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loose sentence

American  

noun

  1. a sentence that does not end with the completion of its main clause, but continues with one or more subordinate clauses or other modifiers.


Etymology

Origin of loose sentence

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

With their loose sentence structure and the melodic give and take allowing a team approach to conversation I knew they were Guyanese.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

On account of its name many are liable to think the loose sentence an undesirable form in good composition, but this should not be taken for granted.

From How to Speak and Write Correctly by Joseph Devlin

A loose sentence is one in which words follow each other in their natural order, the modifiers of the verb of course following the verb.

From The Art Of Writing & Speaking The English Language Word-Study and Composition & Rhetoric by Sherwin Cody

The sentence below may be changed, by putting the last clause first, to a loose sentence; and by placing it after the word “subject” it becomes mixed.

From English: Composition and Literature by W. F. (William Franklin) Webster

Tis love indeed to thee, but to my heart Every loose sentence is a killing dart.

From A Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 4 by A. H. (Arthur Henry) Bullen

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