I do have, and use, a British style guide but I've also got the Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. an hefty tome which takes a rather different approach.
They do agree on most topics, but where style guides mostly say how English should be written, CGEL says how standard English actually is written, and sketches the logic underlying the language's chaotic surface. Where a style guide would say 'avoid the passive except when ...' CGEL explains what the passive is for. Understand that and you won't misuse it.
I wouldn't recommend the CGEL alone to any writer - quite apart from the price, it's not an easy read - but anyone interested in the English language, which should include writers, would probably find it, or other books with the same approach, useful in conjunction with style guides.
However, the CGEL writers also have a blog, Language Log, where they frequently comment on language usage. Again, they're not trying to tell people how they should write, but they do say many interesting things.
They do agree on most topics, but where style guides mostly say how English should be written, CGEL says how standard English actually is written, and sketches the logic underlying the language's chaotic surface. Where a style guide would say 'avoid the passive except when ...' CGEL explains what the passive is for. Understand that and you won't misuse it.
I wouldn't recommend the CGEL alone to any writer - quite apart from the price, it's not an easy read - but anyone interested in the English language, which should include writers, would probably find it, or other books with the same approach, useful in conjunction with style guides.
However, the CGEL writers also have a blog, Language Log, where they frequently comment on language usage. Again, they're not trying to tell people how they should write, but they do say many interesting things.