot them, consider revision: - **case, character, nature** -- Usually redundant ("acts of a hostile character" becomes "hostile acts") - **factor, feature** -- Hackneyed; replace with something more direct - **interesting** -- Don't announce; demonstrate - **very** -- Use sparingly; prefer words strong in themselves - **however** -- Not to come first in its sentence when meaning "nevertheless" - **literally** -- Often incorrectly used to support exaggeration --- > Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/adilkalam) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.