Listen free for 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft cover art

Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft

Written by: Brooks Landon,The Great Courses
Narrated by: Brooks Landon
Try for $0.00

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $43.80

Buy Now for $43.80

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Tax where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

Why do some lengthy sentences flow effortlessly while others stumble along? Why are you captivated by the writing of particular authors? How can you craft sentences that reflect your unique outlook on the world?

This lively, 24-lecture course introduces you to the myriad ways in which we think about, talk about, and write sentences. Reviving the sentence-oriented approach to studying writing, Professor Landon provides a greater context for what makes sentences great - and how you can apply these methods to your own writing.

You'll look at the kernels from which sentences grow - minimal base clauses - and how adding words or phrases creates larger, cumulative sentences that lead toward great writing. You'll explore sentence constructions that make writing more complex and add exciting levels of suspense, and see tactics that create balance and rhythm.Recognizing and appreciating these and other eye-opening aspects of sentences helps you understand the work that goes into creating an effective, pleasurable sentence, which can make you more aware of why particular lines, passages, or phrases in the poems, novels, or articles you read so enchant you.

Professor Landon draws abundantly on examples from the work of brilliant writers, including Don DeLillo, Virginia Woolf, Samuel Johnson, and more. With its passionate approach to writing and reading and its indulgence in the sheer joy of language, this journey gives you unique insights into the nature of great writing-and also teaches you how you can achieve some of this greatness yourself.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2008 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2008 The Great Courses

What listeners say about Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer's Craft

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    11
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    11
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    11
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Pronunciation

I am only 2 hours into this lecture series. The content so far, is quite interesting. The lecturer's voice is clear and inflection is good. At the risk of sounding petty, the only "Con" I have is Mr. Landon's pronunciation of the word "Sentence". He does not pronounce the "T", thus the word comes out sounding like "Sennence". Two or three times in the beginning, he added the "T", never to be heard since. I admit, it is a minor flaw overall, but IT'S DRIVING ME NUTS. That said, I will continue to the end as the lectures are indeed, informative.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great advice and excellent expertise on writing ✍

great audio voice and very enjoyable & entertaining as well! thanks a lot, Professor and Publisher!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Superb read, very enjoyable

This great course is amazing. For anyone who wants to write better sentences, I highly recommend this course. #Audible1

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One of my favorite books on writing

I have no formal training in creative writing and learned to improve my prose prose as English is tres difficult to write in. It is great and I highly recommended any writer of the English to read and use its tools. Спасибо 🥰 +г

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

HF!

I cannot listen to a book narrated, or written by anyone who cannot pronounce words correctly.

Sen - tence... not "sennece"

im- por- tant not "impoant"

Holy shit that just kills it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

BS, misleading, give then take away.

Why bother to give me this book then remove it? Keep your "free" reads, I don't want them anymore. Disappointed!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!