Independent clause
subject-verb unit that can stand alone as a grammatical sentence
Dependent clause
noun-verb unit that can’t stand alone as a grammatical sentence
Simple sentence
a SINGLE independent clause
(+ any modifying phrases)
Compound sentence
TWO independent clauses; linked by CONJUNCTION or SEMICOLON
(+ any modifying phrases)
Complex sentence
ONE independent & dependent clause
(+ any modifying phrases)
Compound-Complex sentence
at least TWO independent clauses & ONE dependent clause
(+ any modifying phrases)
Effective fragment
word/phrase punctuated as a sentence that is grammatically incomplete due to lack of independent clause
(can be dependent clauses & phrases when punctuated as sentences)
Natural order
traditionally arranged sentence of subject-verb-object structure; subject or agent (noun carrying out the action of verb) comes BEFORE the predicate
Inverted order
Reversal of natural order structure; main verb comes BEFORE the subject or agent
Periodic sentence
when the sentence’s main idea is not completed until the very end; sentence front-loaded with subordinate elements & main clause is postponed
(adds suspense)
Cumulative sentence
when the sentence’s main clause comes at the very beginning; main clause first followed by subordinate elements for detail
(aka loose sentence as they are more free-flowing compared to periodic sentences)
Balanced sentence
when sentence is composed of two (or more) parts roughly equal in length, importance, & grammatical structure
Anaphora
repetition of a word/group of words at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences
Epistrophe
repetition of a word/group of words at the end of successive phrases, clauses or sentences
Symploce
beginning & ending a series of lines, clauses, or sentences with repetition of word/phrase
combination of anaphora & epistrophe
Balance
parallel elements similar in structures; effect of equilibrium & symmetry
parallelism technique
Antithesis
when the parallel elements are similar in structure, but seek to contrast one thing from another
parallelism technique
Asyndeton
when a speaker/writer omits a conjunction between related words, phrases, or clauses
Polysyndeton
when a speaker/writer uses excessive conjunctions that could otherwise be omitted between related words, phrases, or clauses
Paralipsis
Stating that one will pass over (or not mention) a topic and, in doing so, drawing all the more attention to it
produce ironic effect
Paranomasia
the use of words similar in sound to achieve a certain effect (humor, double meaning, etc.)