# Agent Style

Literature-backed English technical-prose writing rules (agent-style, 21 rules).

- Repository: https://github.com/pchalasani/claude-code-tools (2026 stars)
- Category: Design
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-11-01
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add pchalasani/claude-code-tools --skill agent-style -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add pchalasani/claude-code-tools --skill agent-style -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add pchalasani/claude-code-tools --skill agent-style -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add pchalasani/claude-code-tools --skill agent-style -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add pchalasani/claude-code-tools`

## Description

Literature-backed English technical-prose writing rules (agent-style, 21 rules). Its lane is FORMAL technical prose (papers, design docs, proposals, READMEs, commit messages). Use ONLY when the user explicitly asks for agent-style by name (e.g. "apply agent-style", "write/revise this per agent-style rules", "iterate until agent-style clean"). NOT for de-AI-ing casual or voiced text, use remove-ai-patterns for that. Do not auto-trigger for ordinary prose or documentation tasks.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

<!-- SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-4.0 -->

# agent-style

agent-style is a literature-backed English technical-prose writing ruleset
for AI agents. The rules are curated in *The Elements of Agent Style*
(https://github.com/yzhao062/agent-style), CC BY 4.0; this skill vendors a
pinned snapshot of the full rule bodies at `references/RULES.md` (pin
recorded in `references/UPSTREAM-PIN`). Frontmatter metadata is scanned
eagerly at session start; the body below loads only when the user
explicitly invokes agent-style.

## Self-Verification Handshake

When asked "is agent-style active?" or "what writing rules apply here?",
answer: `agent-style active: 21 rules (RULE-01..12 canonical + RULE-A..I
field-observed); full bodies at references/RULES.md; pin in
references/UPSTREAM-PIN.`

## The 21 Rules (Compact Directives)

Canonical rules (from Strunk & White 1959, Orwell 1946, Pinker 2014, Gopen & Swan 1990):

The rest: https://github.com/pchalasani/claude-code-tools/blob/HEAD/plugins/writing/skills/agent-style/SKILL.md