Grammar as Rhetoric and Style Cumulative, Periodic, and Inverted sentences

Standard Sentence Patterns Subject/Verb (SV) My father cried. Subject/Verb/Subject Complement (SVC) Even the streams were now lifeless. Subject/Verb/Direct Object (SVO) We believed her. Subject/Verb/Indirect object/Direct Object (SVIO) Bill threw me the ball.

CUMULATIVE SENTENCE AKA “Loose sentence” Begins with standard sentence pattern “The women moved through the streets as winged messengers.”

Adding the details Details can be subordinate clauses or different kinds of phrases… “twirling around each other in slow motion” “peeking inside homes and watching the easy sleep of men and women.” These phrases add meaning to the standard sentence pattern.

CUMULATIVE SENTENCE The women moved through the streets as winged messengers, twirling around each other in slow motion, peeking inside homes and watching the easy sleep of men and women. -Terry Tempest Williams

One final example “It is the wilderness.” What is the pattern? S=It V=is C=wilderness

The details… That is beautiful, dangerous, abundant, oblivious of us…. Mysterious…. Never to be conquered or controlled or second guessed…. Or known more than a little.

The result… “It is a wilderness that is beautiful, dangerous, abundant, oblivious of us, mysterious, never to be conquered or controlled or second-guessed, or known more than a little.” -Wendell Berry What is the effect?

Periodic sentences Begins with multiple details and holds off a standard sentence pattern until the end.

Let’s begin with the standard sentence… I have enjoyed a perfect exhilaration. What is the standard pattern? S=I V=have enjoyed O=perfect exhilaration

The details… The details go BEFORE the standard sentence pattern… Crossing a bare common In snow puddles At twilight Under a clouded sky Without having in my thoughts any occurence of special good fortune.

Periodic Sentence Complete! “Crossing a bare common, in snow puddles, at twilight, under a clouded sky, without having in my thoughts any occurrence of special good fortune, I have enjoyed a perfect exhilaration.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson What is the effect?

One more example “Often, after filling several notebooks with dozens of interviews, reading several books, diving into all manner of research materials, and making research trips, when I sit down to write, I do so without looking at my notes at all.” -Daniel Glick

Standard Sentence and Details What is the standard sentence? I do so without looking at my notes at all. Description? Often, after filling several notebooks with dozens of interviews, reading several books, diving into all manner of research materials, and making research trips, when I sit down to write…

INVERTED SENTENCE Typical standard sentence (SV) The shadow of death was everywhere. Inverted sentence (VS) Everywhere was the shadow of death. How is the effect different in the standard pattern vs. the inverted sentence?