Sentences That Make No Sense | Explanation & Examples

The sentence is the basic building block of the English language—certainly the written English language. There are many types of sentence: the simple sentence, the complex sentence, and the compound sentence being some examples.

Usually, you will try to make sure that the sentences you write are coherent and that they make sense. However, there is one niche area where the opposite is true, and that is the world of sentences that make no sense.

Nonsense sentences are usually created for a bit of fun or mental exercise, and sometimes to demonstrate a point of grammar.

Why not have a go at writing your own, or you can ask QuillBot’s AI Chat to write some for you.

What is a sentence that makes no sense?

A sentence that makes no sense is grammatically correct but carries no discernible meaning. For example, “Sparkling doorknobs sang opera to a field of wobbly marshmallows” has a subject (“doorknobs”), a verb (“sang”), a direct object (“opera”), and an indirect object (“marshmallows”). It also contains two adjectives (“sparkling” and “wobbly”).

However, it is impossible to make sense of the sentence because of its logical absurdities and impossibilities.

Why write sentences that make no sense?

While most of your time should be spent writing sentences that make sense and where the meaning is clear, there are times when you might want to write nonsense.

Writing sentences that make no sense for fun

There are pages and pages on Reddit of people writing sentences that make no sense simply to have fun, to enjoy the nonsense. It can actually be something of a challenge to make sure your sentences make no sense. In the example above, it isn’t impossible to imagine an animated representation of such a scene. So there is fun to be had crafting sentences that truly make no sense.

Sentences that make no sense to demonstrate a point of grammar

It may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes meaning can get in the way of understanding, and teachers and linguists sometimes use sentences that make no sense to demonstrate a point of grammar. By doing this, we focus on the grammar rather than the meaning.

For example, show a language learner this sentence: “Although the glittery toaster waltzes, the spoons and cup always prefers to tango with a cucumber.” They should easily spot that the subject-verb agreement is incorrect, because “spoons and cup” is plural but “prefers” is singular.

Frequently asked questions about sentences that make no sense

What is a sentence that makes no sense?

A sentence that makes no sense is a grammatically correct piece of writing that nonetheless makes no sense, usually because it describes something that cannot happen. Some examples of sentences that make no sense include:

“The polka-dot giraffe somersaulted gleefully through a cloud of jellybeans.”

“Whispering pancakes decided to join the choir of giggling umbrellas.”

“A velvet moonbeam tickled the toes of a dancing broccoli forest.

Gummy worms held a disco party inside a teacup-shaped volcano.”

“The clock sprouted feathers and flew to a picnic with a swarm of jellyfish.”

You can have some fun writing your own, or you can ask QuillBot’s AI Chat to write some for you.