Syntax
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| order of words in a sentence | ||
| makes a statement | ||
| gives a command | ||
| asks a question | ||
| conveys a passionate emotion | ||
| word, phrase, clause referred to by a pronoun ("The grandeur of all truths is good; it is also bold.") | ||
| word, phrase, clause that follows a linking verb and complements the subject of a sentence by either renaming it ("Julia Roberts is a movie star.") or describing it ("Warren remained optimistic.") | ||
| complete thought; can stand alone | ||
| must have an independent clause with it; explains the main clause more fully | ||
| contains a subject and verb ("The puppy curled up on my lap.") | ||
| two independent clauses with a subject and verb each joined by a semicolon or coordination conjunction ("The ice cream was delicious; it was exactly what I wanted.") | ||
| contains an independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses ("I bet you're expecting that this sentence is going to be about puppies.") | ||
| contains two or more principal clauses and one or more subordinate clauses ("After the play, Ms. Rudder won't have to stay up late, and her presentation will be good.") | ||
| subject before predicate ("Oranges grow in California.") | ||
| predicate before subject ("In California grow oranges.") | ||
| divides predicate into two parts with the subject in the middle ("In California, oranges grow.") | ||
| subordinate clause in the middle, set of with dashes or commas ("Even though he came - although late - he was wet.") | ||
| 1-2 words, abrupt | ||
| shorter than 5 words | ||
| main idea comes first, then dependent grammatical units; informal, relaxed, conversational ("I arrived safely at work after being rescued by Superman.") | ||
| present central meaning in main clause at end, after phrase/clause that can't stand alone; adds emphasis to structural variety ("After Superman rescued me, I arrived safely at work.") | ||
| deliberate omission of word(s) implied by context ("My pen was blue; hers, red.") | ||
| deliberate omission of conjunction in a series; creates sense of speed/concision; seems spontaneous; lists don't necessarily seem complete; makes phrase seem like an afterthought or completion ("She was obsessed with puppies, books, ice cream, sleep.") | ||
| deliberately using many conjunctions; attempt to encompass something complex; emphasizes multiplicity and persistence or intensity ("They read ad studied, I wrote and talked and shared.") | ||
| ability to create a variety of sentence structures, appropriately complex/simple and varied | ||
| sentence structure is extraordinarily complex/involved; difficult for reader to follow |