hello I'm Mrs weissgerber welcome to my podcast on syntax syntax is the arrangement of words in a sentence and this Arrangement is one of the many complex choices that a speaker or author can make to serve a purpose speakers always have a purpose but it's up to you and I to figure out what it might be careful examination of sentence structure can reveal a lot syntax is a word coined in the age of reason about 1600 its atmology or word history shows it was devised to describe a putting together or in order arrangement syntax syntax as a word is related to tactics and the root Tech as in architecture and Technology the connotation or underlying meaning of the word syntax is that the arrangement of words in a sentence is an art form I agree discussing word order in sentences assumes knowledge of a few terms a simple sentence is also called an independent clause it has a complete meaning without additional information like modifiers or dependent clauses needed a simple sentence has a subject verb and a direct object a sentence in a nutshell is a complete thought Clauses are word groups containing a subject verb and any objects complement or modifiers phrases or word groups lacking a subject verb or both they are incomplete thoughts they often support the main Clause by giving additional detail and information about the main subject an action compound sentences have more than one independent Clause but no dependent clauses and finally complex sentences combine independent and dependent clauses great writers vary the types and lengths of sentences to highlight and emphasize key ideas here's an example of a famous scathing Architectural Review of the Rayburn building in Washington DC throughout the essay the critic builds her case for the building's many failures the few very short sentences in the essay are the ones where she expresses distaste most clearly and directly as shown here how you like that Circle you might even say that that very short sentence would serve as a thesis syntax controls verbal pacing and focus although one hard and fast rule of standard edited English language is that there must be a subject in a verb and the Order of the words cannot be random writers and speakers have a lot of leeway and how to embellish their ideas this is why certain writers have personality or a strong Voice besides word order syntax is also concerned with sentence length sentence focus and punctuation word order is an interesting way of breaking up the choppy Conformity of the subject verb direct object pattern if you analyze the works of great writers and use them as models for your own work you'll see that great writers vary their sentence openings the first few words of the sentence in a way that creates interest for the reader here are some sample sentences that play with subject verb and object order the first is a declarative statement the second an emphatic outburst and the third characterizes the speaker by clarifying the state of mind if you picture the speaker of each of these three sentences you'll likely picture three different people as each sentence has a unique voice one spoken one excited and the third perhaps irritated that's how word order can bring an underlying meaning or connotation to what is said good writers also vary sentence length to keep the reader alert and to control emphasis a short sentence following a very long sentence shifts the reader's attention which highlights the meaning and importance of the short sentence of often times modern writers put key ideas in short sentences but this may not be the case when we read pre-20th Century texts sentence focus is also controlled by the arrangement of words within the sentence if the subject and verb are delayed or delivered at the end of the Clause this is a very strong effect because the subject and verb are delivered so close to the end of the sentence where the period is found these are called periodic sentences here's one although the sun beckoned delightedly and my phone buzzed a siren song steadily I kept learning about syntax this emphasizes the importance of this podcast you see what I did there if that sentence were reversed with the subject and verb at the beginning the emphasis of course would be on all the enjoyable distractions that are being forsaken for knowledge that style of sentence which delivers the subject and verb early is loose he the difference I kept learning about syntax although the sun beckoned delightedly and my phone buzzed its siren song now the audience can relax with the subject and verb out of the way and Savor the distraction Stay With Me Now Keen analysis of text also includes observations about other choices a speaker makes especially repetition the arrangement of word sentences or passages to mirror content and punctuation each of these is a conscious Choice the speaker makes and each can have results that are purposeful intentional and engaging repetition is used by speakers and writers to emphasize important messages writers often repeat specially chosen words sounds or phrases to make a point to stress certain ideas for the reader here's an example of using repetition to show anxiety in a character predicted and prevented we predicted it didn't we hanging the others they predicted it but we didn't prevent it we could have stopped it in 45 and 47 besides the anxious or unstable like this character in an old SII short story who else might repeat themselves a speaker who wants to drive home an important point a young child in the backseat of a car in a long road trip an old person telling an often heard story in a good writer's hands repetition is intentional and has a purpose a very sophisticated analys Anis may even show that repetition can be used to mirror content sentence structure can mirror content if the ideas are carefully arranged and syntax is Arrangement other groupings that lend Cadence or Rhythm to Pros include trinities which would be three parallel groups of words usually separated by commas which create a poetic rhythm or add support for a point especially when the three word groups have their own modifiers here's a sample of an action Trinity plus sound Trinity reaching into his cabin Commander kruan lowered his bulk into the seat behind his desk took off his heavy helmet and adjusted an order of Merit which was hiding modestly behind its neighbor punctuation our final discussion on the arrangement of complete thoughts into sentences or syntax would not be complete without some mention of punctuation punctuation in its true historical sense is a means of marking or puncturing Thoughts with important marks or dots think about it a slash mark still carries with it the meaning of a cutting stroke with a weapon a comma has the connotation of striking or beating as a drum punctuation provides pause as readers come to understand the relationships between ideas within sentences and sentences within the larger text here's guidance on particularly effective marks the semicolon the colon and the dash first the semicolon are they weak periods or strong commas they are part period and part comma after all they're commonly used to indicate a close relationship between two independent clauses a semicolon gives equal weight to two or more independent clauses in a sentence it provides parallel structure or syntactical balance it balances grammatical structure in a way that mirrors the equal weight or importance of the ideas or contents of the different parts of the sentence it also connects closely related ideas here's an example education is a high word it is the preparation for knowledge and it is the imparting of knowledge in proportion to that preparation without the semicolon one could simply present the two Clauses as separate sentences with the semicolon however we strengthen the worthiness of preparation and imparting by connecting it to the high ascribed to education the colon directs the reader attention to the words that follow it's also used between independent clauses if the second summarizes or explains the first a colon sets the example that import important closely related information will follow and words after the colon are therefore emphasized you would use a colon in replacement of the words note what follows you would use a before list of items especially after expressions like as follows or the following in this first example the colon signifies an important formal statement is following Patrick Henry concluded his revolutionary speech before the Virginia House of Burgesses with these ringing words colon the important words follow in the second the colon serves to clearly delineate an important list the dash which is a lot of fun marks a sudden change in thought or Tone It sets off a brief summary or sets off a parenthetical part of the sentence it often lends a casual tone to the work it's emphatic and it adds a bit of urgency here's a couple examples a majority of the class of 2014 55% in fact with was admitted to Ivy leak schools this material are you even listening for God's sakes is very important you can hear that Dash more about the dash in this sentence you can hear the clarifying pause in the voice as the oppositive is stated according to the Constitution only one person and that would be the president can appoint Justice is in this second example the dash is replacing namely in other words that is or some similar expression his decision to stay in AP language was based on one thought the honors and College Prep courses could not provide him with the syntax challenges he craved so why syntax why does it matter well a speaker or writer's attitude ude or tone toward the subject is revealed by their choice of words that's diction the details they include or exclude the imagery presented and the word Arrangement tone is how the author and audience connect if you can understand rhetoric which is a speak speaker's use of any available means to inform entertain or persuade you have a better chance of increasing your understanding of others being successful in your own Communications and upping your shot at a qualifying score on the AP Language and Composition test thank you very much for listening to today's podcast on syntax I'm Mrs Weiss Gerber