Syntax

1. Syntax More wonderful and exciting information!!

2. Sentence Length • Telegraphic • Less than 5 words • Used for emphasis • Short • 5 to 10 words • Used for direct, statements without a lot of details • Medium • More than 10…less than 30 • Used for more complex thoughts that require support or details • Long • 30 words + • Used mostly in academic or argumentative writing

3. Sentence Order • Natural Order • Constructing a sentence so that the subject comes before the predicate • Active voice • Oranges grow in California. • Inverted Order • Constructing a sentence so that the predicate comes before the subject • Passive voice • California grows oranges. • Split Order • Constructing a sentence so that the subject is in the middle • In California, oranges grow.

4. Sentence Pattern • Declarative • Declarative sentences are used to convey information or to make statements: • David plays the piano.I hope you can come tomorrow.We've forgotten the milk. • Interrogative • Interrogative sentences are used in asking questions: • Is this your book?Did you receive my message?Have you found a new job yet?

5. Sentence Pattern (cont.) • Imperative • Imperative sentences are used in issuing orders or directives: • Leave your coat in the hall.Give me your phone number.Don't shut the door. • Exclamatory • Exclamatory sentences are used to make a forceful statement. • What a stupid man he is!How wonderful you look!

6. Kind: Simple Sentences • 1 independent clause and no dependent clauses (Basic statement) • Example: • He sat near the window. • Alex played football. • I tried to speak Spanish.

7. Kind: Compound Sentences • At least 2 independent clauses joined by a coordinator (and , but, or, nor, for, yet, so) (2 Basic statements) • Examples: • He sat near the windowandshe sat near the door. • Alex played football, soshe went shopping. • I tried to speak Spanish, butJoe tried French.

8. Kind: Complex Sentences • 1 independent clause and at least 1 dependent clause introduced by a subordination conjunction ( although, because…)(adverbial clause) or a relative pronoun (who, which…)(adjective clause) • Examples: • Because he sat near the window, he saw the girl he liked. (loose…periodic)? • Alex, who is a good athlete, played football (L/P?) • Because I tried to speak Spanish,I was made fun of. (L/P?)

9. Kind: Compound/Complex Sentences • 2 independent clauses and at least 1 dependent clause • Examples: • Although he prefers to sit next to the window,he tried sitting in the front and found that he liked it. (L/P?) • Alex played football, so she went shoppingin order to pass the time. (L/P?) • I tried to speak Spanish, and the class jumped for joybecause I finally got it correct! (L/P?)

10. Example #1 • Next morning when the first light came into the sky and the sparrows stirred in the trees, when the cows rattled their chains and the rooster crowed and the early automobiles went whispering along the road, Wilber awoke and looked for Charlotte. – E.B. White • 1.Is this a loose or periodic sentence? • 2. What sentence pattern is this? Label the subject, predicate and direct object. • 3. What is the length? Why is this important for this passage? • 4. What is the order? Why is this important for this passage? • 5. What kind of sentence is this?

11. Example #2 • Col. Grangerford was very tall and very slim, and had a darkish-paly complexion, not a sign of red in it anywheres; he was clean-shaved every morning all over his thin face, and he had the thinnest kind of lips and the thinnest kind of nostrils and the thinnest kind of eyebrows but so black they seemed like they was covering black caverns under them. – Mark Twain • 1.Is this a loose or periodic sentence? • 2. What sentence pattern is this? Label the subject, predicate and direct object. • 3. What is the length? Why is this important for this passage? • 4. What is the order? Why is this important for this passage? • 5. What kind of sentence is this?