從大學(xué)申請essay到求職cover letter，從演講稿到博客文章释树，英文寫作日益重要起來碰逸。如果你想提高英文寫作乡小，好的工具書是必不可少的。
提到讀書饵史，我覺得大部分書借閱就可以了满钟，但一定要擁有幾本好的寫作書。下面就是我個人認為最值得擁有胳喷，并反復(fù)翻閱學(xué)習的六本提高英文寫作必讀書：
The Elements of Style
By William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White
The Elements of Style, 中文譯為《風格的要素》湃番，最早出版于1918年，至今仍是關(guān)于英文寫作的經(jīng)典書厌蔽。它是一本小冊子牵辣，正文只有不到一百頁。全書沒有贅言或枯燥的理論奴饮，都是要點和例子纬向。從語法的使用（如parenthesis, quotations等的使用）到如何寫出生動簡明的句子（如write with nouns and verbs, do not overwrite）, 可謂面面俱到择浊。
它的每一章都言簡意賅，例子用得恰到好處逾条。比如在Put statements in Positive Form一章中琢岩，作者說寫作時應(yīng)該“avoid tame, colorless, hesitating noncommittal language." 如下面的例子：
“She did not think that studying Latin was a sensible way to use one’s time.” 顯得累贅，繁瑣师脂，可以改為“She thought the study of Latin was a waste of time. ”
這是一本寫作常備工具書担孔。正像資深廣播/電視評論家Charles Osgood評論的的—"small enough and important enough to carry in your pocket, as I carry mine."
On Writing Well
By William Zinsser
The Elements of Style出版后，一直沒有哪本其他寫作書能與它媲美吃警，直到近六十年后 （1976年）On Writing Well的誕生糕篇。這本經(jīng)典書比起 它的前輩，有著更詳盡的分析指導(dǎo)酌心，更進一步的例子講解拌消，而且集中論述了大多數(shù)人最關(guān)心的寫作內(nèi)容—非小說類文學(xué)作品（non-fiction）。
如果你最想學(xué)的是如何正確使用語法句式安券，這本書恐怕不能完全滿足你的需要（雖然有的章節(jié)會涉及到這些方面墩崩，如Chapter 10 “Bits & Pieces”）。 但如果你關(guān)心的是如何寫出你的風格侯勉，和你的讀者有心靈對話鹦筹，這絕對是一本必讀書。
比如在Chapter 14 “Writing about Yourself,” 作者寫到“What we’re all looking for—what we want to see pop out of your papers—is individuality. We are looking for whatever it is that makes you unique.”
“One secret of the art?is detail. Any kind of detail will work – a sound or a smell or a song title—as long as it played a shaping role in the portion of your life your chosen to distill.”
100 Ways to Improve Your Writing: Proven Professional Techniques for Writing with Style and Power
By Gary Provost
這是一本被我視為英文寫作百寶箱的書址貌，出自美國最具影響力的寫作指導(dǎo)大師Gary Provost之手铐拐。每個章節(jié)都很短小，講解一個方法练对，語言不浮華余舶，卻非常生動，淺顯易懂, 讀起不覺枯燥锹淌。
比如100種方法之一“Varying Sentence Length”：
"This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety.
Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the?rollof the drums, the crash of the cymbals—sounds that say listen to this, it is important.
So write with a combination of short, medium, and long sentences. Create a sound that pleases the reader’s ear. Don’t just write words. Write music."
寫作如同譜曲匿值，句子長短結(jié)合，時而歡快急促赂摆，時而舒緩悠長挟憔。人們常常把音樂和美感聯(lián)系起來，卻很少去在意語言的使用和它所帶來的美感烟号。Provost告訴我們"Don’t just write words. Write music."
Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer
By Roy Peter Clark
這也是一本將寫作技巧拆成單元來講解的書绊谭。雖然書名叫做寫作工具，我覺得它的每個章節(jié)都更像圍繞某一個技巧而設(shè)計的workshop汪拥。
全書分為四大主題：nuts and bolts (詞达传，句，段的技巧)； special effects (讓文章簡練宪赶，清晰宗弯，獨特，有說服力的技巧)搂妻；blueprints (文章整體構(gòu)思蒙保，結(jié)構(gòu))； useful habits （如何養(yǎng)成寫作的好習慣)欲主。
作者Roy Peter Clark是有著豐富教學(xué)經(jīng)驗的作家邓厕，很多講述的例子都來自他的親身經(jīng)歷。
Stein On Writing: A Master Editor of Some of the Most Successful Writers of Our Century Shares His Craft Techniques and Strategies
By Sol Stein
作者Sol Stein是無數(shù)暢銷書作家的編輯扁瓢，這本書是他從編輯的角度教我們 "how to fix writing that is flawed, how to improve writing that is good, and how to create interesting writing in the first place."
相比之前提到的幾本書详恼，這本書稍微難讀些，內(nèi)容有些深度引几，不少例子來自作者曾編輯過的小說或其他文章单雾，更適合有些寫作經(jīng)驗的讀者。
我很喜歡"How to show instead of tell”一章她紫。Stein寫到“ What?character sees, hears, smells, touches, and tastes can be shown through actions rather than described."
下面是將tell變成show的例子：
She boiled water (tells)
She put the kettle on the stove (begins to show).
She filled the kettle from the faucet and hummed till the kettle’s whistle cut her humming short (shows)
She boiled water in a lidless pot so she could watch the bubbles perk and dance.
最好的修改是將描述具體化。
Writing Your Life: Putting Your Past on Paper
By Lou Willett Stanek
這本書不是很出名屿储，卻是我個人非常喜愛的贿讹。作者用親切的語氣告訴我們該如何記錄和講述自己的故事，將自己經(jīng)歷的點點滴滴都生動地描述于紙上够掠，比如childhood memories, regrets, missed opportunities, 等民褂。
每章后都有小練習，幫讀者對該章內(nèi)容進一步思考疯潭，理解赊堪，和吸收。
比如一章“Keeping a notebook”里的練習包括make a list of movies or stars that were your favorites as a teenager, describe your case of unrequited love, 等二十多練習題目竖哩。
無論你是想讓自己日常的實用文更簡潔流暢哭廉，還是讓英文寫作成為業(yè)余愛好，或是想成為專欄作家相叁，相信這些工具書都會有對你有所啟迪遵绰，有所幫助。
