STYLISTICS

Presented to : Miss Iqra

Presented By : Group 2
Noor Amna (148)
Sara Azhar (164)
Benish Baig (131)
Filza Ashfaq (134)
Sibgha Shireen 163)
Nimra Masood (151)
 LEVELS OF LINGUISTICS
ANALYSIS: THE SYNTACTIC LEVEL
 CONTENT
The Sentence
Unit of grammar
The notion of Rank
The Group
Shifting

The clause
Voice
 UNIT OF GRAMMAR
The unit of grammar in syntactic analysis is the "phrase." A phrase is a group
of words that work together as a single unit within a sentence. It includes a
head word (like a noun, verb, etc.) along with other words that modify or
complement it. Phrases can be categorized based on their functions, such
as noun phrases, verb phrases, prepositional phrases, etc.

For example
In the sentence "The big brown dog chased the cat," the noun phrase "the
big brown dog" consists of the determiner "the" (article), adjectives "big"
and "brown," and the noun "dog," with "dog" being the head noun.
PHRASES CAN BE CATEGORIZED BASED
ON THEIR FUNCTIONS:
Noun phrase
Contains a noun and usually modifiers, functioning as a subject,
object, or complement in a sentence.
Example: To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee:

"The small black box containing all the diseases, disasters, and
catastrophes that could befall the county descended into the lives of
the Finch family." - The noun phrase is "The small black box containing
all the diseases, disasters, and catastrophes that could befall the
county."
PHRASES CAN BE CATEGORIZED BASED
ON THEIR FUNCTIONS:
Verb phrase
Contains a verb and usually modifiers, describing an action or state
of being.
Example : "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen:
"Mr. Bennet was among the earliest of those who waited on Mr.
Bingley. He had always intended to visit him, though to the last
always assuring his wife that he should not go; and till the evening
after the visit was paid she had no knowledge of it. It was then
disclosed in the following manner."
In this excerpt, the verb phrase "waited on" indicates an action taken
by Mr. Bennet to visit Mr. Bingley, illustrating past tense and an
aspect of continuous action.
 PHRASES CAN BE CATEGORIZED BASED
ON THEIR FUNCTIONS:
Prepositional phrase
Begins with a preposition and includes
an object, describing relationships in
time, place, or manner.
From "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R.
Tolkien: "At that moment the door
opened and Gwaihir entered, and
behind him came Elrond and Galadriel."
These examples showcase how
prepositional phrases are used in
different narratives and contexts to
add detail, location, or description to
the sentences.
Adjective phrase
Contains an adjective and often
modifies a noun or pronoun.
Example : From Shakespeare's
Sonnet 18:
"Rough winds do shake the darling
buds of May."
Adjective phrase: "darling buds of
May"
Explanation: This phrase modifies
the noun "buds" by adding
descriptive details ("darling" and
"of May").
 PHRASES CAN BE CATEGORIZED BASED
ON THEIR FUNCTIONS:
Adverb phrase
Contains an adverb and modifies a verb, adjective, or other
adverbs, indicating time, place, manner, etc.
Example: From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger:
"I felt like jumping out the window. I probably would've, too, if I'd
been sure somebody'd cover me up as soon as I landed."
Adverb phrase: "as soon as I landed"
These examples showcase how adverb phrases can enhance
descriptions, actions, or emotions in various literary works,
contributing to the richness and depth of the writing.
 THE GROUP
In stylistics, the analysis of syntactic features at the group level involves
examining how sentence structures and arrangements contribute to the overall
style and meaning of a text.
Parallelism
Stylistic analysis looks at the deliberate use of parallel structures, where
grammatical elements are similarly structured. This can enhance rhythm and
create emphasis.
Example
"Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White:
"It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good
writer."
 SYNTACTIC FEATURES AT GROUP LEVEL
Coordination
Connecting equal ideas using
coordinating conjunctions.
from "The Tale of Peter Rabbit"
by Beatrix Potter:
"Peter sat down to rest; he was
out of breath and trembling
with fright."
Subordination
Establishing hierarchy by
combining main ideas with
subordinate clauses.
from "Charlotte's Web" by
E.B. White:
"After breakfast, Wilbur was
feeling drowsy.
 SYNTACTIC FEATURES AT GROUP LEVEL
Ellipsis
Omission of words for brevity
or stylistic effect.
From "The Secret Garden" by
Frances Hodgson Burnett:
"And the robin... he flew
away."
She sat with her chin on her
knees... and watched him."
Fragmentation
Using sentence fragments
for emphasis or a dramatic
effect.
From "Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll:
"Curiouser and curiouser!"
 SYNTACTIC FEATURES AT GROUP LEVEL
Parenthetical Elements
Adding additional information
within parentheses.
From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B.
White:
"Wilbur (the pig) had a cozy
corner in the barn where he liked
to nap."
Dashes
Creating a pause or emphasis
in a sentence.
From "Anne of Green Gables"
by Lucy Maud Montgomery:
"Anne—please call me
Cordelia."
 THE CLAUSE
A clause is higher in rank than a group. It may be defined as a group of
grammatically coherent words with a subject and verb. It is a
combination of words that makes up sentence.
According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, a clause is defined as a
group of words that includes a subject and a verb, and forms a sentence
or part of a sentence.
Example : In George Orwell's "1984,
" a notable example of a clause can be found in the opening line: "It was
a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen."
 TYPES OF CLAUSES
Main Clause or Independent Clause:

A main clause is a group of words with a subject and a

verb. It is one that can stand alone and makes complete
sense. That is why it is called an independent clause.
Example
from "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath:
"I took a deep breath and listened to the old bray of my
heart: I am, I am, I am."
 TYPES OF CLAUSES
Subordinate Clause or Dependent Clause:
A clause that cannot stand on its own is regarded as dependent
clause. It consists of a subject, a verb and a subordinating
conjunction or a relative pronoun.
Example
In F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," there is a dependent
clause in the sentence:
"Although she laughed, the other girl did not."
Here, "Although she laughed" is a dependent clause that cannot
stand alone as a complete thought. It relies on the independent
clause "the other girl did not" to form a complete sentence.
 THE SENTENCE
A set of words that is complete in itself, typically
containing a subject and predicate, conveying a
statement, question, exclamation, or command, and
consisting of a main clause and sometimes one or more
subordinate clauses.
In syntactic analysis, sentences are classified into various
types based on their structure and function. Here are
some common types
 Simple sentence
It consists of a single independent clause, typically containing a
subject and a predicate.
Taking examples of simple sentences from the text of “A Doll's
House" by Henrik Ibsen:

"Nora slammed the door."

This sentence is single independent clause which fulfills the

criteria of being simple sentence and the straightforward action
of slamming the door is enhanced by the vivid description of the
sound, symbolizing Nora's assertiveness"
 Compound sentence
This type comprises two or more independent clauses joined together by
coordinating conjunctions (like 'and,' 'but,' 'or,' etc.) or punctuation marks
(such as semicolons).
Here's an example of a compound sentence from the play The Cherry
Orchard" written by Anton Chekhov :

"Madame Ranevskaya hesitated, torn between the nostalgic love for her
childhood home, and the pressing need to address the looming financial
crisis."

This compound sentence consists of two independent clauses, joined by

the coordinating conjunction "and." It reflects the internal conflict within
Madame Ranevskaya, a common theme in the play.
 Complex sentence
It includes an independent clause and one or more dependent clauses.
Dependent clauses cannot stand alone as complete sentences.
Here's an example of a complex sentence used by Joseph Conrad in stylistics
perspective.

"The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway
leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under an overcast
sky—seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness."

This sentence is complex because it consists of two independent clauses

joined by a coordinating conjunction ("and"). The first clause describes the
offing being blocked by clouds, and the second clause describes the tranquil
waterway seeming to lead into darkness under an overcast sky.
In this sentence, Conrad combines vivid imagery with a complex structure to
evoke a sense of foreboding and mystery.
 Compound-complex sentence

This type combines elements of both compound and complex sentences. It contains
multiple independent clauses and at least one dependent clause.
Example of compound Complex sentence:
D.H. Lawrence, known for his distinctive style, often employed compound-complex
sentences in his work.Here's an example from his novel "Lady Chatterley's Lover":

"In the golden afternoon, as the sun dipped low and the shadows lengthened across
the meadow, Lady Chatterley, who had spent the morning wandering through the
lush gardens, found herself yearning for a connection that transcended societal
norms, a connection that would defy the rigid structures of class and
conventionality, yet she hesitated, torn between the allure of passion and the
weight of societal expectations."
 Explanation
The sentence is compound-complex as it consists of multiple
independent clauses and at least one dependent clause. In the
golden afternoon, as the sun dipped low and the shadows
lengthened across the meadow (independent clause), Lady
Chatterley found herself yearning for a connection that
transcended societal norms (dependent clause). This connection
would defy the rigid structures of class and conventionality
(independent clause), yet she hesitated (independent clause),
torn between the allure of passion and the weight of societal
expectations (dependent clause).
 THE NOTION OF RANK SHIFTING
Rank shifting at the syntactic level involves changes in the hierarchical
structure of a sentence or clause. This can include transformations
between different types of clauses, changes in the syntactic functions of
elements within a sentence, or alterations in sentence structure.
Rank shifting provides flexibility in language use and allows speakers and
writers to convey information in different ways. Understanding these
shifts at the syntactic level is crucial for grasping the structural aspects
of language.
Let's explore the concept of rank shifting at the syntactic level with examples:

Transformations Between Different Types of Clauses:

Complex Sentence Structure in "1984" by George Orwell:
Simple Sentence: "The clock struck thirteen."
Complex Sentence: "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking
thirteen."
George Orwell often used complex sentence structures to create a distinctive
atmosphere in his writing.

Declarative to Interrogative in "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen:

Declarative: "Elizabeth Bennet is not one to be easily persuaded."
Interrogative: "Is Elizabeth Bennet one to be easily persuaded?"
Austen occasionally employs interrogative structures for rhetorical effect and to
engage the reader.
 Let's explore the concept of rank shifting at the syntactic level with examples:
Changes in Syntactic Functions of Elements Within a Sentence:

Active and Passive Voice in "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee:

Active Voice: "Atticus Finch gave Scout a lesson on how contracts were like promises."
Passive Voice: "Scout was given a lesson on how contracts were like promises by Atticus
Finch."
This example demonstrates a shift between active and passive voice, illustrating how the
author can choose different syntactic structures to convey the same information.

Syntactic Variety in "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald:

Parallel Structure: "I was within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the
inexhaustible variety of life."
Interrupted Sentence: "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the
past."
Fitzgerald employs syntactic variety, including parallelism and sentence interruption, for
stylistic effect.
 Let's explore the concept of rank shifting at the syntactic level with examples:
Alterations in Sentence Structure:
Word Order Change in "One Hundred
Years of Solitude" by Gabriel García
Márquez:
Original: "Many years later, as he faced the
firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía
was to remember that distant afternoon
when his father took him to discover ice."
Rearranged: "Many years later, as he faced
the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía
was to remember that afternoon when his
father took him to discover ice, distant."
García Márquez plays with word order to
create a distinctive narrative style.
Embedding Clauses
Embedding Clauses in "The Catcher in the
Rye" by J.D. Salinger:
Non-embedded: "I remember the first time
Stradlater asked me to write his
composition for him."
Embedded: "I remember the first time
Stradlater, who was more of a slob than I
was, asked me to write his composition for
him."
Salinger uses embedded clauses to provide
additional information and insights into the
narrator's thoughts.
 THE GRAMMATICAL VOICE
The grammatical voice describes the relationship between a verb and the
participant (the subject or object) that the verb affects.
When the subject is completing the action the sentence is in the active voice
(e.g. 'Tom painted the shed'). When the subject becomes the object, i.e. has the
action done to them, the voice is passive (e.g. 'The shed was painted by Tom').
Grammatical voice refers to the relationship between the action of a verb and
the participants involved in the action (i.e. the subject and object). The
grammatical voice can either be active or passive.
In English, there are two grammatical voices: the active voice and the passive
voice. These voices are used in English for contrasting reasons (depending on
the focus of a sentence), but they are both important in forming sentences.
 Active voice
The active voice occurs in sentences where the subject
performs the action. This is the most common form of
grammatical voice, so is used more frequently than passive
voice. The active voice is seen to be more direct and
commanding, with a focus on the person/thing carrying out
the action.
Structure
Subject+ Verb + Object (also referred to as SVO).
 Example
From Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling,

"Harry Potter caught the Golden Snitch, winning the

Quidditch match for Gryffindor,"
is an example of active voice. In active voice, the
subject (Harry Potter) performs the action (caught the
Golden Snitch). This construction typically provides a
clearer and more direct expression of the sentence's
meaning.
 Passive voice
The sentence is in the passive voice when the subject is being acted upon.
The passive voice shifts our focus to the person/thing affected by the
action, as opposed to the subject performing the action. This type of
grammatical voice is used less frequently than active voice.
The passive voice follows a different grammatical structure from the
active voice.

Structure
Subject + Auxiliary verb 'to be' + Past participle verb+ Prepositional
phrase
 Example
Example from "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald:

Text line: "The mansion was built in the Roaring

Twenties."

In the given text, the passive voice is used in the phrase

"was built," where the emphasis is on the mansion
receiving the action rather than specifying who built it.
THANK YOU