The Elements of Style Quotes

“Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's. Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write: Charles's friend, Burns's poems, the witch's malice. ... The pronomial possessives hers, its, theirs, yours, and ours have no apostrophe. Indefinite pronouns, however, use the apostrophe to show possession: one's rights, somebody else's umbrella. A common error is to write it's for its, or vice versa. The first is a contraction, meaning "it is". The second is a possessive. It's a wise dog that scratches its own fleas.”
― Strunk Jr., William, The Elements of Style

“He owned”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style

“not important, trifling”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements Of Style

“Writing good standard English is no cinch, and before you have managed it you will have encountered enough rough country to satisfy even the most adventurous spirit.”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style

“Muddiness is not merely a disturber of prose, it is also a destroyer of life, of hope: death on the highway caused by a badly worded road sign, heartbreak among lovers caused by a misplaced phrase in a well-intentioned letter, anguish of a traveler expecting to be met at a railroad station and not being met because of a slipshod telegram. Think of the tragedies that are rooted in ambiguity, and be clear! When you say something, make sure you have said it. The chances of your having said it are only fair.”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style

“There are times when the ear not only guides us through difficult situations but also saves us from minor or major embarrassments of prose.”
― William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style