What is

SYNTAX?
 SYNTAX
- In linguistics, syntax is the arrangement of words
and phrases in a specific order.
GRAMMAR
- the collection of principles defining how to put
together in a sentence.
 IMPORTANCE OF
SYNTAX
A change in the placement of the words often changes the
meaning of the entire sentence. Sometimes, the change is
minor which is useful for writers but sometimes, change is
more significant which changes the sentence with a whole
new interpretation.
Example: The word "only" can be
an adjective or an adverb.

1. ONLY Aia buys ice cream.

2. Aia ONLY buys ice cream.
3. Aia buys ONLY ice cream.
 FIVE

O
F S A X
YNT
1. All sentences require a subject and a verb. However,
imperative sentences (commands) do not need to include their
subject because it’s assumed to be the person the sentence is
directed at.

Example: The dog drinks his water every day.

Imperative Sentence: Remember to pick up the dry
cleaning today.
2. A single sentence should include one main idea. If a
sentence includes two or more ideas, it’s best to break it up
into multiple sentences.
Example:

One idea: I like Italian food.

Two ideas: I like Italian food, but my partner likes Chinese
food.
3. The subject comes first, and the verb comes
second. If the sentence has objects, they come third,
after the verb.
Example:
John lives in France.
4. Subordinate clauses (dependent clauses) also require a
subject and verb. Below we explain more about how to use
subordinate clauses in sentence structure.

Example:
The dog stopped running (when Jack blew the whistle.)
5. Adjectives and adverbs go in front of the words they
describe. If there are multiple adjectives describing the same
noun, use the proper adjective order, known as the “Royal
Order.”

Example:
The clown's sad smiles touched us deeply.
 S OF SYN
P E T A
Y X
T :
 SYNTATIC
PATTERNS
- are the acceptable word orders within
sentences and clauses.

- Before we get to syntactic patterns, we

first need to explain complements and
adverbials.
COMPLEMENTS
-words or phrases that describe other words
in a sentence or clause. The difference
between complements and other modifiers is
that complements are necessary for the
meaning of a sentence and cannot be
removed.
+ Subject complements- describe the subject
(That test was hard.)
+ Object complements- describe the object
(That test made me angry.)
+ Adverbial complements describe the verb
(That test took longer than usual.)
 ADVERBIAL
COMPLEMENTS
- necessary for a sentence’s meaning,
another kind of adverbial, modifier
adverbials, can be removed without changing
the meaning.
+ Single adverbs (We ran quickly.)
+ Prepositional phrases (We ran in the park.)
+ Noun phrases that relate to time (We ran
this morning.)
1. Subject→ verb
Ex: The dog barked.
2. Subject → verb → direct object
Ex: The dog carried the ball.
3. Subject → verb → subject complement
Ex: The dog is playful.
4. Subject → verb → adverbial complement
Ex: The dog ate hungrily.
5. Subject
object
→ verb → indirect object → direct
Ex: The dog gave me the ball.

6. Subject
complement
→ verb → direct object → object
Ex: The dog made the ball dirty.
7. Subject→ verb →
adverbial complement
direct object →
Ex: The dog perked its ears up.
 S OF SYN
P E T A
Y X
T :
 4 SENTENCE
STRUCTURE
- These 4 sentence structures represent
different combinations of independent and
subordinate clauses.
1. Simple: Includes the minimum requirements
for a sentence, with just a single independent
clause.
Ex: We go to the beach in summer.
2. Complex: An independent clause combined
with one or more subordinate clauses.
Ex: We go to the beach in summer when school
is finished.
3. Compound: Two independent clauses joined
by a coordinating conjunction or a semicolon.
Ex: We go to the beach in summer, but my cat
stays home.

4. Compound-complex: Two independent

clauses combined with one or more
subordinate clauses.
Ex: We go to the beach in summer, but my cat
stays home because he doesn’t own a
swimsuit.
 ERENCE
DIFF

& Diction
Syntax
about arrangement
or order of the
words
refers to word
choice
less choice involved,
and there are more
a writing tool that
restrictions based on
grammar rules directly affects
writing style
also affects style, in
particular, sentence
structure and
less restrictions
sentence length
 SYNTAX IN
LITERATURE
- In the hands of a skilled writer, syntax
can make the difference between a bland
sentence and a legendary quote by
combining syntax with certain literary
devices like antithesis, chiasmus, or
paradox, can help anyone make their
writing stand out.
Ex: “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

Ex: “Rather than love, than money, than fame, give
me truth.”

—Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Ex: “People generally see what they look
for, and hear what they listen for.”

—Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird