“Wondering what to do next, the clock struck twelve.” Of course, a clock cannot wonder anything; the sentence is an example of a dangling participle. You might not know what a dangling participle is, but you will if you read William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White’s seminal book, “The Elements of Style.” And you will enjoy the journey.

As Strunk and White answer the questions that vex us as writers (as well as those that it never occurred to us to be vexed by), they write, of course, perfectly constructed sentences and paragraphs. But their statements are also beautiful in composition—simple and elegant—and more often than not impart wit and wisdom.

Who or whom? That or which? Farther or further? These and many other questions of English usage are answered by the expert writers in their unendingly useful book.

The authors begin by illuminating proper comma usage in only four rules: Restrictive and nonrestrictive clauses are illuminated in two short but thorough paragraphs, independent and dependent clauses are respectively dealt with, and participial phrases are, once and for all, defined and explained in straightforward but sympathetic language.

But they don’t stop at commas: Such tricky punctuation marks as semicolons, colons and dashes (and hyphens in a later chapter) are described so perfectly that it cannot be misunderstood.

Strunk and White clarify much more than grammar. They also provide what they call Elementary Principles of Composition. In this chapter, they urge us to “(c)hoose a suitable design and hold to it.” This confirmed for me the validity of a principle I have always stuck to, which is that first composing an outline sets the stage for a thoughtful, well-developed and well-organized piece of writing.

Strunk and White give us the hallmark of their achievement in the prescription to “(o)mit needless words.” This advice is particularly welcome because excessive wordiness is not only unattractive, it also detracts from the vigor of a statement by bogging it down in extraneous, often meaningless rhetoric.

There is also a chapter titled Words and Expressions Commonly Misused. Each entry is accompanied by a logical clarification of the word or phrase in question.

The last aspect of writing that Strunk and White tackle is style, that intangible quality of the written word that defines us as writers and reveals our strengths and weaknesses to readers. The authors acknowledge the difficulty of finding an attractive and effective style, and they caution us to avoid deliberately taking one on. They advise us, instead, to place ourselves in the background, let the words speak for themselves, and write simply. And of course, we ought to revise and rewrite until our prose becomes clear, orderly and sincere.

Another notable attribute of “The Elements of Style” is its whimsical illustrations, created by Maira Kalman. Kalman’s style is casual but attractive, striking an aesthetic balance between simple and detailed. The artwork provides, every three pages or so, an interesting, sometimes humorous back story for many of the authors’ examples.

As Strunk and White address the common perplexities of the English language, they provide the reader with the knowledge and tools necessary to forestall even the most common and understandable errors. If you’ve ever wished your writing was better, yearned for an easy-to-grasp explanation of grammar, or delighted in the flawless but elusive syntax of a great author, then you owe yourself a copy of “The Elements of Style: Illustrated.”