Syntax

simple sentence

has one independent clause ex) The children played in the snow.

compound sentence

has two or more independent clauses ex) The children played in the snow, and then they ate candy canes

complex sentence

has one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses ex) After the children played in the snow, they ate candy canes.

compound-complex sentence

has two or more independent and one or more dependent clauses ex) After the children played in the snow, they ate candy canes, and then they watched a movie.

declaritive sentence

makes a statement

imperative sentence

gives a command

interrogative sentence

asks a question

exclamatory sentence

makes an exclamation

loose sentence

makes a complete sense if brought to a close before the actual ending

periodic sentence

makes sense only when the end of the sentence is reached

balanced sentence

the phrases and clauses balance each other by virtue of their likeness of structure, meaning or length

modifier

alters or intensifies meaning ex) The cat pounced on the mouse very suddenly. (Suddenly acts as the modifier)

antecedent

the word or group of words to which a pronoun refers ex) The cat ate the mouse but left another one outside. (The pronoun “one” establishes its meaning from the antecedent “mouse”)

Anaphora

the repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses ex) “Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.”

Antithesis

the juxtaposition of contrasting ideas for emphasis ex) “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Asyndeton

the omission of conjunctions between a series of related clauses ex) “I came; I saw; I conquered.”

Chiasmus

words are presented and then restated in reverse order ex) “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country"

Climax

a writer arranges ideas in order of importance ex) I spend the day cleaning the house, reading a book, and putting my life in order.

Inversion

a verb comes before the subject in a sentence ex) Tired is he who faithfully completes his homework

Parallelism

crafting sentences so that items are placed in comparable grammatical structures ex) I like cooking better than I like washing dishes. (cooking and washing are parallel constructions.) Contrast with: I like cooking better than I like to do the dishes.