Literary Term of the Week: Syntax

Syntax, the arrangement of words and phrases to create sentences, needs to be just as intentional as the words we choose.

We have 5 structures to choose from:

Simple
Compound
Complex
Compound-Complex
Fragments

These control the pace and the release of information.

We can modify these sentences using phrases and clauses.

Prepositional phrases
Appositive phrases
Noun clauses
Adjectival clauses
Adverbial Clauses

These supply additional information and clarify who, what, when, where, why.

Sentence can be declarative, interrogative, exclamatory and imperative.

Since sentences rarely travel alone, there is the interaction among sentences to consider.

To practice:

Write a poem using only a simple sentence. Then rewrite that sentence 10 times, each time using a different combination of structures, phrases, types.

Make sure to break the rules some.

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