---
title: "no-landing-sentence"
description: "Flags short closing sentences written for rhetorical effect."
sidebar:
  label: "no-landing-sentence"
  badge: "Soft"
search:
  tags: [rule, inferential, style]
---

| Property | Value |
| -------- | ----- |
| Kind | Soft rule |
| Engine | `inferential` |
| Tier | `inferential` |
| Severity | `warning` |
| Intent | `style` |
| Scope | `text` |

:::note
This is a style rule. It reports findings and participates in `--fix`, but never moves the [human-likeness score](/docs/concepts/scoring).
:::

## Why

A punchy closer can perform finality without stating a holding or consequence.

## Examples

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Column>
    **Flagged**

    The record contains no evidence of delivery. That's the whole game.
  </Column>
  <Column>
    **Better**

    The record contains no evidence of delivery. The notice was therefore ineffective.
  </Column>
</Columns>

## Rubric

This rule is evaluated by the optional [AI judge](/docs/guides/judge) against the criteria below.

Flag a short final sentence written mainly to create a punchy sense of
finality, such as "that's the whole game", "nothing else matters", or
"end of story". The sentence should be rhetorical rather than informative.
Do not flag a short sentence that states a real holding, amount, deadline,
or other material fact. Do not flag a concise conclusion merely because it
ends a paragraph.

### Should flag

- The record contains no evidence of delivery. That's the whole game.
- The agency never made the required finding. Nothing else matters.
- The clause has no exception. End of story.
- The witness changed her account three times. That settles it.

### Should pass

- The record contains no evidence of delivery. The notice was therefore ineffective.
- The agency never made the required finding. The order must be vacated.
- The clause has no exception. It applies to this claim.
- The witness changed her account three times. The court found her testimony unreliable.

## Turning it off

```sh
lawlint --disable no-landing-sentence draft.md
```

Or durably, in `.lawlint/config.json` — see [Configuration](/docs/reference/configuration).