Syntax Check List

1. Syntax Check List

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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.

6. Punctuation Patterns • Commas,,,, • Dashes---- • Parenthesis ( ) • Ellipsis… • Colon: • Semi colon;

7. 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.

8. 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")

9. 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

10. 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?"

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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!

16. 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?

17. 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

18. 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.

19. 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 nothingin the world except for the markedness by which he is noticeable for nothing.”-Edgar Allan Poe, "The Literati of New York City” Example: "Rejoicein the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice."-The Bible, Phil. 4.4

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. 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

23. Homework AP Literature Rhetorical terms Read then highlight the terms you are not familiar with