Style, Syntax and Structure

1. Style, Syntax and Structure AP Language and Composition

2. Style, Structure and Syntax • Syntax: The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language • sentence structure - the grammatical arrangement of words in sentences -phrase structure, syntax • Style-Style, to a fiction writer, is basically the way you write, as opposed to what you write about (though the two things are definitely linked). It results from things like word choice, tone, and syntax. It's the voice readers "hear" when they read your work. • To an editor, on the other hand, style refers to the mechanics of writing, i.e., grammar and punctuation.

3. What’s in it for today? • Voc. Ch. 3 work (check hmwk) • Handouts on Style, Structure and Syntax Unit • Style Chart Handout • Style handout exercises pp.26 • Effects created by Syntax pp. 31-34 • “Terror at Tinker Creek” by Annie Dillard, reading and exercises, discuss • HMWK: copy down Syntax terms into your notebook (rhetorical strategies) from this powerpoint; Everyday Use p.70 #1-2, p.72 #2

4. Terms to Know Declarative- Imperative- Exclamatory- Interrogative- Loose- Balanced- Periodic- Convoluted- Centered- Freight train- Anaphora- Epistrophe- Asyndeton- Polysyndeton- Appositive/Rhetorical Question Subordination/Coordination

5. Declarative • Declarative sentences in the English language are the sentences that form a statement Ex: Tomorrow I will go to the store.

6. Imperative • Imperative sentences in the English language are the sentences that make a command or request Ex: Get me some water. Leave that cat alone.

7. Interrogative • Interrogative sentences in the English language are the sentences that form a question Ex: What do you think I should wear the pink shoes or the white sneakers? What did the teacher say to you yesterday?

8. Exclamatory • A type of sentencethat expresses strong feelings by making an exclamation. • An exclamatory sentence ends with an exclamation point. Ex: It’s alive! It’s alive!

9. Freight Train • Couples short, independent clauses to make longer sequential statements. • Ex: And the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon the house; and it fell:  and  great was the fall of it.

10. The Balanced Sentence • Two parts, roughly equivalent in length.  It may also be spilt on either side. • Textual Examples: • In a few moments, everything grew black, and the rain poured down like a cataract. • Visit either you like; they’re both mad. • Children played about her; and she sang as she worked.

11. The Subordinating Style •  Expresses the main clause and arranges points of lesser importance around it, in the form of phrases and independent clauses • Loose Structure • Main clause comes first • Periodic Structure • Main clause follows subordinate parts • Convoluted Structure • Main clause is split in two, the subordinate parts intruding • Centered Structure • Main clause occupies the middle of the sentence

12. Examples • Loose Sentence We must always be weary of conclusions drawn from the ways of the social insects, since their evolutionary tract lies so far from ours. • Periodic Sentence Since there is no future for the black ghetto, the future of all Negroes is diminished. • Convoluted Sentence White men, at the bottom of their hearts, know this. • Centered Sentence Having wanted to walk on the sea like St. Peter, he had taken an involuntary bath, losing his mind and the better part of his reputation.

13. Anaphora/Epistrophe • Repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses, sentences, or lines.   • Example: This royal throne of kings, this haunting isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars, • Ending a series of lines, phrases, clauses, or sentences with the same word or words.   • Examples   What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny compared to what lies within us." —Emerson • Examples of parallelism

14. Asyndeton/Polysyndeton • Polysyndeton is a list or series of words, phrases, or clauses that is connected with the repeated use of the same conjunction. The most common conjunctions used with polysyndeton are andandor. • Ex. The citizens of the small town demanded a new sheriff and mayor, hoping the change would lead to the elimination of deception and fraud and corruption. • Asyndeton is a list or a series in which no and is used at all, rather the items are separated by commas. Asyndeton has an effect that is quite different from polysyndeton’s. • If the effect of polysyndeton is to slow the reader down, the • effect of asyndeton is most often the opposite: to speed the • reader up. • Ex. “I came, I saw, I conquered.” –Julius Casear

15. Rhetorical Question/Appositive • A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for its persuasive effect without the expectation of a reply.[ • An appositive is a noun, noun phrase, or series of nouns used to identify or rename another noun, noun phrase, or pronoun.

16. Coordinating conjunctions • coordinating conjunctions are used to join independent clauses to make compound sentences. • The coordinating conjunctions are as follows: and, but, for, nor, or, so, and yet. You can use coordinating conjunctions to revise run-on sentences and comma splices . • You can also use coordinating conjunctions to make writing less choppy by joining short, simple sentences. • Consider the following examples. • Independent Clauses: I wanted more popcorn. Sam wanted Junior Mints.Joined Together: I wanted more popcorn, but Sam wanted Junior Mints.

17. Subordination • subordinating conjunctions are used to join independent clauses to make complex sentences. The subordinating conjunctions are as follows: after, although, as, as if, because, before, even if, even though, if, if only, rather than, since, that, though, unless, until, when, where, whereas, wherever, whether, which, and while.You can use subordinating conjunctions to correct run-on sentences and comma splices. And you can use them to combine sentences so that writing is less choppy. Consider the following examples. • Complex Sentence: I wanted to get more soda because it’s hard to eat popcorn without it. • In this sentence, the subordinate clause is at the end. It would also be correct to place the subordinate clause at the beginning of the sentence.