AP Language and Composition
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Syntax: The arrangement of words and phrases to create wellformed 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.
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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
DeclarativeImperativeExclamatoryInterrogativeLooseBalancedPeriodicConvolutedCenteredFreight trainAnaphoraEpistropheAsyndetonPolysyndetonAppositive/Rhetorical Question
Subordination/Coordination
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Declarative sentences in the English language
are the sentences that form a statement
Ex: Tomorrow I will go to the store.
Imperative sentences in the English language
are the sentences that make a command or
request
Ex: Get me some water.
Leave that cat alone.
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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?
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A type of sentence that expresses strong
feelings by making an exclamation.
An exclamatory sentence ends with an
exclamation point.
Ex: It’s alive! It’s alive!
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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.
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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.
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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
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Periodic Structure
Main clause follows subordinate parts
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Convoluted Structure
Main clause is split in two, the subordinate parts intruding
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Centered Structure
Main clause occupies the middle of the sentence
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.
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Periodic Sentence
Since there is no future for the black ghetto, the future of all Negroes
is diminished.
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Convoluted Sentence
White men, at the bottom of their hearts, know this.
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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.
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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
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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 and and or.
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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.