Syntax

Sentence structure (for paragraphs too)

5 types of sentences:

1. Declarative- makes statements2. Imperative- makes commands. Sometimes

contains the understood (you). Ex. Make the bed.

3. Exclamatory- communicates strong emotion or surprise

4. Interrogative- Asks questions5. Conditional- Expresses wishes (if… then)

If we legalize drugs, there will be more crime, child abuse, etc.

Loose

Expresses the main thought near the beginning and is followed by

explanatory material

"Bells rang, filling the air with their clangor, startling pigeons into flight from every belfry, bringing people into the streets to hear

the news" (From the English Reviewer).

Periodic

Postpones the most crucial

point until the end

(often build suspense or adds surprise)

"Years and years ago, when I was a boy, when there were wolves in Wales, and birds the color of red-flannel petticoats whisked past the harp-shaped hills, when

we sang and wallowed all night and day in caves that smelt like Sunday afternoons in damp front farmhouse parlors, and we chased, with the jawbones of

deacons, the English and the bears, before the motor car, before the wheel, before the duchess-faced horse, when we rode the daft and happy hills bareback,

it snowed and it snowed" (Dylan Thomas, A Child's Christmas in Wales).

Interrupted

Structure in which subordinate elements come in the middle and are often set off

by dashes

The teacher—what could she have been thinking—gave all the students Pixie

Stix and Fiery Hot Cheetos.

Parallel (noun- parallelism)

When there is a series of coordinated elements, all which have the same form and

grammatical function

The next eight slides are all types of parallel structure

Isocolon

When parallel elements are similar not only in structure but also in length,

sometimes even to the same number of words or even syllables

“Pity is the feeling which arrests the mind in the presence of whatsoever is grave and constant in human sufferings and

unites it with the sufferer. Terror is the feeling which arrests the mind in the presence of whatsoever is grave and constant in human sufferings and unites it with the secret cause" (James

Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man).

Balanced

One in which two parallel elements are set off against each other like equal

weights on a scale.

"But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate—we cannot consecrate—we cannot hallow—this ground." "....—that government of the people, by the people, for the people,

shall not perish from the earth (Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address).

Antithesis

Balanced parallelism that sets up an opposition of ideas.

It seemed both to take too long and end too soon.

Anaphora uh-naf-er-uh

A type of parallelism that uses the same word or phrase at the beginning of

several successive clauses

“Let us march to the realization of the American dream. Let us march on

segregated housing. Let us march on segregated schools” (Martin Luther King).

Epistrophe ih-pis-truh-fee

Same device as anaphora, but in reverse, as the repetition comes at the end of

successive phrases, clauses or sentences.

“Because he is hiding in the woods, he cannot refuse zucchini squash. He is the valley’s sole outlet for

zucchini squash” (Dillard).

Epanalepsis ep-uh-nuh-lep-sis

Repetition at the end of a clause or sentence of the word or phrase with which it began: a combination of anaphora and epistrophe

"Always Low Prices. Always"(Walmart slogan).

Asyndeton- deliberate omission of conjunctionsuh-sin-di-ton

I came, I saw, I conquered.

Polysyndeton- deliberate insertion of extra

pol-ee-sin-di-ton conjunctions

He drove, and drove, and drove, and ate, and drove some more.

Anadiplosisan-uh-di-ploh-sis

Repetition of the last word of one line or clause to begin the next.

"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. I sense

much fear in you” (Yoda, Star Wars).

Hypophorahy-phoh-ora

a strategy in which a speaker raises a question and then

immediately answers it.

“What were the coach and trainer thinking of not to insist that each youngster be examined while

undergoing physical stress? Apparently they were not thinking about our boys at all.”