Transcript Elements of Syntax

ELEMENTS OF SYNTAX
Sentence Construction and Its Effects
Sentence Function
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Declarative: Makes a Statement
You ate lunch.
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Interrogative: Asks a question
Did you eat lunch?
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Imperative: Gives a command
Eat your lunch.
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Exclamatory: Expresses strong feeling
I can’t believe you ate my lunch!
Sentence Length
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long, short or combinations of
lengths
A lengthy sentence followed by a very short one will
effectively stress a point
Short sentences slow a reader down. Can be dramatic.
Suspense. Period is full stop. Creates a hot spot.
Short Sentences Effect
Example
A street crime has a victim, who typically reports the crime to the
police, which generates data, which in turn generate thousands of
academic papers by criminologists, sociologists and economists.
But white collar crime presents no obvious victim. Whom, exactly,
did the masters of Enron steal from? And how can you measure
something if you don’t know to whom it happened, or with what
frequency, or in what magnitude?
Paul F.’s bagel business was different. It did present a
victim. The victim was Paul F.
- Dubner and Levitt, “What the Bagel Man Saw”
Rhetorical Sentences
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Periodic sentence:
A sentence in which the main idea ( subject and
verb) comes at the end of the sentence; the sentence
is not grammatically complete until the end.
Sitting in her lounge chair, sunglasses shielding her eyes,
head tilting to the side, her book lying on her lap,
Susan patiently waited.
Rhetorical Sentences continued..
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Cumulative Sentence: a sentence which begins with
the main idea (an independent clause) followed by
phrases and clauses which elaborate upon the main
idea.
Susan patiently waited, sitting in her lounge chair,
sunglasses shielding her eyes, head tilting to the side,
her book lying open on her lap.
Rhetorical Sentences continued..
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Rhetorical question: a question which does not
require an answer because the answer is so obvious
“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be
purchased at the price of chains and slavery?”
- Patrick Henry, Speech in the Virginia Convention
Rhetorical Sentences continued..
Inverted Sentence: a non-standard sentence
construction in which the verb is placed before the
subject.
 “Everywhere was a shadow of death.”
–Rachel Carson
 “In the woods is perpetual youth.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Nature”
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Punctuation
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Dashes and exclamation points can show mounting
excitement , distress, fear, anger, etc.
A question can signal a tonal shift or be used as a
spring board for the author to make a particular
point.
Repetition
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Use of the same words or clauses more than one
time for emphasis
Anaphora: repetition of the same word or words at
the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or
sentences
Epistrophe: repetition at the ends of successive
phrases, clauses, or sentences
Anaphora & Epistrophe
Examples
Anaphora:
To think on death it is a misery,/ To think on life it is a vanity;/
To think on the world verily it is,/ To think that here man hath no
perfect bliss. –Peacham
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Epistrophe:
BRUTUS:
“Who is here so base that would be a bondman? If any, speak;
for him have I offended. Who is here so rude that would not be
a Roman? If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who is here so
vile that will not love his country? If any, speak; for him have I
offended….” -William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
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Parallel Structure
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Parallelism is recurrent syntactical similarity (the
same construction repeated for effect).
Several parts of a sentence or several sentences
are expressed similarly to show that the ideas in the
parts or sentences are equal in importance.
Parallelism also adds balance and rhythm and, most
importantly, clarity to the sentence.
Parallel Structure
Examples
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“But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate – we
cannot consecrate – we cannot hallow – this
ground.” -Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address
“…and that government of the people, by the
people, and for the people.” -Abraham Lincoln,
Gettysburg Address
Effects of Varied Syntax
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Builds excitement/intensity
Builds to make a point
Pulls the reader into the passage
Adds complexity
Creates rhythm
Evokes emotion