Just a Sentence?

Recently, my sister-in-law gave me a four-disk DVD on writing sentences. When I looked at the package I thought, how can anyone prepare 24 lectures on writing a sentence? It turns out Professor Brooks Landon, can, and does it very well.

I don’t remember any specifics on grammar, punctuation or sentence construction since—maybe—junior high years. Maybe even earlier than that. English or composition classes in high school and college focused more on content. So I was pleasantly surprised to learn much more about building a sentence than I ever thought possible.

My generation started out learning of sentences in reading about Dick and Jane and “seeing Spot run.” Later on I learned about sentences needing a subject and predicate with some adverbs and adjectives sprinkled here and there. We were cautioned against incomplete sentences and run-on sentences and probably some other types I have conveniently forgotten.

I thought sentences ran the gamut from the short, but precise, “Jesus wept” to the Apostle. Paul’s long sentences in some of his Epistles in the New Testament, which you would swear ran at least half a chapter (that’s in English, not sure how those sentences read in Greek). Come to find out in Professor Landon’s course, that great cumulative sentences can run to 240 words or even more.

The references that Dr. Landon alluded to have piqued my interest, so I think I’ll be checking our local library or perhaps even springing for a purchase on Amazon. Unfortunately, however, I don’t look for my sentences to excite anyone with their greatness, but I also hope they don’t lull my readers to sleep.