1. Syntax Check List

2. Sentence Length
Telegraphic (5 or less words) or Short (5 -10) or medium (15-20 words) long and varied (30 or more)?
Intentional fragments for emphasis?
Clause after clause after clause

3. Sentence Beginnings Is there a good variety or does a pattern emerge?
Anaphora- repeating same words or word to start several sentences to create a memorable effect in order to reinforce an idea
Example: Never again will I be late. Never again will I risk it.
Are words set out in a special
way for a purpose or effect?
Inversion- “Yoda speak”
Example: Late I was.

4. Type of Sentence
Inductive- Hard to write, the point (assertion) is made at the end. Examples are given in the beginning.
Deductive- like most essays, point/assertion made at the beginning and then writer gives examples to back it up

5. Parallel Structure Does it repeat the same grammatical structures?
Example: We were laughing, jumping, and racing.
Antithesis- contradictory parallel items
Example: It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.

6. Punctuation Patterns Commas,,,, Dashes---- Parenthesis ( ) Ellipsis…
Colon:
Semi colon;

7. Arrangement of Ideas: Main Clause Placement
Are ideas set out in a special way for a purpose or effect?
Loose/cumulative- a sentence with its main clause at the beginning and additional grammatical units added after it; can convey a great deal of information and imagery in an economical way. A loose sentence makes complete sense if brought to a close before its actual ending; it accumulates extra information as it goes on.

8. Main Clause Placement
Examples: "So I opened it - you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily - until, at length, a single dim ray, like the thread of the spider, shot from out the crevice and fell upon the vulture eye." (Edgar Allan Poe, "The Tell-Tale Heart")

9. Main Clause Placement
Periodic sentence- independent clause comes at the end, similar to “Yoda speak.”
Example:
"And though I have the gift of prophecy,
and understand all mysteries, and all
knowledge; and though I have all faith, so
that I could remove mountains, and have
not charity, I am nothing.“- Bible, Corinthians

10. Main Clause AGAIN
Balanced or parallel - involves the arrangement of the words, phrases, etc. so that elements of equal importance are equally developed and phrased
Example:
"White chickens lay white eggs, and brown chickens lay brown eggs; so if white cows give white milk, do brown cows give chocolate milk?"

11. Another example of balanced/parallel
Example: Wrong: In the winter, I like skiing and to skate. Right: In the winter I like skiing and skating. Right: In the winter I like to ski and to skate.

12. Main Clause Placement
Natural order- a sentence where the subject comes before the predicate (main verb)
Example: Oranges grow in CA.
Split order sentence- divides the predicate into 2 parts with the subj. coming in between
Example: In CA oranges grow.

13. Basic Sentence Structure
Which ones are used?
Simple- one independent clause
Example: The singer bowed to her adoring audience.
Compound- 2 or more independent clauses (joined by a coordinating conjunction or a semi colon)
Example: The singer bowed gratefully to the audience; however, she sang no encores.

14. Basic Sent. Structure
Complex – one independent and one or more dependant clauses
Example: Although the singer bowed gratefully to the audience, she sang no encores.
Compound-complex- 2 or more independent and at least one dependant clause
Example: The singer bowed gratefully while the audience applauded, but she sang no encores.

15. Basic Sentence Types Which ones are used?
Declarative- makes a statement.
Example: The king is sick.
Imperative- gives a command
Example: Bow to the king.
Interrogative- asks a question???
Example: Where is the king?
Exclamatory- makes an exclamation!!!
Example: The king is dead!

16. Other Emphasis Strategies
Rhetorical questions- A question that expects no answer. It is used to draw attention to a point.
Example: Can’t we all just get along?

17. More…
Asyndeton (ə-sĭn'dĭ-tŏn‘)-normally occurring conjunctions (and, or, but, for, nor, so, yet) are intentionally omitted in successive phrases, or clauses; a string of words not separated by normally occurring conjunctions.
Example: Thank you. He comes, he sleeps, he goes. So the plot thickens....
- CS Lewis

18. More Strategies…
Polysyndeton (pŏl'ē-sĭn'dĭ-tŏn')- repetition of conjunctions in close succession for effect
Example: And soon it lightly dipped, and rose, and sank, and dipped again …
Anadiplosis (a-nə-də-plō-səs)- repetition at the beginning of a phrase of the word or words with which the previous phrase ended
Example: He is a man of loyalty-loyalty always firm.

19. More…
Epanalepsis- repetition at the end of the clause or sentence of the word or phrase of which it began.
Example: "He is noticeable for nothing in the world except for the markedness by which he is noticeable for nothing.” -Edgar Allan Poe, "The Literati of New York City”
Example: "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." -The Bible, Phil. 4.4

20. Antithesis- the placing of a sentence or one of its parts against another to which it is opposed to form a balanced contrast of ideas
“Give me liberty or give me death.”
Anaphora- A rhetorical term for the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses
Action movies are my favorite. I love action movies with Nicolas Cage. Cage has made his millions from action movies.

21. Finished…
Chiasmus (kee-aZ-moos)- the order of the terms in the first of two parallel clauses is reversed in the second. This may involve a repetition of the same words (‘Pleasure's a sin, and sometimes sin's a pleasure’—Byron)
Example: Despised, if ugly; if she's fair, betrayed.

22. Apply
Choose two new terms you learned today and display your knowledge of these terms through alternative modes or memory trick. For example: If I just learned the term “metaphor” and “simile,” I would draw a picture
Her hair was as white as snow
Her hair was snow

23. Homework
AP Literature Rhetorical terms Read then highlight the terms you are not familiar with