Syntax Check List

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

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.

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

Parallel Structure Does it repeat the same

grammatical structures?Example: We were laughing, jumping,

and racing. Antithesis- contradictory parallel

itemsExample: It was the best of times. It

was the worst of times.

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

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.

Main Clause PlacementExamples:

"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")

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 allknowledge; and though I have all faith, sothat I could remove mountains, and havenot charity, I am nothing.“- Bible,

Corinthians

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?"

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.

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.

Basic Sentence Structure Which ones are used? Simple- one independent clauseExample: 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.

Basic Sent. Structure Complex – one independent and one or

more dependant clausesExample: 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.

Basic Sentence TypesWhich ones are used? Declarative- makes a statement.Example: The king is sick. Imperative- gives a commandExample: Bow to the king. Interrogative- asks a question???Example: Where is the king? Exclamatory- makes an exclamation!!!Example: The king is dead!

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?

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

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.

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 nothing in the world except for the markedness by which he is noticeable for nothing.”-Edgar Allan Poe, "The Literati of New York City”

Example: "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice."-The Bible, Phil. 4.4

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.

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.

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

Homework

AP Literature Rhetorical terms

Read then highlight the terms you are not familiar with