Section 2 | Syntax Rules

1. Syntax
Syntax is the set of rules that determine how words are combined to form sentences.

2. Basic Sentence Structure (SVO)
Sentences commonly follow a Subject-Verb-Object order:

• Subject: Who or what performs the action (e.g., "The cat").

• Verb: The action itself (e.g., "sat").

• Object: Who or what receives the action (e.g., "on the mat").

3. Parts of Speech
These are the building blocks of sentences:

• Noun: Words that represent people, places, things, or ideas (e.g., cat, mat).

• Verb: Describes what something does or is (e.g., sat).

• Adjective: Modifies or describes a noun (e.g., blue).

• Adverb: Modifies or adds detail to a verb, adjective, or another adverb (e.g., quietly).

4. Phrase Structure
Sentences have a hierarchical structure made of:

• Noun Phrases (NP)

• Verb Phrases (VP)
  These combine to form a sentence (S).

5. Clause Structure
Clauses are fundamental components of sentences:

• Contain a subject and a verb.

• Types:

  • Independent: Can stand alone as a sentence (e.g., The sun shines brightly).

  • Dependent: Cannot stand alone and requires an independent clause (e.g., If the weather is good).

6. Tense and Agreement

• Tense: Indicates when an action takes place (past, present, future).

• Agreement: The subject and verb must match in number (singular/plural).

7. Sentence Types

• Simple: Contains one independent clause (e.g., The dog barks loudly every morning).

• Compound: Contains two or more independent clauses (e.g., The cat sleeps, and the dog plays).

• Complex: Contains one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses (e.g., Because the cat is tired, it sleeps).

• Compound-Complex: Contains multiple independent and dependent clauses (e.g., The cat sleeps because it is tired, and the dog plays because it is energetic).

Common Syntax Errors
Errors in sentence structure that reduce clarity.

Practicing Syntax
Involves constructing sentences correctly by following syntax rules.

Examples

• Incorrect: He to the store walked.

• Correct: He walked to the store.

• Incorrect: The dog loudly barks, and it very friendly is.

• Correct: The dog barks loudly and is very friendly.