Terminology - Syntax and Sentence Structure

Question 1

What is a phrase?

Answer 1

A group of words that work together to express a single idea

Question 2

What is a noun phrase?

Answer 2

Made up of a head (main) noun plus determines, adjectives and possibly adverbs

e.g. Clifford the big red dog
Ivor the very naughty dragon

Question 3

What is a verb phrase?

Answer 3

Contains a head verb plus extra information in terms of tense and likelihood

e.g. would like to know…
will be wondering…

Question 4

What is an adverbial phrase?

Answer 4

Contain information about when or where or how.

These are different from adverbial clauses because they don’t contain a verb

e.g. on the stairs
before tea

Question 5

What is a clause?

Answer 5

Group of words centred around a verb phrase. Phrases are put together to form clauses

Question 6

What is a subject in a clause?

Answer 6

Ther person or thing causing the verb process

e.g. the cow
the dustman
Ebenzer…

Question 7

What is a verb element in a clause?

Answer 7

The action or change tacking place or the process being described

e.g. ate
ran
wanted

Question 8

What is a direct object in a clause?

Answer 8

An object directly affected by the verb process

e.g. the bucket
an ice cream
the pen

(Not all verb elements need an object)

Question 9

What is a main clause?

Answer 9

Can function independently as a simple sentence, or as part of a compound, complex or compound-complex sentence

e.g. I like cats
ice-cream is great
the new sink is being fitted

Question 10

What is a subordinate clause?

Answer 10

Cannot function independently, must be joined to a main clause, often with a subordinating conjunction

e.g. because I like cats…
although ice-cream is great…

Question 11

What is a relative (subordinate) clause?

Answer 11

Starts with who, which or that, and gives more information about a noun phrase

e.g. …which is being fitted…
…who likes ice-cream…

Question 12

What is an adverbial (subordinate) clause?

Answer 12

Provides more information about telling us the circumstances of the verb process in terms of place, time, frequency, degree and manner

e.g. after I walked downstairs…
almost every day…
as quickly as possible…

Question 13

What is co-ordination?

Answer 13

The joining of two clauses with a co-ordinating junction that gives them equal weighting

Question 14

What is subordination?

Answer 14

The joining of two clauses that gives one clause (the main clause) more weighting than another clause, or clauses (the subordinate clause[s])

Question 15

What are the three subordinate clauses?

Answer 15

Fronted - WHILE THE NEW KITCHEN IS BEING FITTED, we are eating out

Embedded - the new kitchen, WHICH IS BEING FITTED, will be lovely

Backloaded - the new kitchen will be lovely, WHEN IT IS FINISHED

Question 16

What is a minor sentence?

Answer 16

A sentence which is missing either (or both) of the key elements of a main verb of a subject

e.g. Mashed-in nose
Half of one ear missing
Eyes the colour of rotting squash

Question 17

What is a simple sentence?

Answer 17

A sentence with a single verb process

e.g. This is the day of the reaping

Question 18

What is a compound sentence?

Answer 18

A sentence where two clauses are joined, often with a co-ordinating conjunction

e.g. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him

Question 19

What is a complex sentence?

Answer 19

A sentence which features one main clause and one or more subordinate clauses, often joined with a subordinating conjunction or a relative pronoun

e.g. Mr Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills

Question 20

What is a compound-complex sentence?

Answer 20

A sentence which features two independent main clauses and at least one subordinate clause

e.g. Mrs Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbours.

Question 21

What is a syndetic list?

Answer 21

Items are divided by a mixture of commas and conjunctions

e.g. we were warm, sheltered and protected

Question 22

What is a asyndetic list?

Answer 22

Items are divided by commas with no conjunctions

e.g. On his return he received medals, honours, treasures, titles, fame

Question 23

What is a polysyndetic list?

Answer 23

All items are divided by conjunctions

e.g. men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars