AP Lang Sentence Structures (Syntax)

Telegraphic

Shorter than five words in length (sentence length)

Short

Approximately five words in length (sentence length)

Medium

Approximately eighteen words in length (sentence length)

Long and involved

Thirty words or more in length (sentence length)

Declarative (assertive) sentence

Makes a statement

Imperative sentence

Gives a command

Interrogative sentence

Asks a question

Exclamatory sentence

Makes an exclamation-- provides emphasis or expresses strong emotion

Simple sentence

Contains one subject and one verb

Compound sentence

Contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinate conjunction (and, but, or), or by a semicolon.

Complex sentence

Contains an independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses.

Compound-complex sentence

Contains two or more independent clauses and one or more subordinate clauses.

Loose or cumulative sentence

Makes 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 or clauses balance each other by virtue of their likeness or structure, meaning, and/or length.

Natural order of a sentence

Involves constructing a sentence so the subject comes before the predicate.

Inverted order of a sentence (sentence inversion)

Involves constructing a sentence so the predicate comes before the subject. This is a device in which normal sentence patterns are reversed to create an emphatic or rhythmic effect.

Split order of a sentence

Divides the predicate into two parts with the subject coming in the middle.

Juxtaposition

Is a poetic and rhetorical device in which normally unassociated ideas, words, or phrases are placed next to one another , creating an effect of surprise and wit.

Parallel structure (parallelism)

Refers to a grammatical or structural similarity between sentences or parts of a sentence. It involves an arrangement of words, phrases, sentences, or paragraphs so that elements of equal importance are equally developed and similarly phrased.

Repetition

A device in which words, sounds, and ideas are used more than once for the purpose of enhancing rhythm and creating emphasis.

Rhetorical question

Is a question that requires no answer. It is used to draw attention to a point and is generally stronger than a direct statement.

Rhetorical fragment

An incomplete sentence used deliberately for a persuasive purpose or to create a desire effect.