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What Is Syntax

Syntax is the scientific study of how sentences are constructed according to the principles and rules of a language. Studying syntax helps language learners understand sentence structure, recognize essential elements and their relationships, identify types of sentences and clauses, and construct clear sentences. While grammar and syntax both govern sentence construction, syntax specifically refers to the arrangement of words, phrases, and clauses within a sentence. Elements of syntax include parts of a sentence, phrases, clauses, and sentence structure.

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97 views6 pages

What Is Syntax

Syntax is the scientific study of how sentences are constructed according to the principles and rules of a language. Studying syntax helps language learners understand sentence structure, recognize essential elements and their relationships, identify types of sentences and clauses, and construct clear sentences. While grammar and syntax both govern sentence construction, syntax specifically refers to the arrangement of words, phrases, and clauses within a sentence. Elements of syntax include parts of a sentence, phrases, clauses, and sentence structure.

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nazaninmustafa647
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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What is syntax?

• Syntax is the scientific study of the principles


and the processes by which sentences are
constructed in particular languages.
Why do language learners study syntax?
Studying syntax helps the learners to:
1. Understand the structure of the language in a systematic
and structural way.
2. Recognize the essential elements within a sentence and
their relationships.
3. Identify types of sentence structure.
4. Identify Types of clauses and their nature.
5. Introduce Word classes and their functions
6. Distinguish types of verbs.
7. Syntax helps us to make clear sentences that “sound right,”
where words, phrases, and clauses each serve their function
and are correctly ordered to form and communicate a
complete sentence with meaning.
Grammar vs. Syntax
• Many people believe that grammar
and syntax are the same concepts. While
they both dictate the construction of a
sentence, it is more accurate to say that
syntax is a part of grammar.
Syntax vs. Grammar
Elements of Grammar

• Grammar is the set of rules a language uses to convey meaning. It is one of


the fundamental building blocks of language, along with lexicon, or
vocabulary. When you use proper grammar, you are following the
generally accepted rules of your language.

Elements of grammar include:


1. Morphology: The ways morphemes connect to make words
2. Phonology: The sounds of words
3. Semantics: The meanings of words and relationships between words
4. Syntax: The structure of words in a sentence

Grammar dictates the ways you use words, especially parts of speech. For
example, nouns and verbs must agree with each other in your sentence. But,
the order of words in that sentence relies on its syntax.
Elements of Syntax

• The Greek word syntax means “arrange together.” Syntax has more to do
with linguistics than language. Because syntax is a part of grammar, all
syntactical rules are also grammar rules. Here are some elements of
syntax:

1. Parts of a sentence: Subject, predicate, object, direct object


2. Phrases: A group of words without a subject or predicate
3. Clauses: A unit of grammatical organization next below the sentence in
rank and in traditional grammar said to consist of a subject and predicate.
4. Sentence structure: The construction of simple, compound, complex, or
compound-complex sentences
• Grammar rules and patterns dictate the ways you use the syntactical parts
of a sentence. For example, every sentence must include a subject and a
predicate. While there are basic syntactic rules to follow, syntax makes it
possible for writers to establish tone by varying the types of sentences in
their writing.

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