You expect far too much of a first sentence. Think of it as analogous to a good country breakfast: what we want is something simpl...e, but nourishing to the imagination. Hold the philosophy, hold the adjectives, just give us a plain subject and verb and perhaps a wholesome, nonfattening adverb or two.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
The politician being interviewed clearly takes a great deal of trouble to imagine an ending to his sentence: and if he stopped sho...rt? His entire policy would be jeopardized!LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Whenever the literary German dives into a sentence, that is the last you are going to see of him till he emerges on the other side... of his Atlantic with his verb in his mouth.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
When one drinks with a friend, a thousand cups are not enough, but when there is no meeting of minds, half a sentence can be too m...uch.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
New Yorkers speak more quickly and shift topics more rapidly. We all know that. But the way it's done is fascinating. At least it ...fascinated me when I first moved to New York. Someone has the floor and talks. As soon as I know what they are going to say, I can jump in, finish the sentence to show I understand, and take off into my own turn. The northern California I know isn't like that. Someone talks, and I lie back and listen and let them roll for a while. When they're done, there'll be a pause that will flash like a green light to announce that someone else can have the floor.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Your letter is come; it came indeed twelve lines ago, but I could not stop to acknowledge it before, & I am glad it did not...r />arrive till I had completed my first sentence, because the sentence had been made since yesterday, & I think forms a very good beginning.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Are cans constitutionally iffy? Whenever, that is, we say that we can do something, or could do something, or could have done some...thing, is there an if in the offing--suppressed, it may be, but due nevertheless to appear when we set out our sentence in full or when we give an explanation of its meaning?LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »