1. Periodic Sentences …Wait for it….

2. Definition & Usage Definition: The predicate, or sometimes the entire main clause, comes at the end of the sentence (  for example….) Usage 1 – Emphasis 2 – Persuasion; you’re listing all the reasons and then delivering the knock-out punch of the reason 3 – By delaying the payoff, you’re creating Pro-tip Periodic sentences, by their very nature, and owing to the effects that they are trying to achieve, effects that require long, convoluted paths of phrases and clauses, paths that one may even describe as tortuous, frequently are complex. (  see? )

3. Main clause at the end With low taxes, beautiful views and a mild climate, this city is a great place to live. Because of adding a pool, spa and restaurant, the hotel is experiencing an increase in guests. After shopping at the mall, walking the dogs and washing the car, I finally got to stay in and relax. If the price was good and the quality excellent, I might consider buying a designer dress. With a blood-curdling scream and claws outstretched, the eagle went after the rabbit. Now, after years of research and many modifications, here is the latest model of our hybrid. With a beautiful set and a pyrotechnic display, the act was sure to please. Considering the attentiveness, friendliness and speed of service, this waiter will definitely be getting a good tip. Whether it was peer pressure or her own idea, Mary tried out for the glee club and made it. In spite of losing one ship and weathering a storm, Columbus made it back to Spain. By the smell of barbequing and the fireworks in the sky, I knew it was Independence Day. After combing through the ad for jobs and sending out hundreds of resumes, Steve finally got his dream job. Because they are independent, take care of themselves, and purr, I prefer cats over dogs.

4. Predicate at the end Positive thinking, by helping us stay focused and maintaining a good attitude, is important for a happy life. Renewable energy resources, like wind, solar, and geothermal, will be the answers to Earth’s energy problems. The beach, with white sand, crystal clear water, and palm trees, is a favorite hangout for the locals. The gazelle, peacefully drinking and unaware of any danger, was soon the target of the lioness. Proper maintenance, like checking tire pressure, changing the oil and getting tune-ups, will ensure the best gas mileage for your car. Spring, with new buds popping out, flowers blooming, and mild temperatures, is my favorite season.

5. Edward Gibbon in Memoirs of My Life "Halfway between West Egg and New York City sprawls a desolate plain” “Unprovided with original learning, uninformed in the habits of thinking, unskilled in the arts of composition, I resolved -- to write a book.” F. Scott Fitzgerald in The Great Gatsby “The proper place in the sentence for the word or group of words that the writer desires to make most prominent is usually the end." William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White, The Elements of Style

6. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in Snowflakes “Out of the bosom of the Air, Out of the cloud-folds of her garment shaken, Over the woodlands brown and bare, Over the harvest-fields forsaken, Silent and soft, and slow, Descends the snow.” Hey. For fun, what other techniques are being used in this stanza of poetry? 1 – 2 –

7. Walt Whitman – “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” Over the breast of the spring, the land, amid cities, Amid lanes and through old woods, where lately the violets peep’d from the ground, spotting the gray debris, Amid the grass in the fields each side of the lanes, passing the endless grass, Passing the yellow-spear’d wheat, every grain from its shroud in the dark-brown fields uprisen, Passing the apple-tree blows of white and pink in the orchards, Carrying a corpse to where it shall rest in the grave, Night and day journeys a coffin. …Again, just for fun…other techniques: 1 – 2 –

8. Create five original periodic sentences. Two of them with the main clause at the end Two of them with the predicate (only) at the end One of them your choice, but make it as long as you reasonably can…and feel free to use other techniques to help you …suspense. Practice