Syntax Check List
Sentence Length
Telegraphic (5 or less words) or Short (5
-10) or medium (15-20 words) long and
varied (30 or more)?
Intentional fragments for emphasis?
Clause after clause after clause
Sentence Beginnings
Is there a good variety or does a pattern emerge?
Anaphora- repeating same words or word to start several
sentences to create a memorable effect in order to reinforce
an idea
Example: Never again will I be late. Never again will I risk it.
Are words set out in a special
way for a purpose or effect?
Inversion- “Yoda speak”
Example: Late I was.
Type of Sentence
Inductive- Hard to write, the point (assertion)
is made at the end. Examples are given in the
beginning.
Deductive- like most essays, point/assertion
made at the beginning and then writer gives
examples to back it up
Parallel Structure
Does it repeat the same grammatical
structures?
Example: We were laughing, jumping, and
racing.
Antithesis- contradictory parallel items
Example: It was the best of times. It was the
worst of times.
Punctuation Patterns
Commas,,,,
Dashes----
Parenthesis ( )
Ellipsis…
Colon:
Semi colon;
Arrangement of Ideas:
Main Clause Placement
Are ideas set out in a special way for a purpose or
effect?
Loose/cumulative- a sentence with its main clause at
the beginning and additional grammatical units
added after it; can convey a great deal of information
and imagery in an economical way. A loose sentence
makes complete sense if brought to a close before its
actual ending; it accumulates extra information as it
goes on.
Main Clause Placement
Examples:
"So I opened it - you cannot imagine how
stealthily, stealthily - until, at length, a single dim
ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out
the crevice and fell upon the vulture eye." (Edgar
Allan Poe, "The Tell-Tale Heart")
Main Clause Placement
Periodic sentence- independent clause comes at
the end, similar to “Yoda speak.”
Example:
"And though I have the gift of prophecy,
and understand all mysteries, and all
knowledge; and though I have all faith, so
that I could remove mountains, and have
not charity, I am nothing.“- Bible, Corinthians
Main Clause AGAIN
Balanced or parallel - involves the arrangement
of the words, phrases, etc. so that elements of
equal importance are equally developed and
phrased
Example:
"White chickens lay white eggs, and brown
chickens lay brown eggs; so if white cows give
white milk, do brown cows give chocolate milk?"
Another example of balanced/parallel
Example:
Wrong: In the winter, I like skiing and to skate.
Right: In the winter I like skiing and skating.
Right: In the winter I like to ski and to skate.
Main Clause Placement
Natural order- a sentence where the subject
comes before the predicate (main verb)
Example: Oranges grow in CA.
Split order sentence- divides the predicate into 2
parts with the subj. coming in between
Example: In CA oranges grow.
Basic Sentence Structure
Which ones are used?
Simple- one independent clause
Example: The singer bowed to her adoring
audience.
Compound- 2 or more independent clauses
(joined by a coordinating conjunction or a semi
colon)
Example: The singer bowed gratefully to the
audience; however, she sang no encores.
Basic Sent. Structure
Complex – one independent and one or more
dependant clauses
Example: Although the singer bowed gratefully to
the audience, she sang no encores.
Compound-complex- 2 or more independent and
at least one dependant clause
Example: The singer bowed gratefully while the
audience applauded, but she sang no encores.
Basic Sentence Types
Which ones are used?
Declarative- makes a statement.
Example: The king is sick.
Imperative- gives a command
Example: Bow to the king.
Interrogative- asks a question???
Example: Where is the king?
Exclamatory- makes an exclamation!!!
Example: The king is dead!
Other Emphasis Strategies
Rhetorical questions- A question that
expects no answer. It is used to draw
attention to a point.
Example: Can’t we all just get along?
More…
Asyndeton (ə-sĭn'dĭ-tŏn‘)-normally occurring
conjunctions (and, or, but, for, nor, so, yet) are
intentionally omitted in successive phrases, or
clauses; a string of words not separated by
normally occurring conjunctions.
Example: Thank you. He comes, he sleeps, he
goes. So the plot thickens....
- CS Lewis
More Strategies…
Polysyndeton (pŏl'ē-sĭn'dĭ-tŏn')- repetition of
conjunctions in close succession for effect
Example: And soon it lightly dipped, and rose, and
sank, and dipped again …
Anadiplosis (a-nə-də-plō-səs)- repetition at the
beginning of a phrase of the word or words with
which the previous phrase ended
Example: He is a man of loyalty-loyalty always
firm.
More…
Epanalepsis- repetition at the end of the clause or
sentence of the word or phrase of which it began.
Example:
"He is noticeable for nothing in the world except for the
markedness by which he is noticeable for nothing.”
-Edgar Allan Poe, "The Literati of New York City”
Example: "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice."
-The Bible, Phil. 4.4
Antithesis- the placing of a sentence or one of its
parts against another to which it is opposed to
form a balanced contrast of ideas
“Give me liberty or give me death.”
Anaphora- A rhetorical term for the repetition of
a word or phrase at the beginning of successive
clauses
Action movies are my favorite. I love action
movies with Nicolas Cage. Cage has made his
millions from action movies.
Finished…
Chiasmus (kee-aZ-moos)- the order of the terms
in the first of two parallel clauses is reversed in
the second. This may involve a repetition of the
same words (‘Pleasure's a sin, and sometimes
sin's a pleasure’—Byron)
Example: Despised, if ugly; if she's fair, betrayed.
Apply
Choose two new terms you learned today and
display your knowledge of these terms through
alternative modes or memory trick. For example: If I
just learned the term “metaphor” and “simile,” I
would draw a picture
Her hair was as white as snow
Her hair was snow
Homework
AP Literature Rhetorical terms
Read then highlight the terms
you are not familiar with
