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.

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Etymology

Origin of loose sentence

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

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

Compare the following periodic sentence with the loose sentence under §87: Napoleon, feeling his weakness, and trying to win back popular favor by concession after concession, had, at his fall, nearly restored parliamentary government.

From Practical Grammar and Composition by Wood, Thomas

The following is a loose sentence: “I stood on the bridge at midnight, as the clocks were striking the hour.”

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

A loose sentence may be broken at some point before the end, and up to that point be grammatically a complete sentence.

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

Theoretically the periodic sentence is better than the loose sentence; for it economizes attention.

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