Syntax Terms

Periodic Sentence

Main idea at the end of dependent clauses.

“Despite the rain, the wind, and the cold, the game went on.”

Parallelism

Repeating grammatical structure for emphasis.

“She liked reading, writing, and painting.”

Chiasmus

Inverted repetition of structure (ABBA).

“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

Inversion

Reversed word order for emphasis.

“In the forest dark and deep, I have promises to keep.”

Asyndeton

Omission of conjunctions for speed.

“I came, I saw, I conquered.

Repetition

Repeating words or phrases for emphasis.

“Never give up. Never surrender.”

Varied Sentence Length

Mix of short and long sentences to control pacing.

“He ran. He ran until his lungs burned and his legs screamed, until the world blurred into sparks of color and sound.”

Loose/Cumulative

Main idea first, then additional details (opposite of periodic sentence).

“The game went on, despite the rain, the wind, and the cold.”

Anaphora

Repetition at the beginning of successive clauses.

“We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds…”

Antithesis

Contrasting ideas in balanced structure.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Polysyndeton

Multiple conjunctions for effect (opposite of asyndeton).

“And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew…”

Fragment

Incomplete sentence for emphasis.

“And then. Nothing.”

Rhetorical Question

Question asked for effect; no answer expected.

“Who could blame him?”

Balanced sentence

Two parts equal in structure.

“To err is human; to forgive, divine.”