What Is Syntax?

Learn the Meaning and

Rules, With Examples
WEEK 4 REPORT
 Syntax is...
1 Syntax in linguistics refers to the arrangement
of words and phrases.

2
It encompasses word order, grammar rules, and
concepts like subject-verb agreement.

3 Syntax is crucial for understanding constituency,

where multiple words act as a single unit.
 Syntax is...
4
Constituency is essential for determining hierarchy in
long and complex sentences, especially in sentence
diagramming.

5 Changing the placement of a word in a sentence

can significantly alter its meaning.

6 Syntax is important in English for conveying nuance,

subtext, and precise meaning.
 Example :
"Only Batman fights crime"

"Batman only fights crime"

"Batman fights only crime"

The basic rules of syntax in
English
Subject and Verb:
• All sentences must have a subject
and a verb.
• Imperative sentences (commands)
may omit the subject as it is
assumed to be the person being
addressed.
Example :
Subject and Verb:
• Example: "She sings."
• Imperative Sentence:
"Sing louder."
The basic rules of syntax in
English
Single Main Idea:
• A single sentence should convey
one main idea.
• If a sentence encompasses multiple
ideas, it is advisable to break it into
separate
 Example :
Single Main Idea:
• Incorrect: "He likes playing
tennis, he also enjoys
watching movies."
• Correct: "He likes playing
tennis. He also enjoys
watching movies."
The basic rules of syntax in
English
Word Order:
• The subject precedes the
verb in a sentence.
• If there are objects, they
follow the verb.
Example :
Word Order:
Example
• "The cat (subject)
chased (verb)
the mouse (object)."
The basic rules of syntax in
English
Subordinate Clauses:
• Subordinate clauses must also
contain a subject and a verb.
• These clauses add complexity
to sentence structure.
Example :
Subordinate Clauses:
• Example: "Although
she was tired
(subordinate clause),
she continued
working."
The basic rules of syntax in
English
Adjective and Adverb Placement:
• Adjectives and adverbs should be
positioned before the words they
describe.
• When multiple adjectives describe the
same noun, use the "Royal Order" for
proper adjective placement.
 Example :
Adjective and Adverb Placement:
• Example with Adjective: "The tall
(adjective) building stood in the
city."
• Example with Adverb: "He spoke
(verb) loudly (adverb)."
• Royal Order Example: "She bought
a beautiful (opinion) new (age)
Italian (origin) leather (material)
Types of syntax: 7 syntactic patterns with syntax examples

Syntactic Patterns: Complements:

• Words or phrases
• Determine the acceptable
word orders within describing other words
sentences and clauses in in a sentence or clause.
English. • Essential for the
• Specific order for various meaning of a sentence;
elements like indirect cannot be removed
objects or prepositional without affecting
phrases. meaning.
3 types of
Compliment
• Subject complements
(describe the subject).
• Object complements
(describe the object).
• Adverbial
complements
(describe the verb).
 Example :
Subject Complement Example:
• Sentence: "The movie was
captivating."
Object Complement Example:
• Sentence: "They painted the room a
calming shade of blue."
Adverbial Complement Example:
• Sentence: "He worked with
determination."
Types of syntax: 7 syntactic patterns with syntax examples

Adverbials: Caution with Adverbial

• Modify verbs, adjectives, Clauses:
or other adverbs. • Adverbial clauses
• Adverbial complements
are crucial for sentence
are more complex.
meaning. • Include their own
• Composed of single subjects and verbs.
adverbs, prepositional • Distinct from
phrases, or noun
simpler adverbials.
phrases related to time.
2 types of
adverbials
• Adverbial complements
(necessary for
meaning).
• Modifier adverbials
(can be removed
without changing
meaning).
 7 TYPES OF SENTATIC PATTERNS

Subject → Verb Subject → Verb

Subject → Subject → Verb
→ Subject → Adverbial
→ Direct Object:
Verb Complement Complement

Subject → Verb → Subject → Verb →

Subject → Verb →
Indirect Object → Direct Object →
Direct Object →
Direct Object Adverbial
Object
Complement
Complement:
Example

Subject → Verb:
• Example: "The dog
barked."
Example

Subject → Verb →
Direct Object:
• Example: "The dog
carried the ball."
 Example
Subject → Verb → Subject
Complement:
• Example: "The dog is
playful."
 Example
Subject → Verb →
Adverbial Complement:
• Example: "The dog ate
hungrily."
Example
Subject → Verb →
Indirect Object → Direct
Object:
• Example: "The dog
gave me the ball."
Example
Subject → Verb → Direct
Object → Object
Complement:
• Example: "The dog
made the ball dirty."
Example
Subject → Verb → Direct
Object → Adverbial
Complement:
• Example: "The dog
perked its ears up."
Types of syntax: 1 Simple Sentence
Structure
4 sentence Complex Sentence
structures 2 Structure

Compound Sentence
3 Structure

Compound-Complex
4 Sentence Structure
Examples
Simple Sentence Structure:

"We go to the beach in

summer."
Examples
Complex Sentence Structure:

"We go to the beach in

summer when school is
finished."
Examples
Compound Sentence
Structure:

"We go to the beach in

summer, but my cat stays
home."
Examples
Compound-Complex Sentence
Structure:

"We go to the beach in summer,

but my cat stays home because
he desn’t want to go. "
 DICTION VS. SYNTAX
Diction (Word Choice): Syntax (Word Arrangement):
• Refers to the selection of words • Concerns the structure and order of
in writing. words in sentences.
• Involves choosing words with • Involves adhering to grammar rules
specific meanings, and sentence construction.
connotations, and tones. • Less freedom in choice compared to
• Examples: Describing a room as diction; more constrained by linguistic
rules.
"clean" or "spotless" reflects
• Affects writing style through sentence
different choices in diction.
structure and length.
• Directly impacts writing style,
• Examples: Choosing the order of
influencing how readers clauses in a sentence influences how
perceive the tone and imagery. readers interpret the information.
Writing Style:
• Both diction and syntax contribute
to an author's unique writing style.
• Diction influences the tone,
atmosphere, and nuances of the
writing.
• Syntax influences sentence
structure, complexity, and overall
flow.
Uniformity
• Diction allows for more individuality
among writers, as authors may
choose words based on personal
preferences.
• Syntax tends to be more uniform
due to the adherence to
grammatical rules, but authors still
exhibit unique styles through
sentence structures.
 DICTION VS. SYNTAX
Diction (Word Choice): Syntax (Word Arrangement):
• Refers to the selection of words • Concerns the structure and order of
in writing. words in sentences.
• Involves choosing words with • Involves adhering to grammar rules
specific meanings, and sentence construction.
connotations, and tones. • Less freedom in choice compared to
• Examples: Describing a room as diction; more constrained by linguistic
rules.
"clean" or "spotless" reflects
• Affects writing style through sentence
different choices in diction.
structure and length.
• Directly impacts writing style,
• Examples: Choosing the order of
influencing how readers clauses in a sentence influences how
perceive the tone and imagery. readers interpret the information.
Syntax in Literature

In the hands of a skilled writer, syntax can

make the difference between a bland
sentence and a legendary quote.
Combining syntax with certain
literary devices, like antithesis, chiasmus,
or paradox, can help anyone make their
writing stand out.
Examples:
1. Connective Comparison in Multiple

“It is a far, far better thing that I do,

than I have ever done; it is a far, far
better rest that I go to than I have ever
known.”

—Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Examples:
2. Emphasizing Importance with Unusual
Syntax:

“Rather than love, than money, than

fame, give me truth.”

—Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Examples:
3. Parallelism for Direct Comparisons and
Poetic Sound:

“People generally see what they look

for, and hear what they listen for.”

—Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Examples:
4. Antithesis to Emphasize Contrast:

“The fool doth think he is wise, but the

wise man knows himself to be a fool.”

—William Shakespeare, As You Like It

Examples:
5. Subverting Expectations with Deliberate
Syntax Choices:

“ may not have gone where I intended

to go, but I think I have ended up where
I needed to be.”

—Douglas Adams, The Long, Dark Tea-

Time of the Soul
Clause & 1 PHRASES
Phrases 2 CLAUSES
INDEPENDENT
3 CLAUSES
DEPENDENT
4
CLAUSES
PHRASES & CLAUSE
• A collection of words • A collection of words
that may include nouns
with a subject actively
or verbals but lacks a
doing a verb.
subject doing a verb.
• Contains nouns and
• Contains a subject
verbals but doesn't (bold-print and red)
have a subject attached to a predicate
performing a predicate verb (underlined and
verb. purple).
DEPENDENT & INDEPENDENT CLAUSE

• Clauses with a subject

• Clauses that can
doing a verb but are
stand alone as
dependent on another
complete sentences. clause.
• Can stand • Can't stand
independently independently and
without additional form complete
sentences; they need
words and form
additional material to
complete sentences.
make sense.
Examples:
• PHRASES

• after the devastation

• between ignorance and
intelligence
• broken into thousands of pieces
• because of her glittering smile
Examples:
• CLAUSES
• since she laughs at diffident men
• I despise individuals of low character
• when the saints go marching in
• Obediah Simpson is uglier than a
rabid raccoon
• because she smiled at him
Examples:
• INDEPENDENT CLAUSE

• I despise individuals of low

character.
• Obediah Simpson is uglier than
a rabid racoon.
Examples:
• DEPENDENT CLAUSE

• since she laughs at diffident

men
• when the saints go marching in
• because she smiled at him
 SYNTAX
Syntactic Awareness: Teaching Sentence
Structure
WEEK 4 REPORT
The Connection Between Sentences and
Comprehension
• The ability to
understand at the
sentence level is in
many ways the
foundation for being
able to comprehend
text.
Examples
• ·One by one, sentences (oral or written)
communicate ideas that add up to make
meaning.
• ·Efficient processing of sentence structure is
necessary for overall comprehension.
• ·The level of a text’s syntax is one predictor of
a text’s comprehensibility. (Snow et al., 2005)
• ·Effective readers have knowledge of phrase
structures, parts of sentences, and how they
work. (Scott, 2004)
Syntactic Awareness

• Syntax is the study of

grammar, focusing on
the arrangement of
words, phrases, and
clauses in a sentence.
Syntactic Awareness

• Comprehending a sentence
involves processing,
storing, and integrating
syntactic and word
meaning information
Syntactic Awareness

Syntactic awareness, or the

ability to monitor word
relationships in a sentence,
is crucial for effective
reading and writing
Syntactic Awareness
• Students develop syntactic
awareness through exposure to
oral language and, notably,
through exposure to written
language during read-aloud
sessions or independent
reading around grade 3.
 SYNTAX
ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP
SYNTATIC AWARENESS
WEEK 4 REPORT
1.Sentence Anagrams:
• Students rearrange words to form
grammatically correct sentences.
• Use sentences from reading
materials, gradually increasing
complexity.
Examples:

SCRUMMBLED WORDS: night

wait the until hatchlings

CORRECT ORDER: The

hatchlings wait until night.
2.Sentence Elaboration -
Basic:
• Utilizes "W" questions to prompt
students to expand on a simple
subject.
• Progression from basic to more
detailed sentences.
Examples:
Who?
The turtle

What about her?

The young turtle swam.

Where did she swim?

The young turtle swam in the ocean.
Examples:
What color was she?
The young, green turtle swam in the ocean.

Why did she swim in the ocean?

The young, green turtle swam in the ocean in search of food.

When?
Every day, the young, green turtle swam in
Sentence Elaboration - More
Advanced:
• Incorporates grammatical terms and
parts of speech.
• Uses a "popcorn" metaphor to
illustrate sentence expansion.
• Aligns with Common Core Language
Standards.
Examples:
Kernel Sentence.
turtle dives

Elaborate the subject: articles, adjectives.

The small, green turtle dives.

Elaborate the predicate: adverbs

The small, green turtle dives quickly.
Examples:
Add a phrase.
The small, green turtle dives quickly into the seaweed.

Compound the subject.

The small, green turtle and his friend dive quickly into the seaweed.

Compound the predicate.

The small, green turtle and his friend dive and swim
quickly into the seaweed.
Examples:
Add a phrase.
The small, green turtle dives quickly into the seaweed.

Compound the subject.

The small, green turtle and his friend dive quickly into the seaweed.

Compound the predicate.

The small, green turtle and his friend dive and swim
quickly into the seaweed.
Examples:
Add a dependent clause to make a complex sentence.

Because he is frightened, the small, green turtle and his

friend dive quickly into the seaweed.

Combine two sentences to make a compound sentence.

Because he is frightened, the small, green turtle and his

friend dive quickly into the seaweed and hide from
predators.
Sentence Combining
• the process of joining two or more
separate sentences into a single,
more complex sentence.
• done to improve the flow of ideas,
avoid redundancy, and create more
varied and sophisticated sentence
structures.
Examples:
Original sentences:
• The sun sets over the horizon.
• The sky turns shades of orange and pink.

Combined sentence:

As the sun sets over the horizon,

the sky turns shades of orange and pink.
Examples:
Original sentences:
• Mary likes to read books.
• She also enjoys writing stories.

Combined sentence:

Mary likes to read books, and she also enjoys

writing stories.
THAT’S ALL THANK
YOU