tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10721624.post8946001733757391943..comments2023-10-30T12:26:15.822+01:00Comments on Research as a Second Language: SententiousnessThomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04858865501469168339noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10721624.post-15445107508227649832010-09-10T17:30:55.395+02:002010-09-10T17:30:55.395+02:00I definitely think there could be. In fact, I thin...I definitely think there could be. In fact, I think our point of departure is that there could be. That's those "good pieces of writing" that don't have well-composed paragraphs. But you're taking it to another level if you want to write a good essay made out of badly written sentences gathered together in poorly composed paragraphs. (Academic flarf?)Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04858865501469168339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10721624.post-10190170636292100692010-09-10T16:47:05.483+02:002010-09-10T16:47:05.483+02:00I've never heard that phrase in the active. I...I've never heard that phrase in the active. It's usually just "I have my work cut out for me" rather than "Someone cutting out work for someone else." Interesting. I like it. <br /><br />Could there be a good essay that's not composed of good paragraphs too? I could throw a monkey wrench into every paragraph but still preserve the form and shape of the essay, by your logic. I'll have to think about that.Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09371893596402673898noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10721624.post-76836848229767632362010-09-10T16:07:28.728+02:002010-09-10T16:07:28.728+02:00As always, you cut my work out for me. (I take you...As always, you cut my work out for me. (I take you mean "solid individual <i>sentences</i>" (not paragraphs). I hope I can prove you wrong, Stein might offer me exactly the model I need. She wrote what were barely (if at all) grammatical sentences that, when composed (put together), expressed emotion.<br /><br />The philosopher of language Donald Davidson pointed out that "The baby seems sleeping" may fail on grammaticality but not on meaning. That is, it's unclear whether it's a sentence, but not unclear what it means.<br /><br />So I'm going to wager I can take a well-composed paragraph and ruin every individual sentence in it while retaining its composure. That is, at the end, we'll agree that every sentence is bad, but also that the paragraph is well-formed.<br /><br />I'll wager you a beer.<br /><br />I would add to Stein's rule that sentences are not conceptual either, where paragraphs are. A good sentence will use a concept only once (maybe twice) and one sentence is therefore not enough to bring the concept, as such, to the surface. It can <i>use</i> the concept but it cannot <i>present</i> or <i>display</i> it <i>as a concept</i>.<br /><br />The sentence "I love you" does use an emotion but it is not "emotional". Give me a paragraph, however, and I'll make you cry.Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04858865501469168339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10721624.post-91985732230993933542010-09-10T15:49:20.406+02:002010-09-10T15:49:20.406+02:00The paragraph is not likely to be well-formed if n...The paragraph is not likely to be well-formed if not composed of solid individual paragraphs, so there might be a false dichotomy there. <br /><br />Gertrude Stein said that sentences are not emotional and paragraphs are. I wonder what you make of that.Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09371893596402673898noreply@blogger.com