Two questions about "sweeping" – for native English speakers.
1.
I encountered “a sweeping view of the valley” as an example sentence in an online dictionary (http://learnersdictionary.com/definition/sweeping). Does it simply mean “a panoramic (wide and full) view of the valley”?

2.
I encountered "sweeping grounds" in the novel "A Widow for One Year" by John Irving:

"The nondescript house was in a part of town Eddie was unfamiliar with - a narrow, claustrophobic street that might have been any street in any small town. His parents must have been lonely there, away from the academy's impressive architecture and the old school's sweeping grounds."

Does "sweeping grounds" mean "expansive grounds"=(covering a large area)?

Thanks for your help!

Question

Two questions about "sweeping" – for native English speakers.
1.
I encountered “a sweeping view of the valley” as an example sentence in an online dictionary (http://learnersdictionary.com/definition/sweeping). Does it simply mean “a panoramic (wide and full) view of the valley”?

2.
I encountered "sweeping grounds" in the novel "A Widow for One Year" by John Irving:

"The nondescript house was in a part of town Eddie was unfamiliar with - a narrow, claustrophobic street that might have been any street in any small town. His parents must have been lonely there, away from the academy's impressive architecture and the old school's sweeping grounds."

Does "sweeping grounds" mean "expansive  grounds"=(covering a large area)?

Thanks for your help!

Answer

1) Yes, it just means a wide or panoramic view. I'm just digging into my personal impressions here, but I think this meaning of "sweeping" literally refers to an arm gesture. Instead of pointing at one particular thing (literally "indicating"), you extend your arm to one side and then "sweep" it across to the other side, including the whole wide scene in the gesture. We can also talk about someone "sweeping" a flashlight beam from one side to another, or a sailor "sweeping" the horizon with binoculars, or a politician "sweeping" a crowd with his gaze.

2) This is an unusual usage, but I think you're correct.

In other words, "sweeping" can refer to the action of sweeping itself, or it can refer to a wide or expansive scene that invites you to sweep it.

I found a description of the first movie wide-screen process, Cinerama, that says "the very size and sweep of the Cinerama screen would seem to render it impractical for the story-telling techniques now employed in film...."

Ian Fleming's storytelling technique in the James Bond novels involves skillful pacing, and changes of scene from one exotic locale to another, which is sometimes called "the Fleming sweep."

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!