‘I once got clap after a bump supper,’ said Blanford gloomily, ‘and it wasn't gay at all. It took ages to get itself cured.’

Each sentence had the same basic structure: The subject transitive verbed the object who intransitive verbed in the location.

The hajib was always a man of consequence; being close to the caliph he was always in a position to give messages and ask favours and, most of all, he controlled access to his master.

simplicity of dress, of style, or of language