[General] Why are some Oxford Dictionaries sentences neither capitalized nor full-stopped?

[Mori]

Here's an example:

he's writing a book about his experiences

Source: Oxford Dictionaries


As you see it's not a phrase: it's a complete sentence. However, the first word isn't capitalized, and there's no period at the end.

 

[Matthew Wai]

‘he's writing a book about his experiences’

The text is in quotes, so it could be part of a sentence.

 

[Rover_KE]

jamshidibrahim, please read this extract from the forum's Posting Guidelines:

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[Tdol]

As you see it's not a phrase: it's a complete sentence. However, the first word isn't capitalized, and there's no period at the end.

They're treating it as a phrase, in common with the other examples.

 

[Rover_KE]

It's one of the conventions of a lot of dictionaries. Another one is using non-standard abbreviations like sb and sth to save space rather than write somebody and something thousands of times.

 

[Mori]

It's one of the conventions of a lot of dictionaries. Another one is using non-standard abbreviations like sb and sth to save space rather than write somebody and something thousands of times.

Thanks for the answer, but it doesn't apply to other example sentences of the same sense — click More example sentences.

P.S. It's strange that the definitions, which are phrases, start with a capital letter and end in a period!

A literary composition that is published or intended for publication as a book.

 

[Tdol]

Definitions are written by humans, but examples are often chosen out of computer language databases. They can supply a phrase or more for an example, but if you ask for more sentences, then they are more likely to provide what you asked for.

If this is your pet hate, hate it.

 

[Mori]

examples are often chosen out of computer language databases. They can supply a phrase or more for an example, but if you ask for more sentences, then they are more likely to provide what you asked for.

Fair enough. :up:

Definitions are written by humans

And that's why they shouldn't be written that way. That's not acceptable.
(Compare them with the definitions and examples in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary.)