AP Lang - Syntax

Syntax :: The arrangement of words in a sentence

• structure = meaning
• changed structure = changes meaning

Devices That Impact Syntax

• Parallelism :: similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases or clauses
  • She made a pastry that was ==sweet, fluffy and delicate==
• Climax :: repetition of the last words of one clause or sentence at the beginning of a text. building importance of an idea
  • Miss America was not so much interested in serving herself as she was eager to serve ==her family, her community and her nation==
• Anti-Climax :: arrangement of words in decreasing importance
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• Antithesis :: juxtaposition of words or ideas
  • it cant be ==wrong== if it feels so ==right==
• Anaphora :: repetition of the same word or phrase and the beginning of successive clauses
  • ==this== hate, ==this== anger, ==this== rage, …
• Epistrophe :: ending a series of line, phrases clauses or sentences with eh same line/word
  • what lies behind ==us==, before ==us== and within ==us==
• Apposition :: addition of adjacent coordinate explanatory or descriptive element
  • Albert Einstein, ==perhaps the greatest of scientist==, didn’t figure out the physics of hair combing
• Juxtaposition :: placement of to contrasting idea next to each other for effect
  • ==bittersweet==
  • overarching umbrella containing antithesis, oxymoron, and others

Types of Sentences

• Simple Sentence :: one i@@ndependent clause@@, no dependent clause
  • @@Joe waited for the train@@
  • one subject and verb
• Compound Sentence :: multiple @@independent clauses@@, no dependent clauses
  • @@The clown frightened the girl, and she ran off screaming@@
• Complex Sentence :: a sentence with one @@independent clause@@ and one ^^dependent clause^^
  • ^^After she added up the profi^^t, @@she realized she was 52 cents short@@
• Complex-Compound Sentence :: multiple independent clauses and at least one dependent
  • ^^Though Mitchell prefers watching romantic films^^, @@he rented the latest spy thriller, and he enjoyed it very much@@
• Periodic sentence :: long and involved sentence marked by suspended syntax and is not completed until the final word
  • the proper place in a sentence for the word or group of words that the writer desires to make the most prominent is usually the end
• Loose sentence :: @@main clause@@ is followed by a ^^subordinate clause^^
  • @@I went to the movies yesterday@@, ^^bought candy, and shopped at the mall^^
• Cumulative sentence :: @@independent clause@@ followed by a series of s^^ubordinate clauses^^
  • @@The brilliant assembly filed past us@@, ^^the marshals with their batons and ceremonial red hats, the professors draped in their doctoral hoods, the graduates in somber black that contrasted with their jubilant mood.^^

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