Syntax Flashcards
Syntax
the study of how words are ordered into phrases, clauses and sentences.
Phrase
a group of words that acts as a single unit within a sentence but does not include both a subject and predicate (main verb and its modifiers), while a clause does. in a sentence, phrases can function as subjects, objects, predicates and modifiers, contributing to the overall syntactic structure of the sentence. There are 5 types:
- Noun
- Verb
- Prepositional
- Adjective
- Adverb
Phrase
= Noun phrase
consists of a noun and its modifiers
ex. ‘the quick brown fox’
Phrase
= Verb phrase
includes the main verb and its modifiers
ex. ‘is running quickly’
Phrase
= Prepositional phrase
Begins with a preposition
ex. ‘on the table’
Phrase
= Adjective phrase
centers around an adjective
ex. ‘very quickly’
Phrase
= Adverb phrase
built around an adverb
ex. ‘quite slowly’
Clauses
a group of words that contains both a subject and a predicate. clauses may also contain objects, complements and adverbials. There are 2 types:
- Independent
- Dependent
2 Types of Clauses
= Independent
they may form a complete sentence
2 Types of Clauses
= Dependent
or part of a sentence
What Clauses Contain
= Subjects
needed in clause. the subject of a clause is the person, place, thing or idea that is performing the action or being described. it is typically a noun or pronoun, and is usually found at the beginning of a sentence.
ex. ‘the cat sleeps’, ‘the cat’ is the subject
What Clauses Contain
= Predicates
needed in clause. the predicate is the part of the clause that tells us what the subject is doing, or what is being done to the subject. it includes the main verb and its modifiers.
ex. ‘the flowers are blooming’, ‘are blooming’ is the predicate
What Clauses Contain
= Objects
optional in clause. an object in a clause is the entity that is affected by the action of the subject. there are 2 types:
- Indirect
- Direct
What Clauses Contain
= Objects = Indirect
optional in clause. indirectly affected by the action and typically represents to whom or for whom the action is done
ex. ‘she gives him a book’, ‘him’ is the indirect object
What Clauses Contain
= Objects = Direct
optional in clause. receives the action of the verb directly
ex. ‘she reads a book’, ‘a book’ is the direct object
What Clauses Contain
= Complements
optional in clause. a word or group of words that completes the meaning of a predicate. complements come after copula verbs, which are special types of verbs that only appear in sentences that require complements. it links the subject complement to the subject. the most common copula verb is ‘be’ (which can also be a very or a primary auxiliary). however, there are other verbs that can act as a copula verb, including ‘seem’, ‘appear’, ‘feel’, ‘become’, ‘find’ and ‘grow’. there are 2 types:
- Subject
- Object
What Clauses Contain
= Complements = Subject
optional in clause. describe or identify the subject
ex, ‘the sky is blue’, ‘blue’ is the subject complement
What Clauses Contain
= Complements = Object
optional in clause. follow and modify or refer to the object
ex. ‘they elected her captain’, ‘captain’ is the object complement
What Clauses Contain
= Adverbials
optional in clause. a word (typically an adverb), phrase or clause that provides extra information about a verb. it provides additional optional information about how, when, where, in what manner or to what extent something happens. adverbials can appear in different positions within a sentence: at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end, depending on what is being modified and the focus of the message
ex1. ‘the cat was purring on my lap’, ‘on my lap’ is the adverbial
ex2. ‘he studied just enough to pass’, ‘just enough’ is the adverbial
Combining Clauses
is done in order to vary sentence structure, provide appropriate amounts of information and reduce repetition
Sentence Types
help define a sentence’s primary purpose. there are 4 types: DIIE
- Declarative
- Interrogative
- Imperative
- Exclamative
Sentence Types
= Declarative
makes a statement.
ex. ‘the cat is sleeping.’
Sentence Types
= Interrogative
asks a question.
ex. ‘is the cat sleeping?’
Sentence Types
= Imperative
gives a command or request.
ex. ‘close the door.’
Sentence Types
= Exclamative
expresses strong emotion
ex. ‘what a beautiful day!’
Sentence Structures
determined by whether the sentence comprises a complete clause, how many clauses are within the sentence, and the conjunctions that join those clauses together. there are 5 types:
- Simple
- Compound
- Complex
- Compound- Complex
- Fragment
Sentence Structures
= Simple
contains one independent clause.
ex. ‘the cat meows’
Sentence Structures
= Compound
consists of two or more independent clauses connected by a coordinator.
ex. ‘the dog barks and the cat meows.’
Sentence Structures
= Complex
includes one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.
ex. ‘the cat meows when she is hungry.’
Sentence Structures
= Compound- Complex
contains at least two independent clauses joined together by a coordinator, and at least one dependent clause joined by a subordinator
Sentence Structures
= Fragment
