A term from the realm of grammar is picked up and used not in its original sense, writes Geoffrey Pullum, but in a sense that the user feels it ought to have.

Ernest Hemingway was the master of the simple, declarative sentence during his time. By contrast, when Saul Bellow came along, he created descriptive sentences full of verbal energy. "This was a ...

SIMPLE, DECLARATIVE SENTENCES Share this: Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on X (Opens in new window) Subscribe; Login; Account Settings Contact Us Log Out.