The Sense of Style audiobook cover - The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century

The Sense of Style

The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century

Steven Pinker

★ 4.2 / 5(108 ratings)
Start ListeningDownload App
Categories:
Communication Skills

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

Listen to The Sense of Style — Free Audiobook

Loading player...

Key Takeaways from The Sense of Style

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from The Sense of Style

Mind Map

The Sense of Style
Cultivating Style+
The Classic Style+
The Curse of Knowledge+
Syntax & Punctuation+
Strategic Passive Voice+
Text Coherence+
Debunking Grammar Myths+
Word Choice & Malaprops+
Final Polish+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8
According to the text, how do most accomplished writers primarily develop their sense of style?
  • A. By strictly memorizing grammar and punctuation rules from comprehensive style guides.
  • B. By paying close attention to other books and prose they have read and enjoyed.
  • C. By taking academic courses focused on literary analysis and classic literature.
  • D. By writing as much as possible without worrying about the foundational rules of grammar.
Question 2 of 8
What is a defining characteristic of the 'classic style' of writing?
  • A. It relies heavily on academic jargon to establish the author's credibility and expertise.
  • B. It assumes the writer and reader are equals and aims to clearly guide the reader to understanding.
  • C. It obscures arguments with qualifiers like 'seemingly' and 'virtually' to avoid absolute claims.
  • D. It is exclusively used in literary classics and avoids everyday metaphors.
Question 3 of 8
What does the 'curse of knowledge' refer to in the context of writing?
  • A. The writer's tendency to over-explain simple concepts, thereby insulting the reader's intelligence.
  • B. The inability of a writer to remember that their readers might not be experts on the subject.
  • C. A condition where highly educated writers struggle to write compelling fictional narratives.
  • D. The reader's frustration when a text is filled with grammatical and syntactical errors.
Question 4 of 8
Why might a good writer choose to use the passive voice, despite common advice to avoid it?
  • A. It helps to obscure the identity of the actor when the writer is unsure of the facts.
  • B. It allows the writer to guide the reader's attention by putting the main subject front and center.
  • C. It is strictly required in academic and bureaucratic writing to maintain a professional tone.
  • D. It automatically makes sentences shorter and less wordy than the active voice.
Question 5 of 8
How does the text suggest writers create 'arcs of coherence' in their work?
  • A. By using transitions and connecting words to clearly link sentences and paragraphs.
  • B. By ensuring every sentence is written in the active voice to maintain momentum.
  • C. By strictly following a traditional outline formatted with roman numerals and letters.
  • D. By delaying the main point until the end of the text to build suspense.
Question 6 of 8
According to the book, why is the rule against 'split infinitives' (e.g., 'to boldly go') considered a false rule?
  • A. It was invented by modern style guides to simplify complex sentence structures.
  • B. It stems from a misguided application of Latin grammar rules to the English language.
  • C. It was popularized by television shows like Star Trek and has no historical basis in literature.
  • D. It only applies to spoken English and was never meant to regulate written prose.
Question 7 of 8
What is a 'malaprop' in writing?
  • A. A sentence that lacks proper subject-verb agreement.
  • B. The use of a word that sounds similar to the intended word but means something entirely different.
  • C. A punctuation error that completely changes the meaning of a sentence.
  • D. The unnecessary use of high-level vocabulary to prove the writer's expertise.
Question 8 of 8
What actionable advice does the text offer to help writers spot stilted or clumsy writing before publishing?
  • A. Run the text through a digital grammar checker to find syntax errors.
  • B. Ask a grammar purist to review the text for obsolete rules.
  • C. Read the draft aloud to check its rhythm.
  • D. Remove all adjectives and adverbs from the final draft to improve clarity.

The Sense of Style — Full Chapter Overview

The Sense of Style Summary & Overview

The Sense of Style (2014) offers a refreshing and relevant guide to writing potent, readable texts of all kinds. Instead of extolling the same confusing and sometimes counter-intuitive rules found in traditional style guides, The Sense of Style offers simple tricks and heuristics guaranteed to improve your writing.

Who Should Listen to The Sense of Style?

  • Lovers of the English language
  • Professional or amateur writers
  • People interested in linguistics

About the Author: Steven Pinker

Steven Pinker, who serves as Chair of the Usage Panel of the American Heritage Dictionary, is an award-winning linguist and cognitive scientist. A professor at Harvard University’s Department of Psychology, he is the author of numerous best-selling books, including Words and Rules and The Language Instinct.

🎧
Listen in the AppOffline playback & background play
Get App