做出明確的斷言。溫吞、無色彩、猶豫不決的語言，讀起來像作者自己都不太相信。
🧠 Core Ideas
TIP
Strunk 的原則：做出明確的斷言，避免溫吞、無色彩、猶豫不決的語言。用 not 作為否定或對比的手段，而非作為逃避。
- 否定形式常常只是繞路。not honest 其實就是 dishonest，did not remember 就是 forgot，did not pay any attention to 就是 ignored——換成肯定形式，句子更短也更直接。
- 用 not 迴避，會讓讀者不確定你到底想說什麼。He was not very often on time 到底是什麼意思？直接寫 He usually came late，讀者立刻明白。
- 同理，She did not think that studying Latin was a sensible way to use one’s time 只是拐彎；她想說的是 She thought the study of Latin a waste of time。
⚖️ Case Study
前 — 用 not 迴避，語氣猶豫
He was not very often on time.
讀者得自己拼湊：不常準時，那是常遲到？偶爾遲到？句子把判斷丟回給讀者。
後 — 肯定形式，明確斷言
He usually came late.
同一件事，正面說出來——沒有 not，沒有含糊，讀者一次讀懂。
NOTE
not 不是要禁用。當否定與肯定對立時，它反而最有力：Not charity, but simple justice.、Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.、Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. 這裡的 not 是對比的支點，不是逃避。
WARNING
猶豫也藏在條件助動詞裡。把 would、should、could、may、might、can 留給真正涉及不確定性的情境。Applicants can make a good impression by being neat and punctual 不如 Applicants will make a good impression if they are neat and punctual；Plath may be ranked among those modern poets who died young 不如 Plath was one of those modern poets who died young。每一句都塞滿不確定的助動詞，寫作就失去權威感。
🔑 Takeaways
- 做明確的斷言；溫吞、猶豫的語言等於把判斷推給讀者。
- 否定形式常是繞路：not honest → dishonest、did not remember → forgot。
- not 留給對立與對比（Not charity, but simple justice），別當逃避。
- 條件助動詞留給真正的不確定；濫用會抽掉權威感。
No notes yet — jot your takeaways or Q&A here.