The way words are arranged within sentences. Syntax The way words are arranged within sentences.

Syntax Word order Sentence length Sentence focus Punctuation

Word Order Most follow subject-verb-object pattern Deviating startles reader Draws attention to sentence

Word Order Inverting subject and verb Complement at beginning Am I ever sorry! Complement at beginning Hungry, without a doubt, he is. Object in front of verb Sara I like– not Susan.

Sentence Length Vary to prevent boredom and control emphasis. Long-to-short: shifts attention, emphasizes importance of short sentence. Use varies by historical periods. Modern writers tend to put important ideas in short sentences.

Sentence Focus Variation/Emphasis within sentence. Main ideas usually in main clause. Position of main clause determines writer’s focal point. Achieved by syntactic tension and repetition.

Syntactic tension Withholding of syntactic closure (completion of grammatical structure) Periodic sentences-delay closure carry high tension/interest reader must wait until end of sentence to find meaning. As long as we ignore our children and refuse to dedicate the necessary time and money to their care, we will fail to solve the problem of school violence.

Syntactic tension Loose sentences-early syntactical closure relieve tension allow reader to explore sentence without urgency most common in modern usage We will fail to solve the problem of school violence as long as we ignore our children and refuse to dedicate the necessary time and money to their care.

Sentence Focus Repetition of word, phrase, or clause Emphasizes repeated structure Focuses reader’s attention on its meaning Repeated grammatical forms balance parallel ideas and give them equal weight. infinitives gerunds prepositional phrases

Balanced Sentence Characterized by parallel structure Two or more parts have same form It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… White chickens lay white eggs, and brown chickens lay brown eggs; so if white cows give white milk, do brown cows give chocolate milk?

Parallel Sentence Concerns the balance of a sentence Similarity of words, phrases, clauses in a list or series Bethany enjoys baking cakes, cookies, and brownies. She doesn’t like washing dishes, ironing clothes, or mopping the floor.

Punctuation Used to: Types often used include: reinforce meaning construct effect express writer’s voice Types often used include: semicolon colon dash

Semicolon Gives equal weight to two or more independent clauses Resulting syntactical balance reinforces parallel ideas and imparts equal importance to both clauses.

Colon Directs attention to words that follow. Used between independent clauses if the second summarizes or explains the first. Sets expectations that important, closely related information will follow. Words after the colon are emphasized.

Dash Marks a sudden change in thought or tone Sets off a brief summary Sets off a parenthetical part of the sentence Conveys a casual tone