I think Ed Schuster talks about this in _Breaking the Rules_.
Beth
>>> John Crow <[log in to unmask]> 7/5/2008 4:41 AM >>>
Thanks, Craig. I have the Christensen book and can most certainly use his
findings. I, like you, remain curious, however: I know I've seen at least
one other estimate. I just don't know where.
I appreciate your joining in here. Anyone else know of a source?
John
On Fri, Jul 4, 2008 at 2:38 PM, Craig Hancock <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > John,
>
> Francis Christensen has an essay called "Sentence Openers" now
> collected in Notes toward a New rhetoric: 9 essays for teachers", back
> in print thanks to the extraordinary and loving efforts of ATEG member
> Don Stewart.
> He divides the list into narrative and discursive and takes 200
> sentence samples from each. (10 writers in each category.) Roughly 20 %
> of fiction sentences and 25% of discursive sentences started with
> non-subject openers, almost all of them adverbial. There's quite a bit
> of variability. Eudora Welty peaks for fiction with 61/200. For Rachel
> Carson's "The Sea Around Us", the figure is 79/200, roughly 40%.
> I don't know if those patterns hold up with a wider sample. I'm
> curious also.
>
> Craig
>
> Does anyone out there know where I can find information on the number of
> > sentences of professional authors that begin with something other than
> the
> > subject noun phrase? In other words, in a professionally written piece,
> > how
> > many sentences, on average, begin with an introductory element or some
> > other
> > non-subject constituent?
> >
> > Any leads would be deeply appreciated!
> > John
> >
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