SYNTAX (page 72)A study In an AP rhetorical category:

Sentence structure, conventions, and language

Rhetorical AnalysisThe purpose of rhetorical

analysis is to determine how an author uses language to create meaning, develop his or her purpose(s) and/or produce particular effects.

A Rhetorical Category (pg 20)

Diction (modifiers)Formal, didactic, slang, colloquial, academic,

abstract

Syntax (parallel structure, coordination,

loose/periodic…)

Figurative Language (simile, metaphor, motif, symbol)

Point of View

Organization

Details

CAUTION!Understanding the author’s

meaning/purpose is ESSENTIAL and the fundamental goal!

Who cares if you can find rhetorical “stuff” but do not know how it contributes to the meaning of the piece?

Step 5: analyzeIf you are talking about what the

text says, you are summarizing.

If you are talking about how the text makes meaning, you are analyzing.

Purpose & Effect of Devices

Why does this writer choose this particular strategy to create his or her message?

How does the writer use this strategy to make meaning?

Why does the writer use this particular strategy and this particular example?

Because the writer used this rhetorical strategy, how/why does the use influence one or more of the following:

SpeakerReaderMessageTonePurpose

Rhetorical Focus:

SYNTAX

SYNTAXPage 71

You will need several sticky notes

SYNTAXThe way words & clauses are

arranged to form sentences.The arrangement contributes to, and

enhances, meaning and effect.

The way author’s put words & phrases together.Helps author’s make their point more

effectively.

Scope & SequenceNow:

4 basic sentence types

Coordination

Subordination

Loose & Periodic Sentences

Parallel structure

Inverted syntax

Repetition

Rhetorical questions

Persuasion:

Anaphora

Antithesis

Inductive and Deductive logic and organization

RQ & Simple Sentences

Understatement

Restatement

When analyzing SYNTAX, consider first:

Position – Where the author puts something in the sentence

Isolation – Setting x off by itself (dash, quotation marks, parenthesis, etc.)

Repetition – The number of times something is repeated

Proportion – The size of the idea and how much of the piece the idea takes up

Length of sentences

Unconventional punctuation

The Basic Sentence Types

Basic Sentence TypesInterrogative SentenceQuestion

Declarative SentenceStatement

Imperative SentenceCommand

Exclamatory SentenceExclaim/excitement

Sentence Type & VarietyBinder (notes) Page 73

A Simple Sentenceindependent clause, contains a subject and a

verb (for us, a DO, too!)

expresses a complete thought

Purpose/Effect of Simple Sentences

PURPOSESConsider: How does this

sentence compare to others by which it is surrounded?

Disrupts pace and rhythm

Creates a sense of unbalance

Reflects rapid movements; reader feels tension of narrator

Emphasizes the main clause (simple sentence subject)

Answer a rhetorical question (which cannot be answered)

EFFECTS

Why does this subject or clause need to be emphasized?

Why does balance need to be broken?

Indication of power (stops momentum) – now, consider what is more powerful than the surrounding subjects

Ethos appeal – when answering a rhetorical question; how and why?

A Compound SentenceTwo independent clauses joined by a

coordinator and/or coordinating conjunction (and a comma)The first letter of each of the

coordinators spells FANBOYS for, and, nor, but, or, yet, soput a comma before the coordinating

conjunction because there are 2 independent clauses being combined

• Use coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, yet, and so.

Coordination

The dog ate Marvin’s favorite tie. The cat rubbed white hair on Marvin’s black suit.The dog ate Marvin’s favorite tie, and the cat rubbed white hair on Marvin’s black suit.

Both clauses could stand alone. When joined with

and, they get equal attention.

You can also coordinate with a semicolon.

+ ; +

main c lause.

The interviewer had seven Persian cats. She would understand Marvin’s predicament.The interviewer had seven Persian cats; she would understand Marvin’s predicament.

Main clause

Main clause + ; + main clause.

t rans i t ion + , +

The interviewer had seven Persian cats; as a result, she would understand Marvin’s predicament.

Still balanced.

Diagramming Compound Sentences

Purpose/Effect of Coordinated Sentences

PURPOSESGive equal attention to

2 items or subjects

Creates balance and unity

One idea is not emphasized over another

Provides increased momentum in the text (no choppy sentences)

Can also slow down the pace

EFFECTS

Consider why are x and y made equal?

What does the rhythmic pattern (momentum) parallel, mirror, create or support?

Compound

A Complex Sentenceindependent clause joined by

one or more dependent clausesalways has a subordinator such

as because, since, after, although, or when

or a relative pronoun such as that, who, or which

Subordinate Conjunctions after although as because before even though if, even if in order that once provided that

since so [that implied], so

that than that though unless when, whenever where, wherever,

whereas whether while

• Subordination gives less attention to one idea so that the other has emphasis.

• Use subordinate conjunctions, such as because, even though, and when.

Subordination

Marvin tried to clean his suit. He was late to the interview.Since Marvin tried to clean his suit, he was late to the interview.

I’m sorry.

Use a comma if you subordinate the first of the two clauses.

Subordinate clause + ,

+

main clause.

Cat hair clung to Marvin’s pant legs. He still got the job.Even though cat hair clung to Marvin’s pant legs, he still got the job.

The first clause is

less important.

The second clause has more

emphasis because its thought is complete.

Use no punctuation if you subordinate the second of the two clauses.

Marvin smiled at his success. Cat hair wafted in his wake.Marvin smiled at his success as cat hair wafted in his wake.

Main clause + Ø

+

subordinate clause.

Now the first clause is the

most important.

The second clause has less

emphasis because its thought is

incomplete.

Sample Item

A. Jeremiah forgot to bring a pencil since he had to beg Amanda to borrow one of hers.

B. Since Jeremiah forgot to bring a pencil, he had to beg Amanda to borrow one of hers.

C. Even though Jeremiah forgot to bring a pencil, he had to beg Amanda to borrow one of hers.

A. Jeremiah forgot to bring a pencil since he had to beg Amanda to borrow one of hers.

B. Since Jeremiah forgot to bring a pencil, he had to beg Amanda to borrow one of hers.

C. Even though Jeremiah forgot to bring a pencil, he had to beg Amanda to borrow one of hers.

Is the subordination effective at A,

B, or C?

Is the subordination effective at A,

B, or C?

Subordinating the first

clause with since, as

option B does, is correct.

Subordinating the first

clause with since, as

option B does, is correct.

Purpose/Effect of Complex SentencesPURPOSES

Emphasizes one idea and subordinates another idea The clause following the

subordinator will be less important

Used in argument

Tone academic or pretentious, sarcastic

Can show train of thought or existential thinking

Show high emotion or lack of emotion

EFFECTS

Increase ethos appeal Showing awareness of

the opposition

Discuss why subject being emphasized appeals to audience

How emphasis supports the claim of text

Subordination

Subordinating conjunction

subject verb

A Quick RecapCoordination & Subordination

Coordination versus Subordination

writer places concepts or people or objects on an equal level and joins them with conjunctions

The writer states the more important idea in an independent clause (a group of words with a subject and a verb that express a

complete idea) and the less important idea in a dependent clause

Diagramming with Conjunctions

Independent PracticePage 74 – 76 and 79

Review: Rhetorical Effects of Sentence Length

Pacing change (speed up/slow down)

Emphasize a main clause

Emphasize the details connected to a main clause

Create sense of balance

Show equal relationship b/w ideas

Show unequal relationship b/w ideas

Create a sense of unbalance/chaos

Of Plymouth PlantationCoordination and Subordination in Early American Writing

But that which was most sad and lamentable was, that in two or three months’ time half of their company died, especially in January and February, being in the depth of winter, and wanting houses and other comforts; being infected with the scurvy and other diseases which this long voyage and their inaccomadate position had brought upon them. So as their died sometimes two or three a day in the foresaid time, that of 100 and odd persons, scarcely fifty remained. And of these, in the time of most distress, there was but six or seven sound persons who to their great commendations, be it spoken, spared no pains night nor day, but with abundance of toil and hazard of their own health, fetched them wood, made them fires, dressed them meat, made their beds, washed their loathsome clothes, clothed and unclothed them.

1.Consider the

context of

“Plymouth”

2.This paragraph

begins with a ___

conjunction…

why?

3. Purpose? Effect?

Analysis Chart: (page 77)Syntactical Element

Textual Example

Purpose of Device(effect?)

Effect of DeviceConnection to UT

Coordination/Coordinated Sent. Structure

Example 1 (prior to shift, first part of shift/contrast)

Coordination/Coordinated Sent. Structure

Example 2 (after shift, 2nd part of shift/contrast)

Sentence LogicLoose and Periodic Sentence Structures

To Come: Inductive and Deductive Logic & Organization

General Purpose/Effects of “Longer” Sentences

Increased number of words necessary to provide definitions and contextLegal and political subjectsJargon (diction)Depends on modification for accuracyEthos appealNarrowing of audience or increasing audienceTone: pretentious, stream of consciousness

Fiction/narrative: increase description of subjectEffect: consider why this subject is emphasized or

described in a particular wayIncrease suspense

Loose SentenceType of sentence in which the main

idea (independent clause) comes at the beginning of the sentence

The main idea (clause) is followed by successive addition of details via a coordinate or subordinate phrase/clause

Examples of the Loose Sentence:

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 SentenceThe sentence is not complete

until the final phrase/clause.“suspended syntax”

Usually has an emphatic climax

The main clause/subject is placed at the very end of the sentence.

Examples of 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.

Periodic sentence: Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the loveable cat scratched Sally.

Basic statement: Love is blind.

Periodic sentence: Love, as everyone knows except those who happen to be afflicted with it, is blind.

Purpose/Effect of Loose & Periodic

SentencesLoose Sentences

Structure is easier, simpler, more natural & direct

Emphasis on the subject of the main clause

Periodic Sentences

More complex, emphatic, formal or literary

Emphasis can be on details or main clause at the end of the sentence

Builds suspense

Parallel Structure

What is Parallel Structure?Grammatical/structural similarity

between sentences or parts of a sentence.

Balanced arrangement of words, phrases, sentences, and/or paragraphs

Simple Parallel StructureSimple Parallel: She looked tired,

frustrated, and disgusted.The three underlined words are arranged in a

series of coordinated elements. These elements all have the same form and the

same grammatical function (adjectives which in the sentence serve as complements).

Because of this similarity of form and function, they are said to be parallel.Purpose: to show that the girl is equally showing all 3

qualities. Why is this stronger than demonstrating one quality?)

Complex Parallel Structure“Robert E. Lee was a foe without

hate, a friend without treachery, a soldier without cruelty…” (Canton)

This sentence goes beyond simple combining and achieves rhythm and cadence through the deliberate repetition of parallel elements. Extend: what is the effect of creating

cadence?

Purpose/Effect of Parallel Structure

Purpose

Creates balance or unity

Creates a rhythm

equally developed importance and similarity within/among phrased context

Effects

Balance between what subjects? Consider connect to subject, message, purpose/UT

Rhythm – connect to medium; paralleling the subject?

Next morning when the first light came into the sky and the sparrows stirred in the trees, when the cows rattled their chains and the rooster crowed and the early automobiles went whispering along the road, Wilbur awoke and looked for Charlotte.

“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 a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four 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. I have a dream today.” (King)

Parallel Structure“The manor—

designed for beauty and grace, built for durability and strength, and located for privacy and safety – was the ideal home for those three children.”

Purpose?Cadence and rhythmBalance and unity

(of?)

Effect:Tone of harmonyDo the

characteristics reflect children of the house?

#3 – holiness?

Of Plymouth Plantation: Style

Marker“…they had now no friends to welcome them nor inns to entertain or refresh their weather-beaten bodies; no houses or much less towns to repair, to seek for succor.”

Purpose?

Effect?

Analyzing SyntaxGraphic Organizer

Syntactical Element

Textual Example

Purpose of Device(effect?)

Effect of DeviceConnection to UT

Syntactical Element

Example 1 (prior to shift, first part of shift/contrast)

Syntactical Element

Example 2 (after shift, 2nd part of shift/contrast)

Juxtaposition

A Definition of Juxtapositionplacing close together or

side by side, especially for comparison or contrast

Consider this Scenario:Let's take a situation from any generic film. A very poor woman

gives birth to twins and dies immediately after. The sons get separated at birth. While one son finds himself adopted into a wealthy factory owner's house, the other is a street child who turns into a petty thief. The film story traces their journey through life. At a crucial moment, the son who is a petty thief corners the other son in a dark alley and mugs him.

Thus a juxtaposition is drawn here which shows the contrast that both sons, born of the same mother and identical to look at, are yet so much different in their motives, lifestyles and characters. Thus the literary device of juxtaposition is used to draw a contrast

between the two, but it is still connected somewhere and it is possible to place them side by side to draw a contrast.

Juxtaposition Examples"Sliding Doors" trailer

There are varied examples that one can go on to explain the concept of juxtaposition like Christina Aguilera's video 'Beautiful' which shows an anorexic girl or Louis Armstrong's song 'What a Wonderful World' which has images of violence and war running throughout the length of the video.

Basic Literary Examples for Juxtaposition

This was the culture from which I sprang. This was the terror from which I fled. (Black

Boy)

He slouched gracefully.

Inverted Syntax

Definition: inverted word order

Emphasize the subject

Emphasize the predicate

Conform to literary conventions Style marker for

Puritan style (plain style)

Why would the speaker want subject x or subject y emphasized?

Why would the speaker want predicate x or predicate y emphasized?

Consider how the emphasize supports the author’s message or UT.

How does this subject resonate with an intended audience?

The Rhetorical Question…and their rhetorical effects

Interrogative Sentence

Asks a question that expects or requires an answer from the audience

Rhetorical Question

Makes a questioning statement that does not expect an answerPut this in

commentary!

Purpose/Effect of Rhetorical Questions

Purpose

Question intended to make a point – consider subject of the question

Reflection

Contemplation

Existential thinking

Confusion

Effects

How does subject identify the intended audience?

How does the common tones connect to subject?

Rhetorical Questions & Persuasion

When followed with a simple sentence, speaker creates ethos appealThe nature of a RQ is that it cannot be

answeredBut the speaker is able to answer this

questionTone – knowledgeable and credible,

fearless leader

Repetition

RepetitionDefinition

the simple repeating of a word, within a sentence or a poetical line, with no particular placement of the words

Purpose/Effect

Emphasis of ideas

Building of momentum

Refocusing of reader to subsequent important ideas

Adds conviction to what is being said; is really effective in speeches

desperation

Passive versus Active Voice

Passive Voice

The subject does not act

The subject is acted upon

Always uses an is verb & a past participle

Active Voice

A sentence is in the active voice when the subject does the acting instead of being the recipient of the acting

Basic ExamplesPassive

The portfolio piece was prepared by the student.

There was also found two of their [the Indians’] houses covered with mats, and sundry of their implements in then, but the people were run away and could not be seen.

Active

The student prepared the portfolio piece.

How would you rewrite the second example using active voice?

Purpose/Effect of Active & Passive VoicePassive Voice

Often used in bureaucratic or political prose – why? Gentler, more diplomatic

approach, cowardly?

Emphasizes what was found, not who did the finding

Can be pedantic and wordy sounding – confusing to audience? (speech)

Hides who was responsible for the action

Strengthens the degree of objectivity

Active Voice

Natural diction

The subject is front and center, as is what its doing

Often uses stronger verbs because emphasis is on verbs

Clearly defined actor and action

More forceful, greater clarity