Declarative sentence Basic statement that ends w/ a period
Imperative sentence Command (ends w/ period or exclamation point)
Interrogatory sentence Question
Exclamatory sentence Shows emphasis, excitement, etc. Ends w/ an exclamation point
Simple sentence One subject and one verb only Independent clause May have phrases
Compound sentence More than 1 subject and/or more than 1 verb Only independent clauses used May have phrases
Complex sentence ONLY one independent clause (w/ one subject and one verb only) AND one or more dependent clauses May have phrases
Compound-Complex sentence Independent clause has more than 1 subject and/or more than 1 verb AND there is at least 1 dependent clause May have phrases
Appositive phrase Phrase that explains a noun, usually surrounded by commas Ex: London, the English city on the Thames, offers many tourist attractions.
Cumulative (Loose) Sentence Starts with an independent clause and ends with a dependent clause
Periodic Sentence Starts with a dependent clause and ends with an independent clause
Rhetorical question creates active involvement with reader or audience by asking them to think
Inversion Verb comes before subject Creates emphasis
Polysyndeton When a sentence uses several conjunctions (usually and)
Asyndeton When a sentence does not use any conjunctions
Balanced/Parallel 2 or more words or constructions must be in the same grammatical form (i.e., verbs, infinitives, participles, phrases, etc.)
Anaphora repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginnings of successive sentences Ex: It is a luxury, it is a privilege, it is an indulgence
Antithesis Contrast of ideas, usually as parallel structure Ex: Love is an ideal thing, marriage is a real thing.
Chiasmus The criss-cross or reversal of grammatical structures “mirror image” Ex: I am stuck on Band-Aid ‘cause Band- Aid’s stuck on me.
Punctuation Controls pace and flow of sentence Any punctuation except periods or commas is unique and has a purpose (dashes, ellipses, parentheses, etc.)
Purpose of Syntax/Structure #1 1. Build excitement or intensity
Purpose of Syntax/Structure #2 2. Built to make a point of _____________
Purpose of Syntax/Structure #3 3. Explain a point of _____________
Purpose of Syntax/Structure #4 4. Pull the reader into the passage
Purpose of Syntax/Structure #5 5. Add complexity
Purpose of Syntax/Structure #6 6. Create rhythm
Purpose of Syntax/Structure #7 7. Build an emotion