Syntax Flashcards
Phrase
A group of related words. (A single unit of syntax)
The goal here is to IMPROVE EFFICIENCY.
Clause
A group of words containing a subject and a predicate
Sentence
a sequence of words capable of standing alone (and have meaning)
Declarative
Statements or sentences that state a fact
It is very cold
Imperative
Commands or sentences that give orders or requests
Do not go out into the cold!
Exclamative
Sentences that express strong feeling or emotion
Gosh it’s cold
Interrogative
Questions or sentences that ask for an answer
Are you cold?
Subject
The something or someone that the sentence is about
JOHN is going outside
Predicate
expresses something about the subject
John is GOING OUTSIDE
Complement
a word, phrase or clause that is necessary to complete the meaning of a given expression
Ryan is UPSET
That made Micheal LAZY
Adverbial
a word or phrase functioning as a constituent and typically expressing place, time or manner.
in the garden
at 3 o’clock
Constituent
A single unit (phrase) of a sentence
Sentence Fragment
fails to be a sentence in the sense that it cannot stand by itself. It does not contain an independent clause.
In Japan when the rain was heavy.
(No Predicate)
Simple Sentence
also called an independent clause, contains a subject and a verb.
Some {students} [like] to study in the morning
{Subject} [Verb]
Compound Sentence
contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinator
{Sally} [likes] to study and {Stuart} [plays] football.
{Subject} [Verb]
Complex Sentence
has an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses
The {teacher} [returned] the homework /after/ {she} [noticed] the error.
{Subject} [Verb] /Subordinators/
Compound-Complex Sentences
two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses.
Although I like to go camping, I haven’t had the time to go lately, and I haven’t found anyone to go with.
Ellipsis
the omission from speech or writing of a word or words that are unnecessary or able to be understood from contextual clues
Nominalisation
Turning a verb or adjective into a noun
Googled
Coordination
In linguistics, coordination is a frequently occurring complex syntactic structure that links together two or more elements, known as conjuncts or conjoins.
I was at the park.
It was a sunny day.
I was at the park and it was a sunny day.
Subordination
Contrasting to coordination, Subordination involves the main clause and the subordinate clause. (Independent and Dependant)
The subordinate clause cannot function without a coordinator (Conjunction) to a main clause.
Mary is jumping AND jack is doing so also.
Passive Voice
The passive voice is a grammatical construction.
The noun or noun phrase that would be the object of an active sentence (such as Our troops defeated the enemy) appears as the subject of a sentence with passive voice (e.g. The enemy was defeated by our troops).
There-Construction
The insertion of a dummy subject pronoun there in order to allow the subject to appear later. Usually an ‘empty’ construction.
For example: There are two different books on the table.
Clefting
Splitting off a part of the sentence in order to give it prominence - thereby forming two clauses. The first is introduced by an empty subject ‘it’ and a form of ‘be’, with the rest being recast as a relative clause. For example: From ‘I saw him last year’ -> “It was last year that I saw him.”
