Syntax. It is something the English language needs. It gives meaning to our words. So have you ever stopped to think about the definition of syntax, or do you know some examples of syntax in everyday life? It is important to have an understanding of syntax, especially if you will be analyzing it throughout your time at university.
Notice how this introduction includes short simple sentences? This is an example of syntax! As a part of grammar, syntax focuses on the arrangement of words and the structure of sentences.
Syntax: Definition
Syntax is focused on the technical aspects of grammar. Here's a definition:
Syntax looks at how words and phrases are arranged to create grammatically correct sentences. It can also show the relationship between words and phrases.
The main elements of syntax are:
Sentence and paragraph structure
Word order
How words, phrases, clauses, and sentences create and affect meaning
Showing the relationship between words and phrases
The word "syntactic" is the adjective form of syntax. You'll come across this word throughout the explanation, e.g., "The syntactic structure of the sentence shows a clear use of passive voice."
Did you know; the word 'syntax' comes from the Greek root word σύνταξις (syntaksis), meaning "coordination." This stems from σύν (syn), meaning "together" and τάξις (táxis), meaning "ordering.
Syntax Rules
Before looking at some patterns and examples of syntax, it is important to be aware of the rules of syntax. In order for sentences to make grammatical sense, they must follow certain rules.
Here are the top 5 syntax rules:
1. All sentences need a subject and a verb. Be aware, the subject is not always stated in imperative sentences as it is implied through context.
For example, in the sentence "Open the door" the subject is assumed to be the listener.
2. A sentence should contain one main idea. If one sentence has multiple ideas, it is preferable to split it up into multiple sentences. This helps to avoid confusion or unnecessarily long sentences.
3. Subjects come first, followed by the verb. If the sentence has an object, this comes last. For example:
| Subject | Verb | Object |
| Freddie | baked | a pie. |
Note that this is only true for sentences written using the active voice (sentences in which the subject actively carries out an action).
4. Adjectives and adverbs go in front of the words they describe.
5. Subordinate clauses must also contain a subject and a verb. For example, "She was sick, so I brought her some soup."
Complements and Adverbials
You are probably already aware of subjects, objects, and verbs, but other elements can be added to a sentence, such as complements and adverbials. Check out the definitions below:
Complements are words or phrases used to describe other words in a sentence or clause. Complements are necessary to the meaning of a sentence - if they are removed, the sentence will no longer make grammatical sense. For example, "Beth was." In this sentence, the complement is missing, so the sentence doesn't make sense.
The three types of complements are:
1. Subject complements (describes the subject) - e.g., "The movie was funny."
2. Object complements (describes the object) - e.g., "The movie made me laugh."
3. Adverbial complements (describes the verb) - e.g., "The movie was shorter than expected."
Adverbials are words or phrases that modify a verb, adjective, or adverb. They are usually either:
1. A single adverb, e.g., "He worked slowly."
2. A prepositional phrase, e.g., "He worked in the office."
3. A noun phrase related to time, e.g., "He worked this afternoon."
Sentence Patterns
As we mentioned, syntax primarily covers the structure of sentences. Different sentences have different patterns depending on the elements they contain. There are seven main sentence patterns, which are as follows:
1. Subject Verb
E.g., "The man jumped."
This is the most basic pattern for a sentence. Any grammatically correct sentence should, at the very least, contain a subject and a verb.
2. Subject Verb Direct Object
E.g., "The cat ate his food."
Verbs that take an object are called transitive verbs. The object comes after the verb.
3. Subject Verb Subject Complement
E.g., "My cousin is young."
Subject complements come after the verb and always use linking verbs (such as to be) which connect the subject and the subject complement.
4. Subject Verb Adverbial Complement
E.g., "I ran quickly."
If there are no objects, the adverbial complement comes after the verb.
5. Subject Verb Indirect Object Direct Object
E.g., "She gave me a present."
Direct objects directly receive the action of the verb, whereas indirect objects receive the direct object. In this example, the indirect object (me) receives the indirect object (a present). Indirect objects tend to come before the direct object, though not always. For example, the above sentence can also be written as "she gave a present to me."
6. Subject Verb Direct Object Object Complement
E.g., "My friend made me angry."
Object complements come after the direct object.
7. Subject Verb Direct Object Adverbial Complement
E.g., "She puts the shoes back."
Adverbial complements come after the direct object.
Syntax Examples
How can sentence structure and word order alter the meaning of a sentence? In order for sentences to make grammatical sense, they must follow a certain structure. If words are changed, a sentence can lose its grammatical meaning. For example:
Take the sentence:
"I enjoy painting."
The purpose of syntax is to combine words in a meaningful way so that sentences can make grammatical sense. The above example follows the SVO (subject, verb, object) structure:
| Subject | Verb | Object |
| I | enjoy | painting |
So what if the word order changed?
"Painting enjoy I"
This sentence no longer makes grammatical sense. Although the words are all the same, the word order is incorrect.
Keep in mind:
Changing the word order does not always mean that the sentence will no longer make sense. There is a way for the word order to change without affecting the meaning.
Consider the two different grammatical voices: active voice and passive voice. Sentences in the active voice follow the structure of subject verb object. In such sentences, the subject actively performs the action of the verb. For example:
| Subject | Verb | Object |
| Tom | painted | a picture |
On the other hand, sentences in the passive voice tend to follow the following structure:
Object a form of the auxiliary verb 'to be' past participle verb preposition subject.
In this case, the object assumes the position of the subject. For example:
| Object | Form of 'to be' | Past participle | Preposition | Subject |
| A picture | was | painted | by | Tom. |
By turning the active voice into the passive voice (and vice versa), the word order changes, but the sentence still makes grammatical sense!
Syntax also serves the purpose of determining a sentence's main focal point. A focal point is the main information or central idea of a sentence. Changing the syntax can alter the focal point. For example:
Take the sentence:
"I saw something that really scared me yesterday."
The focus of this sentence is "I saw something." So what happens when the syntax changes?
"Yesterday, I saw something that really scared me."
Now, with the addition of punctuation and a change of word order, the focal point has shifted to the word "yesterday." The words haven't changed; all that's different is the syntax. Another example is:
"I was really scared by what I saw yesterday."
This time, after another syntactic change, the focus has shifted to "I was really scared." The sentence is more passive, as it gives focus to the person affected by the thing that scared them.
Analyzing Syntax
At some point in your English Language studies, you might be asked to analyze the syntax in a text, but how should you do it?
Syntax is often used in literary texts to change the flow of sentences and show a unique perspective. An author's syntactic choices can portray the purpose of the text and the author's intended message. Analyzing these syntactic choices can help you to understand the deeper meaning of a text.
When analyzing syntax in a text, consider the following features, and ask yourself how they contribute to the meaning of the text:
Phrases - e.g., noun phrase, verb phrase, adjective phrase, etc.
Clauses - e.g., independent or subordinate.
Sentence types - e.g,. simple, complex, compound, compound-complex.
Punctuation - e.g,. period, comma, colon, semi-colon, hyphen, dash, parentheses.
Here is an example from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (1595).
But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she.
- Romeo and Juliet - Act II, Scene II.
Fig. 1 - Shakespeare's syntactic choices in Romeo and Juliet reflect the historical period.
So which syntactic choices does Shakespeare use here?
In this example, Shakespeare reverses the word order of his sentences, which creates a more unusual perspective; "What light through yonder window breaks?" Instead of "What light breaks through yonder window?" the word order has changed from subject verb object to subject object verb. This creates a more formal and sincere feeling.
Shakespeare begins with a sentence fragment, "But soft!" This short, snappy fragment immediately grabs the attention of the audience. Although sentence fragments are not grammatically correct, they are often used as a literary device to create a dramatic effect or add emphasis.
Shakespeare also uses longer, more complex sentences, such as "Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief, That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she." This sentence, although long, is punctuated with commas throughout. This allows the sentence to flow and gives it a rhythm, creating the feeling of one ongoing thought.
It is also important to be aware that Shakespeare uses archaic language, which reflects the historical period Romeo and Juliet was written in. Some examples (and their modern translations) include:
Yonder (that/those)
Thou (you)
Art (are)
Effect of Syntax on Tone
Syntax can be used as a rhetorical strategy to affect the tone of a text.
Tone is a rhetorical device that shows the attitude of an author towards a subject. Examples of tone include formal, informal, optimistic, pessimistic, etc.
An author can control the tone of a text by changing some of the syntactic features. An example of this is following older or newer syntactic patterns:
"I made a mistake that I apologize for."
This is a basic sentence with modern-sounding syntax - the relative pronoun "that" and the preposition "for" make the sentence sound quite casual. But, if you were to change the syntax...
"I made a mistake for which I apologize."
This uses syntactic patterns typical of more archaic writing. Specifically, the phrase "for which" makes the sentence seem more formal and gives it a more sincere tone.
Fig. 2 - Did you know: choosing a certain tone for a specific context is called code-switching?
Differences Between Syntax and Diction
Another grammar concept that is similar to syntax is diction;
Diction refers to word and phrase choice in written or spoken communication.
Syntax concerns the order of words, and how the words are put together to show meaning, whereas diction is more specific in that it focuses on the particular word choice for a given context.
Syntax vs. Semantics
Syntax can often be mistaken for semantics, but there are differences between the two. Take a look at a definition of semantics:
Semantics is the study of meaning in English. It considers how someone's vocabulary, grammatical structure, tone, and other aspects, combine to create meaning.
On the other hand, syntax is more specifically to do with grammar. It deals with the set of rules needed to make sure sentences have grammatical meaning.
Syntax - Key takeaways
- Syntax looks at how words/parts of words combine to create larger units of meaning.
- Syntax focuses on creating meaning and making words make sense. It is also used to determine the focal point of a sentence.
- Syntax can be used as a rhetorical strategy to affect the tone of a text.
- Syntax concerns the order of words, and how the words are put together to show meaning, whereas diction focuses on the specific word choice for a given context.
- Semantics is the study of meaning in English, whereas syntax focuses specifically on grammar and the rules we need in order for sentences to make sense.
Explanations 
Exams 
Magazine 
