Periodic Sentence: Definition and Examples The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

This effect of suspense is useful in novels or movie scripts. Acclaimed writers have used periodic sentences throughout history to captivate readers. Examining periodic sentences in literature offers insights into the power of this rhetorical device. Periodic sentences have a different structure than normal sentences. They need dependent clauses, in the beginning, to create suspense and make an independent clause or main idea more important. Extremely long periodic structures can frustrate readers.

Readers are drawn in, eager to reach the final climactic reveal. Overall, an periodic sentence places the main point at the end. They can use introductions or conclusions to hook interest.

Read periodic sentences aloud

The chosen leader, with a mind of steel and a heart of gold, will lead the captives out of their bondage.

Predicate

This sentence immerses readers into the contradictory setting of late 18th-century England and France. The parallels and contrasts build interest before the context is finally revealed. “The proper place in the sentence for the word or group of words that the writer desires to make most prominent is usually the end.” Many of us will write for different reasons, such as to convey information, enjoy and maintain relationships, or journal our distinctive experience perceiving the people, places, and things that we see. Some of us also write from a desire to explain or create. Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing.

Popular in Wordplay

• Sprinkle periodic sentences judiciously amidst loose and cumulative structures for optimal flow.
• If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the “Comment” box at the bottom of this page.
• The reader could sometimes lose interest midway, especially in case of periodic interruptive sentences that are long.
• Make sure you limit the dependent clause, you avoid creating disconnected reasons.
• Relying on them or grouping too many together can draw attention to writing and start to sound redundant and stilted.
• A periodic sentence is a stylistic device in which the main idea or principal clause is delayed or withheld until the end of the sentence.
• The periodic sentence holds an intriguing allure for students and educators steeped in linguistics, rhetoric, and literature.

“To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius.” “In the almost incredibly brief time which it took the small but sturdy porter to roll a milk-can across the platform and bump it, with a clang, against other milk-cans similarly treated a moment before, Ashe fell in love.” If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the “Comment” box at the bottom of this page. Natasha gained comfort on the ice by beginning to skate when only five. Noticing her daughter’s passion, her mother signed her up for lessons with a well-known local instructor. Natasha’s trainer spotted her talent right away and patiently guided her to each next level of skill.

English Prose Style

• Here, Austen delays the key proposition to cleverly hook readers.
• Examine how they build suspension and intrigue before delivering the main idea.
• In English literature, Jane Austen provides perhaps the finest examples of periodic sentences.
• ✤ Considering the low crime rate, scenic beauty, simplicity of the people, and the good weather, I am more than willing to live here for the rest of my life.
• By the time the sun had set, the streets emptied of its bustling crowd, and the lights started to dim, the city revealed its true, serene nature.
• On the flip side, it forces the reader to search for the delayed main idea.
• “To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius.”

This structure highlights the central themes in an impactful manner. Periodic sentences add welcome variety alongside loose and cumulative structures, enhancing flow and rhythm. Periodic sentences can be used for everyday writing as well as a specific genre.

These examples demonstrate the versatility of the periodic sentence for key moments in writing. Insert periodic punctuation strategically where it can best captivate readers. The dependent clauses should logically build up to the main idea. Generally, periodic sentences are powerful writing tools to pique interest, highlight ideas, and showcase skills. You can use periodic sentence definition periodic sentences in paragraphs or creative writing where you want to create a little suspense for readers. We’ll begin our review of periodic sentences by first looking at how they differ from loose sentences.

Can periodic sentences become too long or complex?

A periodic sentence is a long and frequently involved sentence, marked by suspended syntax, in which the sense is not completed until the final word — often with an emphatic climax. Now that you understand what periodic sentences are and how you can use them, you can apply them with proper balance and effect in your writing. In each example, the key idea lands in a compelling periodic style at the end.