Syntax
AP English
Language and Composition
What is syntax? Why study it?
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Very basically put, syntax is structure. Syntax is a
system of orderly arrangement. “Syntax” is used to
refer to sentence structure, and sometimes,
paragraph structure.
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We study syntax because it is form which gives rise
to meaning. A sentence’s structure can reflect the
words’ meanings, intensify the words’ meanings, or
contrast with the words’ meanings.
Understanding syntax will help you form a more
complete analysis.
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Four elements of syntax:
1.
Length:
a. telegraphic (less than 5 words)
b. short (about 5 words)
c. medium (about 18 words)
d. long (30 words +)
Example (Length)
(from The Death of the Moth, Virginia Woolf)
Sentence 1: 12 words
“I lifted the pencil again,
useless though I knew it to
be. But even as I did so,
the unmistakable tokens of
death showed themselves.
The body relaxed, and
instantly grew stiff. The
struggle was over.”
Sentence 2: 13 words
Sentence 3: 7 words
Sentence 4: 4 words
Analysis: The sentence length
reflects the moth’s struggle against
death. As the moth’s life flickers
and fades, so do the sentences
become increasingly short. The
sentence which proclaims the
moth’s death (sentence 4) is, in
fact, one of the shortest sentences
in the entire piece.
2. Beginnings
a.
b.
Variety?
Pattern? (anaphora is the repetition of words at the
beginning of clauses)
Explanation: Varied beginnings may make a reader feel
surprised and interested because there is a
consistent sense of newness every time a sentence
is begun. On the other hand, a pattern of repeated
beginnings can emphasize a point, or create
intentional repetition.
Example (Beginnings)
(from I Want a Wife by Judy Brady)
“I want a wife who will work and
send me to school. And
while I am going to school I
want a wife to take care of my
children. I want a wife to
keep track of the children’s
doctor and dentist
appointments. And to keep
track of mine too. I want a
wife to make sure my children
eat properly and are kept
clean.”
Analysis: The pattern of the
repeated beginning words “I want a
wife” creates a rhythm to the essay
and keeps the pace moving steadily.
To break the monotony, however,
the expected beginning is
intermittently interrupted with
beginnings such as “And while I am
going to school”. The repeated “I
want a wife” also functions as a setup to one of the author’s main points
– that a wife is expected to take
care of everyone but herself.
3. Arrangement
a.
b.
Arrangement of
ideas within the
sentence
Arrangement of
ideas within the
paragraph
Example (Arrangement)
(from A Haitian Father by Rosenthal)
“We are told, be reasonable,
America can’t open its
doors to economic
refugees…but the
Pakistanis, who have
barely a half-penny to our
dollar, give refuge to
millions of Afghans and
Washington scolds Hong
Kong and Britain for not
accepting refugees.”
Analysis: Rosenthal
arranges the paragraph
by first bringing up the
opposing position, and
then providing a rebuttal.
This helps address the
readers’ concerns,
assumptions, and
arguments.
4. Sentence Patterns
a.
b.
c.
d.
Declarative: a statement (“The king is sick.”)
Imperative: a command (“Go fetch the doctor.”)
Interrogative: a question (“What will become of our
kingdom?”)
Exclamatory: an emphatic statement (“Oh, the king
is dead!”)
Example (Sentence Patterns)
(from Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.)
“In your statement you
assert that our actions,
even though peaceful,
must be condemned
because they precipitate
violence. But is this a
logical assertion? Isn’t
that like condemning a
robbed man because his
possession of money
precipitated the evil act
of robbery?”
Analysis: The use of rhetorical
questions prompts deeper
consideration of the issue.
Martin Luther King, Jr. uses
these questions to construct an
analogy that, upon scrutiny,
brings to light the logical flaws in
the readers’ assumptions. Just
as the robbed are not
responsible for being victimized,
protesting African Americans are
not responsible for the violent
actions of those who deny them
justice.