Download Jennings and Syntax

Jennings and Syntax
ASSIGNMENT: After reading and annotating the information on syntax, use the
following Jennings poems to complete the assignment below. The chart should serve as
prewriting for a statement of meaning. Be sure to look at the sample provided.
“REMINISCENCE”
“IDENTITY”
“SONG FOR A DEPARTURE”
Syntax refers to sentence structure. It is basically how words are arranged in a
sentence and how a writer has created a pattern with the words. Syntax shows a
writer's style by showing how he/she creates patterns of words. Use of syntax can also
show a writer's skill because word patterns and sentence structures need to be
modified at times to fit certain types of writing. Often writers like to experiment with
syntax in their writing to provide emphasis or to create a deeper meaning using word
patterns.
SENTENCE TYPES
A simple sentence, also called an independent clause, contains a subject and a verb, and
it expresses a complete thought.
A. Some students like to study in the mornings.
B. Juan and Arturo play football every afternoon.
C. Alicia goes to the library and studies every day.
The three examples above are all simple sentences. Note that sentence B contains a
compound subject, and sentence C contains a compound verb. Simple sentences,
therefore, contain a subject and verb and express a complete thought, but they can also
contain a compound subjects or verbs. Think of this definition when writing analytically
about literature. Why would a poet/novelist choose to write a simple sentence with a
compound subject, compound verb?
A compound sentence contains two independent clauses joined by a coordinator. The
coordinators are as follows: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. (Helpful hint: The first letter of
each of the coordinators spells FANBOYS.) Except for very short sentences,
coordinators are always preceded by a comma.
A. I tried to speak Spanish, and my friend tried to speak English.
B. Alejandro played football, so Maria went shopping.
C. Chadwyk played football, but he went shopping.
The above three sentences are compound sentences. Each sentence contains two
independent clauses,(highlighted in green) joined by a coordinator with a comma
preceding it. (highlighted in pink/purple) Note how the conscious use of coordinators can
change the relationship between the clauses.
A complex sentence has an independent clause joined by one or more dependent clauses.
A complex sentence always has a subordinator such as because, since, after, although, or
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when or a relative pronoun such as that, who, or which.
A. When he handed in his homework, he forgot to give the teacher the last page.
B. The teacher returned the homework after she noticed the error.
C. The students are studying because they have a test tomorrow.
D. After they finished studying, Juan and Maria went to the movies.
E. Juan and Maria went to the movies after they finished studying.
When a complex sentence begins with a subordinator such as sentences A and D, a
comma is required at the end of the dependent clause. When the independent clause
begins the sentence with subordinators in the middle as in sentences B, C, and E, no
comma is required.
Finally, sentences containing adjective clauses (or dependent clauses) are also complex
because they contain an independent clause and a dependent clause.
A. The woman who(m) my mom talked to sells cosmetics.
B. The book that Jonathan read is on the shelf.
C. The house which Abraham Lincoln was born in is still standing.
D. The town where I grew up is in the United States.
A compound-complex sentence is made from two independent clauses and one or more
dependent clauses.
(example) Although I like to go camping, I haven't had the time to go lately, and I haven't
found anyone to go with.
independent clause: "I haven't had the time to go lately"
independent clause: "I haven't found anyone to go with"
Dependent clause: "Although I like to go camping... "
MORE SENTENCE TYPES
Declarative sentence: simply makes a statement or expresses an
opinion. In other words, it makes a declaration. This kind of sentence
ends with a period.
Imperative sentence: gives a command or makes a request. It usually
ends with a period but can, under certain circumstances, end with an
exclamation point!
Interrogative sentence: asks a question. This type of sentence often
begins with who, what, where, when, why, how, or do, and it ends with a
question mark.
Exclamatory sentence: is a sentence that expresses great emotion such
as excitement, surprise, happiness and anger, and ends with an
exclamation point.
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Two sentence patterns are of major importance:
 The Loose Sentence
 The Periodic Sentence
Every sentence in the English language will fit into one of these categories
or will be a combination of both. Once you understand the two patterns, you
can write any kind of sentence you like without the slightest fear of going
astray.
You can master these patterns easily if you first get a grip on one important
principle: The principle of the basic statement (main idea).
The following are basic statements:
1. Bells rang.
2. Love is blind.
3. The cat scratched Sally.
4. John gave his mother flowers.
5. The teacher considered him a good student.
THE LOOSE SENTENCE: This sentence is a basic statement with a
string of details added to it.
Basic statement: Bells rang.
Loose sentence: Bells rang, filling the air with their clangor, startling
pigeons into flight from every belfry, bringing people into the streets to
hear the news.
Basic statement: The teacher considered him a good student.
Loose sentence: The teacher considered him a good student, steady if not
inspired, willing if not eager, responsive to instruction and conscientious
about his work.
THE PERIODIC SENTENCE: In this sentence, additional details
are placed before the basic statement. Delay, of course, is the secret weapon
of the periodic sentence.
Basic statement: John gave his mother flowers.
Periodic sentence: John, the tough one, the sullen kid who scoffed at
any show of sentiment, gave his mother flowers.
Basic statement: The cat scratched Sally.
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Periodic sentence: Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the loveable cat
scratched Sally.
THE PERIODIC (INTERRUPTIVE): In this sentence, additional details
are added inside the basic statement:
Basic statement: Love is blind.
Periodic sentence: Love, as everyone knows except those who happen to be
afflicted with it, is blind.
THE COMBINATION: In this sentence, additional details are added before
and after the basic statement.
Note: Once you have learned to recognize and use the two major sentence patterns, you
can forget about adhering to them strictly. You can combine elements of both if you wish.
Suppose you are working with a short, simple sentence--A sentence reduced to the
barest basic statement: John was angry.
Note: This short sentence may sound exactly right inside your paragraph--just short
enough and sharp enough to have the force you want. In that case, leave it alone. But
perhaps that nagging inner ear tells you that it isn't quite right; it needs something.
Thus, you make it a shade more periodic:
Periodic: John was suddenly, violently angry.
Or you make it even more periodic:
John, usually the calmest of men, was suddenly, violently angry.
Or you decide to add detail at the end:
John, usually the calmest of men, was suddenly, violently angry, so angry that he lost
control completely.
Now the sentence is both periodic and loose. You could shake it up still more by
moving some of the detail up front:
Combination of periodic and loose: Usually the calmest of men, John was
suddenly, violently angry, so angry that he lost control completely.
Parallel Structure
What is it?-Parallel structure is repetition of the same pattern of words or phrases
within a sentence or passage to show that two or more ideas have the same level of
importance.
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Why is it important?-Parallel structure helps to organize ideas, making a text or
speech easier to understand. Parallel structure can also create a satisfying rhythm in
the language an author uses.
How do I do it?-Repeat the same pattern of words at key points in the text. Use
parallel structure to organize ideas within a sentence, as in Example 1, or within a
longer passage, as in Example 2.
Example 1:
"Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him."
—William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
Sample Interpretation: The author uses parallel structure in both lines. In the first
line, parallel structure equates three different groups of society: friends, Romans,
and "countrymen." In the second line, the author uses parallel structure with the
phrases "to bury Caesar, not to praise him."
Example 2:
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of
its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and
the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of
brotherhood...
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will
not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
—Martin Luther King, Jr., "I Have a Dream" speech
Sample Interpretation: Here, King repeats the words "I have a dream," in order to
emphasize his message and give listeners the sense that his dream can be expressed
in many ways, all of which are equally important. King's repetition also creates a
rhythm that works well in public speaking. This rhythm creates a lull, soothing his
audience into compliance.
Sample Statement of Meaning: Syntax Focus
Nellie Wong’s “When I Was Growing Up” has multiple purposes; the most significant
being to purge the speaker’s self-hate. The first lines of Wong’s poem, which utilizes a
declarative sentence followed by an interrogative sentence, and finally a simple sentence: “I
know now that I once wanted to be white. Why? Do you ask? Let me count the ways.” The order
of these sentences, facilitates Wong’s honest, gut-wrenching revelations of ugly, revolting
emotions the speaker struggled with as she came of age. The sentence variety reflects the
countless, prejudiced circumstances people of color experience daily. The repetition of the
adverbial clause, “When I was growing up,” emphasizes the detrimental effects of racial hatred,
especially when self-directed. Adverbial clauses, launching intricate, complex sentences,
unabashedly reveal the speaker’s severe, hurtful childhood memories. Creating an irate vengeful
speaker who expresses her declaration, utilizing repetitive, complex sentences Wong reinforces
a major thematic implication in the poem; pain and agony can lead to triumphant personal
growth.
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Title
Sentence Sentence
from
Type
Poem
Punctuation
and/or
Grammatical
Construction
Specific Analysis of
the Syntax in
Relation to Meaning
“Song for a
Departure”
“Song for a
Departure”
“Reminiscence”
“Reminiscence”
“Identity”
Identity”
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