Great writing begins--and ends--with the sentence. Whether two words ("Jesus wept.") or 1,287 words (a sentence in William Faulkner's Absalom! Absalom!), sentences have the power to captivate, entertain, motivate, educate, and, most importantly, delight. Understanding the variety of ways to construct sentences, from the smallest clause to the longest sentence, is important to enhancing your appreciation of great writing and potentially improving your own. This course applies the sentence-oriented approach to studying writing and provides a larger context for what makes sentences great. Students investigate how to recognize the mechanics of sentences, how language works on thoughts and emotions, and learn basic strategies to sharpen their ability to recognize great sentences and make their own writing more effective.

CIRC # 364A, CIRC # 364B, CIRC # 364C, CIRC # 364D\\"Course No. 2368"

Pt. 1. Lecture 1. A sequence of words -- Lecture 2. Grammar and rhetoric -- Lecture 3. Propositions and meaning -- Lecture 4. How sentences grow -- Lecture 5. Adjectival steps -- Lecture 6. The rhythm of cumulative syntax -- Lecture 7. Direction of modification -- Lecture 8. Coordinate, subordinate, and mixed patterns -- Lecture 9. Coordinate cumulative sentences -- Lecture 10. Subordinate and mixed cumulatives -- Lecture 11. Prompts of comparison -- Lecture 12. Prompts of explanation. Pt. 2. Lecture 13. The riddle of prose rhythm -- Lecture 14. Cumulative syntax to create suspense -- Lecture 15. Degrees of suspensiveness -- Lecture 16. The mechanics of delay -- Lecture 17. Prefab patterns for suspense -- Lecture 18. Balanced sentences and balanced forms -- Lecture 19. The rhythm of twos -- Lecture 20. The rhythm of threes -- Lecture 21. Balanced series and serial balances -- Lecture 22. Master sentences -- Lecture 23. Sentences in sequence -- Lecture 24. Sentences and prose style.